Matthew slowly pulled over to the side of the road, peeked out the window, and glanced at the dark red brick building, but only three stories high, and the tough silhouette hidden among the green creepers revealed a hint of Victorian design, even in the changeable and profound Xia/Downtown, revealing a sense of calm atmosphere and a long history that was different from the rest.

Raise your eyes, you can notice that this street is called Princes Street, which has the same name as the avenue that runs through the city center of Edinburgh, and the scenery here is naturally not as wonderful and magnificent as Edinburgh's mountain cliffs, but the red brick walls, cyan floor tiles, and black carved railings still permeate the ancient and gentlemanly British flavor as far as the eye can see.

Take a little two steps forward and see through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls to reveal a glimpse of the decadent postmodernist interiors, with a hint of steampunk in the rugged warehouse style, graffiti on the walls of glass in a variety of fonts, words and phrases, English and Chinese, white and red...... There are all kinds of tricks, everything, and if you don't pay attention to it, you think it's an abstract art graffiti, which has a unique style.

The whole building is calm and quiet, but it reveals a kind of freedom and casualness.

It's hard to imagine that this is a recording studio. There was no signage or plaque around the building, and if it weren't for it, even if it was a modern art gallery or a museum of classical art, Matthew didn't feel out of place at all.

"The owner is in good taste. Matthew gently tucked his chin in affirmation.

Lan Li's gaze also revealed a little surprise, he didn't expect that in the commercial Manhattan, such a special recording studio can be seen, even in the lower / urban area where art is dominant, it is still a unique existence. "That's why I chose New York. ”

A simple ridicule, but a deeper layer of ridicule is hidden, which makes Matthew can't help but laugh.

In the major cities of Europe, you can feel the irreplaceable sense of historical precipitation, as well as the eye-catching sense of artistic edification, not only in places such as museums or historical buildings, but also in the unique temperament that permeates the streets and alleys, as well as young people performing classical music on the streets, and people sitting in the square reading books.

Because of this, Europeans have always had a kind of rejection, even condescending contempt, for the mainstream big cities of the United States. Big cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago have always seemed superficial and straightforward, lacking a truly evocative temperament. In contrast, New York and Boston, located on the East Coast, are among the few cities where you can still get a glimpse of history.

In a way, there are many similarities between New York and London. As a result, Lan Li had the ridicule and ridicule of the sentence just now.

Seeing Lan Li get out of the car, Matthew leaned over, supported the passenger seat with his elbows, and said loudly, "After you get the contract, remember not to sign it immediately." Strictly speaking, you don't have to sign any document that needs to be signed in the future until I handle it. Be sure to remember. ”

As a lawyer, Matthew naturally understands the legal provisions and the effect of contracts, although he is a trial criminal defense lawyer, but things like reviewing contracts are still at his fingertips.

Previously, all contracts were handed over to the agent, and then they handed them over to the lawyer to complete the review, and the lawyer's fee was naturally paid by the lawyer, but now that Matthew has moved to New York to settle down, there is no need to pretend to be someone else's hand.

Although Lan Li is about to start recording his debut album today, in fact, so far, he has not signed any contract, and everything is still in a primitive state.

On the whole, the production of an album is the same as that of a movie, and the production company, the distribution company, and the production team, including the artists, all three parties have paid in and paid off. Everything is formalized in black and white before going to work to determine the rights and interests of all owners and avoid disputes.

But this time the situation is very special, Lan Li has not been in contact with any record company for the time being, and George Slander intends to use his savings to produce the entire album, which is completely an act of independent production. In other words, the production company and the distribution company are not involved at all, and there is only one production team at the moment.

So, how should the ratio of effort and return be regulated within the production team?

It's a bit like "Buried Alive" and "Love Crazy", both of which are similar in that the director finds an investment, then assembles his own shooting team and cast, puts it into production, and then attends film festivals to seek favor from the distribution company.

At that time, Lan Li was the first to sign a contract and became a part of the production team through salary and dividends.

As for the production and dividend model of the album, it is unknown. But regardless of whether the pattern is the same as the film, Matthew can be sure that George will definitely talk to Lan Li about signing a contract before he officially starts recording. So, that's what I just explained.

Lan Li turned around, showed a shallow smile to Matthew, didn't say anything, walked backwards towards the building behind him, then waved his hand, signaled goodbye, turned around again, took a step, and the figure quickly disappeared into the glass door.

Matthew then restarted his engine, opened a temporary parking space, and went to the law firm where he worked.

Walking into the hall on the first floor, the sunlight and chill behind you are blocked, and the mottled walls, rusty iron pipes, dusty antiques, and the abandoned warehouse-like space tell the story of time here everywhere. Just an office environment can give a glimpse of the overall style of the company, which is eye-catching.

In a flash, Lan Li was deeply impressed by this independent music production company called Studio Eleven.

Like independent film studios, there are countless independent record labels in the United States, but in the 21st century, the entire music market is sluggish and showing an overall downward trend, and even giants such as Universal Music, Warner Bros., and Sony Music are facing new challenges, not to mention those small independent companies. So, there are countless small companies that have never heard of it.

Lan Li knows a lot about movies, but his understanding of music is really lackluster. When George chose the recording studio of Studio Eleven before, Lan Li was completely confused and had never heard of it at all, so Nathan also did a small investigation.

The indie music production company in New York is a staunch supporter of indie music, such as folk, rock, jazz, and more, in the face of a sluggish global music market, and a strong backing of unknown indie musicians, often renting out top studios to them for lesser-than-market rates.

Last month, Los Angeles' City of Sound officially closed down, ending half a century of storied studio glory, and the decline of traditional music is unstoppable, but in this situation, Eleven Studio still maintains its original intention, which is even more commendable. In the independent music circle, Studio Eleven has really made a name for itself.

Singers such as Jason Mayez and Norah-Jones have completed their own albums here.

Before, everything was just words after an Internet search, dry and emotionless, but now, little by little, it seeps into the picture and begins to become full and vivid.

Looking left and right, Lan Li couldn't find the location of the front desk, there were many tables in the room, the front left was a work area patched together by four tables, and the right side was a neat work cubicle, the use of the whole space seemed casual and casual, completely irregular;

Even if you want to ask, you don't know who is the right choice. Such a situation is really rare, and the smile on the corner of Lan Li's mouth involuntarily rose.

"Sir, is there anything I can do to help?" A tall man walked in front of him, with a short flat head but not at all aggressive, on the contrary, there were some honest and honest sincerity, and the strong and sturdy figure was even more reminiscent...... Teddy bear. Noticing Lan Li's gaze, he smiled lightly and raised the mug in his hand, "Do you need a cup of coffee?"

Lan Li smiled dumbly, "I just finished enjoying today's breakfast coffee, if I don't want to squander my quota for the afternoon, I'd better choose to refuse now." He jokingly said no, then changed the subject and got down to business, "Lan Li-Hall, 9:30 a.m. appointment. ”

"Nine-thirty?" the man's bushy eyebrows raised and a friendly smile appeared, "You must be a punctual fellow." "It's only nine-ten-a.m., and I've arrived twenty minutes early.

Lan Li couldn't help but hold his forehead and nodded meaningfully, "There is always someone to abide by." "The one who was punctual was not him, but the one who had just driven away.

The other party then pointed in the direction of the upper floor, "You're here to record, right?" If I'm not mistaken, it's on the second floor, the one with the 'stupid' sign on the door. ”

Lan Li raised his eyebrows slightly, and a smile appeared in his eyes, this independent music production company is indeed a maverick, "I guess, this shouldn't be hinting at my IQ data." This teasing made the other party laugh heartily, and his whole face brightened.

The other party took the initiative to stretch out his right hand, "I'm Teddy." Welcome to Studio Eleven. Lan Li shook hands amicably, "I hope your recording work today will go well." ”

Lan Li's eyebrows were dyed with a smile, and he was in a very happy mood, and nodded slightly, "This is exactly what I need, a little blessing, a little luck." The brisk tone carried a hint of ridicule, and the corners of the two people's mouths both rose.