The record begins before recording.
Pre-production is where a project stops being an undefined possibility and starts acquiring character, proportion and focus.
Listen, choose, remove.
Many artists enter the studio too early. They have songs and instincts, but not yet a final form. We clarify structure, key, phrasing, arrangement balance, repertoire coherence, the role of the voice, references and overall dynamics.
Often the problem is not that something is missing. There is simply too much. Pre-production finds the centre before an expensive recording freezes an idea that is still open.
Single
Absolute concentration: structure, sound, vocal role and identity in a few minutes.
EP
Coherence across 3–5 tracks, hierarchy, shared language and recognisability.
Album
Wider breathing space, selection, internal narrative and dynamics across the repertoire.
The musicians are chosen here, once the function is clear.
Real drums, bass, guitars and additional parts are selected after the song tells us what it actually needs. Musicians receive a brief, not a fog.