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Friday, December 12, 2014

COMPOSING MUSIC 101.....HOW MAX WRITES A SONG...

Having participated in at least 15 albums with Max and countless others, I can pretty much predict when it's time to write and record. I make the schedules for releases and touring, so I just let Max know a couple weeks ahead, to start thinking about his topic, his riffs that will represent his vision, and who he will work with as the architect of his art. A couple times he gave me a blank stare...shock?....but usually he just goes with the flow.

The first steps are preparatory...he buys a simple notebook and then looks for a spot in the house to set his gear up at. It was the kitchen table for Sepultura's Chaos AD and Roots and also for the early Soulfly records. Starting around Soulfly 3, Max began tearing up the bedroom, and wrote several records there. He relocated to our Arizona room that overlooks the pool for the next couple Soulflys, and wrote the first 2 Cavalera Conspiracy records in his man-cave trailer out front, in our driveway. Killer Be Killed was birthed at our home in Unincorporated Phoenix. This ranch was also the location he co-wrote Son Song with Sean Lennon. This upcoming Soulfly release, like the previous Soulfly, is being labored in our living room.




Max first gets his small, 12 track Korg Digital Recording Studio, connects his drum machine and makes his beats, which are his spine. He then uses a Digitek Distortion Guitar Pedal and layers the guitars and bass. For speakers, he uses a Bose home stereo system. To add vocals, Max sings into a pair of Beats headphones.








When all the layers are completed, usually without vocals, Max burns a cd and we send this cd to the band members, to get familiar and start thinking about their parts. Max and Zyon spend time rehearsing and structuring the tracks and before we know it, we are in the studio...and the Tribe gets new music!! It's all for YOU!!!!

Class dismissed.......