The Strokes’ Is This It is the very definition of a ‘generational’ record. We remember everyone in our circle of friends owning a copy - even those who’d previously recoiled in grimacing horror at anything remotely rock-flavoured.
The Strokes almost single-handedly put indie guitar bands back on the map with that 2001 album, leading to a decade of imitators attempting to ape New York’s finest.
We spoke to the album’s producer, Gordon Raphael, recently, and we were keen to dig into not just the recording of Is This It, but also Gordon’s very first studio session with the band, back on their inaugural EP, The Modern Age.
Firstly, we wanted to know how Gordon discovered them…
“When I first saw the Strokes performing in New York, I was much more interested in the band that opened up for them,” Gordon told us. “Then a couple of days after I handed the Strokes my business card, Albert [Hammond Jr - the Strokes’ guitarist] came over to my studio to suss me out.”
Hammond Jr was besotted by Raphael’s studio space.
“When Albert saw how strange and artistic my basement studio was with its silver walls, dark lights, old antique equipment and strange dolls hanging from the ceiling, he loved it,” Gordon told us, before sharing his pleasant surprise at how efficient a band they were in-studio.”
Gordon was selected as the man to helm their first recording.
“When the Strokes came in to record, I was so impressed by them, how seriously they were taking the music and how they let zero mistakes go by.”
The Modern Age EP’s three songs were the title track, the soon to be wildly popular Last Nite and Barely Legal. It was released in January 2001 without any edits from Gordon’s session.
Although the band began the album sessions for their full-length debut, Is This It with a different producer, they soon came back to Gordon’s quirky studio, and his easy working style…
“Rough Trade and the band came back to me and we went on to make their debut album,” Gordon says. “My personal favourites from [Is This It] have changed over the years. When I heard Take it Or Leave It during recording, I was sure that it was a masterpiece and we’d captured something unbelievable in terms of its impact and aggression. Now I like Trying Your Luck, which is more subtle but magical in its rhythm.”
