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<v Speaker 1>What up you guys. Welcome back to Crash Guards Pod,

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast where we break down the biggest names and

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<v Speaker 1>moments in music today. We're talking about the producer, the songwriter,

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<v Speaker 1>the band leader, and also three time Grammy winner from

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three, and twenty twenty four. Basically,

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<v Speaker 1>you can say he's a man whose musical DNA is

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<v Speaker 1>woven into the biggest hits of the last decade. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking about Jack Antonoff. Now, if you listened to the radio,

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<v Speaker 1>streamed a major playlist, or simply watched the Grammys in

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<v Speaker 1>the last five years, I'm sure you've heard his work.

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<v Speaker 1>This guy isn't just the collaborator. He's the creative confidant

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<v Speaker 1>for some of the greatest songwriters alive. We're gonna dive

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<v Speaker 1>into his journey, his signature sound, and the truly surprising

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<v Speaker 1>diaspora of his work, including his foray into rap. But

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<v Speaker 1>first to understand the producer, we have to understand him

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<v Speaker 1>as an artist. Antonov's career wasn't an overnight success story. No,

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<v Speaker 1>it never is. To be honest, you guys, it was

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<v Speaker 1>a climb through different musical eras. So the foundation, shall

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<v Speaker 1>we say, we would say that his origins were in

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<v Speaker 1>the indie rock world as the frontman for Still Train.

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<v Speaker 1>This laid the groundwork for his love of raw energy

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<v Speaker 1>and instrumentation, and then we have the breakthrough. The next

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<v Speaker 1>big step was as a guitarist and drummer and the

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<v Speaker 1>pop rock trio Fun. This is where the world learned

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<v Speaker 1>his name thanks to the anthemic layered hit like We

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<v Speaker 1>Are Young. I believe there was a feature on that. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>Janelle money was a feature on that song we Are Young.

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<v Speaker 1>But aside from that, we have well by the way,

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<v Speaker 1>that song gave him his first taste of massive Grammy

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<v Speaker 1>winning mainstream success. And then we have his current primary

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<v Speaker 1>creative outlet, and that's his solo project, Bleachers. This is

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<v Speaker 1>where you hear the unfiltered Antonov sound, that signature blend

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<v Speaker 1>of New jay Z heartache, raw emotional layers and massive

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<v Speaker 1>nostalgic Eighties inspired since and saxophone. I love saxophone. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>I used to play alto saxophone in middle school. Anyways,

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<v Speaker 1>Bleachers is the musical blueprint he then lent to others.

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<v Speaker 1>So just so you know, now, let's turn to the

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<v Speaker 1>production chair. Antonov, like I said, earlier, has won the

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<v Speaker 1>Producer of the Year Non Classical Grammy for three consecutive years.

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<v Speaker 1>And his true secret is the deep, almost clinical trust

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<v Speaker 1>he builds with a handful of a list artists. So

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<v Speaker 1>let's talk style as a producer, Shawi. The core idea

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<v Speaker 1>is that Antonov uses vintage analog year to create sound

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<v Speaker 1>that is both deeply nostalgic and intensely intimate. This is

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<v Speaker 1>the foundation of the Antonov sound. What does that even mean?

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<v Speaker 1>While that means that Antonop is committed to using physical

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<v Speaker 1>analog synthencizers synthesizers, not computer plug ins to tap into

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<v Speaker 1>the warmth and depth of the nineteen eighties. The Roland

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<v Speaker 1>Juno six slash Juno sixty is, i guess, known to

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<v Speaker 1>be his favorite and most use synth, known for its lush,

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<v Speaker 1>shimmering and melanch melancholic chorus effect, literally the sound of

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<v Speaker 1>the eighties. It creates those dreamy layer pads and the

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<v Speaker 1>driving basslines that underpin tracks like Lords the Louvre. I

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<v Speaker 1>always said that, right, the Louvet, the Lovour, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know guys or the bleachers. I want to get better.

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<v Speaker 1>Then we have the Oberheim OB eight. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>synth that delivered the grand stadium sized rock pop sound.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a star of Taylor Swift's midnights, creating those

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<v Speaker 1>massive soaring swells and main synth melodies that give his

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<v Speaker 1>choruses their unmistakable emotional lift. Then we have the Moog,

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<v Speaker 1>whether it's the Mini Moog, Model D or Voyager, This

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<v Speaker 1>legendary synth is used to create a deep, pulsing low

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<v Speaker 1>end that grounds the otherwise airy synths. He sometimes runs

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<v Speaker 1>this fat analog sound through a guitar fuzz pedal to

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<v Speaker 1>create distorted, buzzing quote unquote wrong sounds that adds an

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<v Speaker 1>unsettling texture, which some people consider that to be controversial.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's creative af And then we have the

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<v Speaker 1>drum machine Len drum and the driving rhythm. The Len

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<v Speaker 1>drum is an iconic sound of the eighties. It provides

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<v Speaker 1>the big gated reverb snares, that satisfying wax sound, and repetitive,

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<v Speaker 1>slightly stiff patterns. Even when he uses a live drummer.

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<v Speaker 1>He mixes the beat with this electronic sound to give

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<v Speaker 1>the track a chugging rock like feeling, a consistent driving

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<v Speaker 1>beat that acts like a relentless heartbeat. Pushing the track forward,

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<v Speaker 1>such as in Taylor Swift's Out of the Woods. I

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<v Speaker 1>believe that the true technique is how he uses these

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<v Speaker 1>analog components to achieve a feeling of epic intimacy. He

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<v Speaker 1>stacks multiple synths, often hardpanned left and right, to build

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<v Speaker 1>a wall of sound, which is a nod to sixties

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<v Speaker 1>producer Phil to make every chorus feel huge and cinematic.

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<v Speaker 1>Then he runs tracks through vintage tape delay units to

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<v Speaker 1>slightly degrade the sound. This slight imperfection and wobble makes

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<v Speaker 1>the sound feel like it was recorded in a living room,

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<v Speaker 1>not a sterile studio, adding crucial emotional texture. Now that

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<v Speaker 1>we know his tools, let's see how he adapts or

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't adapt them to his most successful partnerships. Taylor Swift

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<v Speaker 1>is up first, and we actually did an episode on

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<v Speaker 1>Taylor Swift, and this is what piqued my interest into

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<v Speaker 1>Jack Antonoff. By the way, so if you haven't heard

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<v Speaker 1>the Taylor Swift episode after this one, go take a listen. Anyways,

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<v Speaker 1>he was a key collaborator on the Grammy Album of

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<v Speaker 1>the Year winners like nineteen eighty seven and Folklore. He

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<v Speaker 1>helped steer her into pop and then into cinematic, introspective folk,

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<v Speaker 1>and their partnership is known to have been built on

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<v Speaker 1>long term creative trust. Then we have Lona del Ray

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<v Speaker 1>on albums like Norman f Rockwell, he provides the lush,

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<v Speaker 1>cinematic instrumentation. These are some difficult words from my lips.

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<v Speaker 1>I need to lick them. Just kidding. Anyways, he provided

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<v Speaker 1>that lush cinematic instrumentation that perfectly compliments her melancholic, literary songwriting.

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<v Speaker 1>Next up is Lord. He defined the sound of albums

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<v Speaker 1>like Melodrama, helped her craft a tight, sense driven, emotionally

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<v Speaker 1>complex coming of age masters. Now, if you think that

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<v Speaker 1>Jack Antonov is just a pop producer, you're missing half

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<v Speaker 1>of the plot. He's super adaptable, so that will include

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<v Speaker 1>other artists the unexpected rap credits, such as in Kendrick

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<v Speaker 1>Lamar's G and X and Dojacat's album V. He co

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<v Speaker 1>wrote and produced credits on Dojacat's album VY, notably the

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<v Speaker 1>disco pop lead single Jealous Type, which is one of

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<v Speaker 1>my favorite songs. But his most significant departure and his

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<v Speaker 1>work on Kendrick Lamar's surprise rap album G and X

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<v Speaker 1>is where he has production credits on eleven out of

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<v Speaker 1>twelve tracks. Working on a West Coast rap album like

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<v Speaker 1>G and X is the old ultimate Mike drop for

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<v Speaker 1>a producer. It completely demolishes the idea that he only

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<v Speaker 1>has one sound, and it also showcases an ability to

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<v Speaker 1>build a completely different, groove focused sonic architecture. But it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't stop there. Another partnership was with FKA Twigs, where

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<v Speaker 1>Antonov stepped into the experimental R and B and art

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<v Speaker 1>pop realm on the track Holy Terrain from the album Magdalene.

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<v Speaker 1>He was one of many producers on this track, alongside

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<v Speaker 1>Skrillicks and sound Wave, and I mean he's doing it.

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<v Speaker 1>He's definitely proving that he can be a key ingredient

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<v Speaker 1>in an abstract genre defying production team. He also has

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<v Speaker 1>chart dominance working with Sabrina Carpenter Because Antonov pd massive

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<v Speaker 1>hits like Please Please Please on the Short and Sweet album.

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<v Speaker 1>This sound is polished, playful, and proves he's still shaping

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<v Speaker 1>the sound of commercial pop. If we rewind it back

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<v Speaker 1>a bit to our girl Pink on her album Beautiful Trauma,

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<v Speaker 1>he co wrote and produced the powerful title track. Here,

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<v Speaker 1>the eighties sound is married to Pink's raw pop rock voice.

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<v Speaker 1>Showing he can still deliver an arena sized anthem and

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<v Speaker 1>if we take it back again with Carly ray Jepson,

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<v Speaker 1>he was an early believer, co writing the track Sweetie

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<v Speaker 1>and later producing the bright anthemic want You in My

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<v Speaker 1>Room on Dedicated. It's a perfect match for his shiny

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<v Speaker 1>eighties pop esthetic. He's literally versatile guys, so versatile, That's

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<v Speaker 1>why I wanted to do this episode. He's also worked

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<v Speaker 1>with another artist, which we did in episode on Saint

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<v Speaker 1>Vincent Annie Clark, and Antonov helped her craft her more

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<v Speaker 1>explicitly pop album to date, Chunky Choppy Pop. The production

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<v Speaker 1>is angular, sharp and slightly sterile, using drum machines that

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<v Speaker 1>sound deliberately mechanical. The technique I think it was the

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<v Speaker 1>Linn drum pushed to the forefront, paired with harsh, sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>abras of synth tones, and he uses these synthetic layers

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<v Speaker 1>to give her political and dark lyrics a sleek commercial show.

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<v Speaker 1>So if I wasn't clear about the albums that Antonov

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<v Speaker 1>collaborated with, it was with Saint Vincent Annie Clark on

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<v Speaker 1>Mass Abduction and and Daddy's Home. Those were the two

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<v Speaker 1>albums that he collaborated extensively with her on. In addition

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<v Speaker 1>to the artists that I named, here's a list of

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<v Speaker 1>a few other people that he's worked with. I talked

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<v Speaker 1>about Kendrick Lamar and also I believe the track six

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<v Speaker 1>sixteen in La Antonoff collaborated on, also the nineteen seventy

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<v Speaker 1>five also Florence in the Machine. I think Kevin Abstract

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<v Speaker 1>as well other artists in SIA, the Chicks, Choi, Sevon

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<v Speaker 1>and Sarah Barreles like this list perfectly illustrates that he's

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<v Speaker 1>most definitely versatile in his collaborations. What else can we

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<v Speaker 1>say about this talented guy? And bagging up a bit

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<v Speaker 1>to Pink, I don't know if I made it clear,

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<v Speaker 1>but the production on the two tracks of Pink's twenty

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen album Beautiful Trauma was the actual track called Beautiful Trauma,

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<v Speaker 1>which I mentioned earlier, and the other one is called

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<v Speaker 1>Better Life. So you guys, I believe that's the spill

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<v Speaker 1>on Jack Antonov. Whether it's the heartache on a Bleachers track,

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<v Speaker 1>the SyncE pop euphoria of Taylor Swift, or the dark

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<v Speaker 1>atmospheric beats of a Kendrick Lamar song, Antonov's influence is undeniable.

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<v Speaker 1>That wraps up our Crash Course pod episode on Jack

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<v Speaker 1>Antonoff and join us next week as we discuss the

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<v Speaker 1>next trending artist or music subject. I don't know yet anyways.

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<v Speaker 1>If you want more content, more entertainment, all of the

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<v Speaker 1>links are down below. Chat Lada by