As a producer, I think the most important thing is to highlight the strengths of each artist. We need to make sure that each voice strikes a balance in the context of the entire song. “Dynamite” was originally composed of vocals, so we had to find a way to make sure that all seven of our members in BTS could be reflected in a natural way.
I try to make it a comfortable environment where I provide motivation for further exploration. If there are ideas from the artist that I feel need to be built up a bit more, then I try to explain it to them and provide some sort of guidance. All of this is based on absolute trust between the artist and the producers. Whether it’s BTS or [fellow Big Hit group] Tomorrow x Together or even our trainees, we communicate a lot with the artist before their debut, when they’re still training. This builds trust over time and motivates them from a very early period of their career.
BTS, when they were trainees, after their day was over and they were done with the work, they would still come into the studio and write songs. I thought it was because they were still starting out, but even [now] when they go on world tours, in their hotels or on the plane, they continue to work on their songs.
It’s unbelievable when [a song you work on takes on a bigger meaning for fans]. But, and maybe this is because I don’t do a lot of activities outside the studio, usually I’m going to be focused on the next project. I don’t have a tendency to bask in the results.
Time he gets up
Late afternoon.
First thing he does
“I’ll check news, the issues for the day, and then I’ll get right into work.”
Philosophy
“This is what I tell a lot of the junior producers who ask for advice: For music you really need to love it and be crazy about what you’re doing.”
How he handles email
“When I’m awake and get messages from artists, I reply to them immediately. Our primary communication with artists is going to be about the music-making process, so they’ll ask me about an idea or ask me to listen to something.”
What’s in his work space that keeps him motivated
“I really like vintage synthesizers. When I’m just playing around with them, that gives me inspiration and energy.”
Best habit
“Not stopping until I’m completely satisfied.”
Worst habit
“When I’m focused on a particular project, I sometimes forget what the priorities are and what other work needs to be addressed. I spend a lot of time on one thing that I’m immersed in. I try to use schedulers and memo functions on my phone to try to overcome that.”
One thing he’s done this year to try to improve himself
“This year, I wanted to learn DJing. That didn’t quite work out with the COVID-19 situation. But one thing that came out of this is I built a good home studio so that when I have an idea I can immediately put that into a song.”
Last thing he does
“I go over what I did that day, and I’ll monitor some of the work. Then I’ll relax and listen to a little bit of music.”
Time he goes to bed
Between 7 and 9 a.m.
