As he emerges from behind the mixing desk, legendary producer Daniel Lanois talks to Andrew Hamilton about his debut film, the Canadian revolution and the progress of U2’s twelfth album.
SOUTH over Custom House Bridge, through fields of fresh wrought cobble and a thousand 21st-century workhouses drip-drying with the fresh-dollar veneer of the IFSC; deep in this jungle of grey stands the great windmill of south Dublin. In the shadow of Stack A, the walls of Creighton Street breathe and grow like a plant. With layer upon layer of new graffiti, the psychedelic photosynthesis of youth survives unchecked in a steady truce between Ireland’s past and present. This is the old Windmill Lane Studio, the spiritual home of U2 and the birthing ground for Boy, October and War. A shrine to all that was once great about music on this island. Less than a mile away, from a ho- tel window overlooking St Stephen’s Green, U2’s legendary producer Daniel Lanois contemplates the future. In town for a long stay, the Canadian’s thoughts drift to his latest endeavour with Bono, The Edge et al and the work of the day over at U2 Towers. Success has thrown up a paradox in the life of Dan Lanois. His skills as a producer are unrivalled but have somehow overshadowed his own career as a performer and singer-songwriter. But now, after countless trips to Ireland, he has finally come to share his music and not just his skills at the desk. “I like to think of producing and recording as the one thing. Because the studio is so much a part of me, I never really separate it from live performances. If you’re asking me is it difficult to produce your own work, then the answer is yes,” he said.
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