Benny Blanco on producing for Britney, Ke$ha and Katy Perry

By Ben Rogerson
published

Benny Blanco: says he doesn't know what he's doing, but doing rather well.
Benny Blanco: says he doesn't know what he's doing, but doing rather well.

Producer/songwriter Benny Blanco has helped to create some of the biggest pop hits of recent times (credits include Ke$ha's Tik Tok, Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and California Gurls and Britney Spears' Circus), and in the short film above, made by Jeremy Gillam (opens in new tab), we see him at work in the studio and explaining his methods.

It's certainly worth a watch: Blanco discusses Pro Tools HD, a love of vintage synths and his reasons for not using MIDI or software synths. He's also refreshingly honest about his lack of technical knowledge, admitting that his work is all just "trial and error".

If that doesn't convince you of the merits of trusting your ears rather than worrying too much about The Rules, nothing will.

(Via Popjustice)

Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.