Max Martin |
Max Martin
Landmark work Backstreet Boys, Millenium; Britney Spears, . . . Baby One More Time
Ass-kicking recent release James Blunt, “Carry You Home”
Wrestling name The Equalizer!
In the early ’90s, fledgling producer Martin Sandberg changed his name to Max Martin because, he was told, the snappy alliteration sounded more pop. The man who convinced Martin to do so, Denniz PoP (who himself was born the un-pop-sounding Dag Krister Volle) became his mentor. PoP was the paterfamilias of a now heavily influential line of Swedish Svengali producers/songwriters who toil to revive tween pop in its various forms. And it was Martin in particular who managed to distinguish himself with a natural ear for the kind of contemporary dance-pop hooks, festooned with aural candy, that can climb a Top 40 playlist. Together, he and PoP collaborated on tracks for Ace of Base’s second effort, The Bridge, and soon the duo had an offer to produce and write songs for a new lad-band called the Backstreet Boys. After Martin penned “As Long as You Love Me,” his fate was effectively sealed. His personal oeuvre, however, reached its first official climax with “. . . Baby One More Time,” a joyously masochistic swan song originally written for TLC. Instead, it was recorded by a certain adolescent upstart with super-tight abs and a voice begging to be auto-tuned. Martin continued to write for Britney Spears on subsequent releases, but as her celebrity grew, so did his list of credits. Martin prepared compositions for *NSYNC, P!nk, the Veronicas, Ashley Parker Angel, and Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” co-produced by Martin (with Dr. Luke), is the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde of pop songs — pumped full of steroids, two-faced, and ready to kick the shit out of you.
— Sharon Steel
Gil Norton |
Gil Norton
Landmark work Pixies, Doolittle; Throwing Muses, Throwing Muses
Ass-kicking recent release Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace
Wrestling name The Midrange Mauler!
When the alternative-rock era ended, Gil Norton evolved. This restless Brit had been the father of alt-rock production. His résumé includes classic albums by Pixies, Throwing Muses, and Echo & the Bunnymen. Even today, Norton-sculpted discs typically boast clear, surging tones and put the accent on mid-range heavy guitars that roar like pissed-off lions. Thanks to subtle textural mixes that weave a cornucopia of sounds without sacrificing detail, it all slouches toward psychedelia. After the late-’90s sea change in music, Norton tailored his signature approach to a new generation of bands. He minted artistic and commercial mega-breakthroughs, such as Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape and Dashboard Confessional’s A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. This year he produced the Foo’s new Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace and Counting Crows’ upcoming Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings. His influence and cutting-edge reputation, however, is also tied to his continuing work with developing artists and cult heroes, including the Distillers, Alien Crime Syndicate, Gomez, Patti Smith, and Maximo Park.
— Ted Drozdowski
Mark Ronson |
Mark Ronson
Landmark work Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
Highly anticipating upcoming release Amy Winehouse’s next album, as yet unnamed
Wrestling name Proteus!
In the ’90s, it was easy to dismiss Mark Ronson (whose step-dad is Foreigner’s Mick Jones) as a silver-spoon-fed celebrity DJ. Then in 2000, Ronson entered the studio with former child pop star Nikka Costa. The result was the spare but funky title track of her album Everybody Got Their Something, which was released in 2001. That became the calling card for the son of the man who gave us both “Hot Blooded” and “Cold as Ice.” Two years later, Ronson’s debut Here Comes the Fuzz featured offbeat collaborations with Costa, Philly rapper Freeway, and Jack White on the title track, and Ghostface, Trife, and Nate Dogg on the single “Ooh Wee.” While Fuzz pairs hip-hop with rock, Ronson has recently moved even further toward singers and live instrumentation. This past year, he helmed much of Amy Winehouse’s second album, Back to Black. Winehouse and Lily Allen are among the guests who sing over the driving drums and squealing horns on Ronson’s own sophomore offering, Version, which came out this summer. A concept album — the title pays homage to the dancehall practice of preparing different versions or remixes of songs — Version pairs covers of indie-rock classics with his updated take on Northern Soul. Now, if he could only make Foreigner cool again . . .
— Adam Matthews
