Recording artist whisperer and all-around wizened sage Rick Rubin contemplates life and art on the stunning cliffs outside his Malibu residence.

Rick Rubin ruminates on living in harmony with nature, the importance of recreating its perfection in art, and the transcendental power of sound before leading us into a guided meditation, a practice he has followed since becoming fascinated with yogis as a teenager.

MTV labeled Rick Rubin the most important record producer of the last 20 years, months before he appeared on Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

His trademark beard, untouched since he was 23 years old, pays clear homage to spiritual influence.

The power of nature is such that, it is what all art strives to be. The more we can get in tune with the harmony of the planet, the more our art can benefit from that relationship.

Music hits us in a really emotional way. For me, it took me away, in a way that nothing else could. It is just got a tremendous power. The fact that you can do it with your eyes closed.

But the creative goal in making music is the same as … you know, a rainstorm. Or, just the way the waves hit the beach, you know, there is a perfection that we try to approximate. It is the goal.

Sometimes, I’ll go years with meditating every day and then years of not. Now I am in a meditation cycle, and it feels good.

I started when I was really young. It was suggested to me by me pediatrician who delivered me.

The more you understand silence, that is where the balance comes.