New York 2006

Chapter 114 New Singers of Future Records
The next day, Broadway, not far from Future Records, was surrounded by various small theaters.This is where many unknown opera companies and some amateur theater groups perform.

Robin said that her friend Barney had performed a play nearby before, but the play was so bad that all the audience left the venue early, and some people even asked for refunds.

Today Future Records rented a nearby theater to use as a sound check venue.Luo Ji and the company's staff all arrived early, and some of the audition singers also arrived early.

Inside the theater, there is a bench on the stage with a microphone on it, and there are speakers all around the theater.At the very front below the stage are the judges' seats, with microphones placed on the table, and behind the judges' seats are the audience's seats.

Luo Ji and Jeff Basker sat at the judges' table, and in the audience behind them were more than a dozen people related to Future Records, including Max, the head of publicity, manager Braun, and some employees from the company who came to join in the fun. .

"How have Jason Chen, Janelle Monáe, and James Byrne performed since they signed the contract? Where are they now?" Luo Ji asked Jeff Busker beside him.

Jason Chen is Chen Yitong, and Luo Jitian released a video of his cover song "Marvin Gaye".Janelle Monáe, Luo Jitian released the MV for "We are young" in which she sang with a white man.James Byrne, street performer with Bob the Cat.

Luo Ji thought he was a good person and had helped those who had helped him in his career. Now that he was prosperous, it was time to repay them who had not yet become famous.

So when he was in Los Angeles last month, Luo Ji met with them in person. Janelle Monáe and Chen Yitong were both much younger than in the MV. It seemed that they were still too early to become famous in the future.

The signing conditions Luo Ji offered them were very good, and James Byrne and Chen Yitong accepted them with great gratitude. However, Janelle Monáe, who had been in the music industry for a long time, thought that Luo Ji was trying to unspoken rules for her, and the situation became very embarrassing. .

After Luo Ji finished signing these Apocalypse people, he asked them to come to New York to find Jeff Busker to discuss their album.Luo Ji didn't ask about them for a long time, and he didn't see them at the company when he came back, so he planned to ask Jeff now.

Jeff Busker said: "The one with the best singing skills among the three of them is Janelle Monáe. She is an opera singer and has certain creative abilities. She has also been in the record industry for many years. , so she has a clear positioning of herself and has her own thoughts on the album. Now she is collecting songs in Atlanta."

"You can make the album according to her will."

After Luo Ji finished speaking, he tapped the table with his fingers and added, "Give her absolute freedom. Just satisfy her if she has any requirements."

Jeff Busker asked in confusion: "I don't know why you are so nice to her? The contract you gave her is much better than that of ordinary singers."

Luo Ji started to explain: "Her singing skills are good. Even if the album fails in the future, she can still do the harmony. By the way, where are Jason Chen and James Byrne?"

Jeff Busker said: "Jason Chen and James Byrne are newcomers to the record industry. They have no good singing skills and no creative ability. So I helped them find a special music teacher to help them." They get singing training and by the way, they learn how to compose songs.”

Luo Ji thought for a moment: "Okay, I have no objection to your arrangement. By the way, you remember to arrange for them to continue uploading cover songs on YouTube. Build up their popularity first. After they have learned enough, we can then arrange their albums."

Jeff Basker said: "What about their living problems? Although they all have signing bonuses, they can't do it without continuous income. The cost of living in New York is quite high."

Luo Ji thought for a while and said, "Let's do this. When the time comes, you can let them have a position in the company and they will be under you. You can take care of them both."

"The company is yours, I have no problem with it." Jeff Basker finished and added: "But I still feel that you are too good to them."

Luo Ji did not answer directly: "Am I not very good to you?"

Max, who was sitting in the back, walked up to the two of them and complained: "You two grown men are chatting so happily. Did you forget that the sound check time has come?"

Luo Ji checked the time and hurriedly said, "Okay, let the singers come in one by one."

Luo Ji and Jeff were sitting at the judges' table off the stage. Singers came in one after another, stood on the stage and started singing.The two are like the judges of "American Idol", controlling the fate of the singers on stage.

All the contestants performed very well, and there was no incident like quarreling with the judges on the "American Idol" stage.This is reality, not a dramatic variety show.

"Logic, hello Jeff."

"Hello, Tracy."

Luo Ji's accompanist Tracy McConnell was wearing a black dress and holding a handful of eureka. She looked very elegant and decent.Luo Ji had promised her before that she could come to the audition held by the company.

"I will play and sing an English version of "La Vie en Rose" by myself next." "Okay."

Tracy moved the stool on the stage slightly and sat down, then put her mouth close to the microphone and began to play and sing to herself, and the sound slowly emerged from her mouth.

"His gentle kiss still lingers on the tip of my eyes, and a smile passes over the corner of his lips. This is his most real image. I belong to this man..."

As soon as Tracy sang a few words, Luo Ji felt the sincere emotion in her singing.She is a singer who sings with emotion.This surprised Luo Ji.

Luo Ji had only known that this female accompanist was proficient in various musical instruments, that she was very smart, her voice was very clear, and she sang better.But I didn't expect her singing to be so full of emotion, making a jazz-style song sound like a folk song.There is a sense of sadness from the vicissitudes of time.

"I'm done singing." Tracy stood up and nodded to everyone.

Snap, snap, snap, snap.Luo Ji led the applause, followed closely by Jeff Busker.Tracy McConnell is the one who sings with the most emotion among the dozen people who were interviewed before, but her tone is a bit ordinary.

"It's great, Tracy. Your singing is very emotional. Can you sing another song?"

"of course can."

Tracy sang another American folk song from the last century. The emotion was really sincere. Luo Ji nodded: "Okay, go out and invite the next person in."

Tracy nodded and left with a smile. Jeff Basker smiled and said, "I didn't expect your Italian female accompanist to sing quite well."

"I didn't expect it either."

After a while, a 20-year-old blond beauty wearing very sexy clothes walked in. When she saw Jeff Basker, she gave him a wink and then blinked.

Luo Ji looked at Jeff next to him in confusion, feeling that his expression was a little unnatural.

After the whole performance, this blonde beauty was quite satisfactory, without any outstanding performance, but her image was acceptable.It’s the same type of person who debuts as a teen idol like Britney.

Jeff Busker smiled and said: "She is good, I recommend signing her. She has the potential to become an idol singer."

Luo Ji was keenly aware that this was the first singer Jeff had made it clear today that he wanted to sign.This made Luo Ji a little confused, because the strength of this blonde beauty was not top-notch.

After more than ten minutes of auditioning, Luo Ji felt that the relationship between the two of them was unusual. Fxxk, it wasn't an unspoken rule.

Luo Ji decided to deceive him: "I know the relationship between you two, please tell me clearly."

Jeff Busker looked at Luo Ji in surprise, and after a while he said coyly: "Okay, we do have that kind of relationship. But she has the qualities to become an idol star herself."

Luo Ji didn't expect to deceive him, so he confessed and said with a smile: "I didn't see it, you are having such a good time."

"Uh..." Jeff smiled awkwardly.

Unspoken rules are very common in the recording industry, film and television industry, and television stations.Luo Ji had no interest in correcting this phenomenon, and he had no intention of delving deeper into Jeff.

Because the object of Jeff's unspoken rule is indeed beautiful. A standard American blonde beauty, as long as she can sing a few good songs, she does have the potential to become a teen idol.

However, Luo Ji would not encourage this trend, and stared at Jeff Basker tightly: "I can give you this face, but I don't want to hear that in the future, the media will reveal the news that future record executives harassed women. Not at any time.”

Jeff Basker smiled and said: "Don't worry, it's all voluntary. I will never force it."

(End of this chapter)