Project Proposal
Production Project Files
Watch the flowers grow (feat. Shania Sabrina)
Where Have You Been (feat. Shania Sabrina, Kurtis Scotland)
Serenity
Tree Tops (feat. Sohini, Nathan Thomas)
Find Your Feet (feat. Shania Sabrina)
Change (feat. Sohini)
WHYB – Interlude
DXS (feat. Sam Lynn)
Progress and Management Records
Aims
My aim for this project is to create a collaborative album celebrating a wide range of musicians and songwriters. I will also explore the use of synthesis throughout the project, fusing electronic sounds with acoustic elements. (www.yum-audio.com, n.d.)
Working on the project has given me the opportunity to refine my sound as an artist and producer, increase my collaborative ability and broadened my songwriting skills. (Robley, 2018)
The Album, titled ‘Where Have You Been’, reflects upon past relationships, current relationships and most importantly, self-growth throughout these recent years. I wanted to capture and document this change that is commonly felt by many.
This Album will document my musical journey, showcasing how my style has development, and my quest to find an individual sound.
Gantt Chart
I started this project in May 2025, creating the song ‘Find Your Feet’ in collaboration with Joshua Patterson. My Gantt chart shows the project spanning across the year. Each track is broken down into writing, production and mix stages.
A significant setback was artist availability. Artist’s had their own commitments outside the project meaning my recording sessions were often pushed back. Some recordings taking place in April. The impact of this was less time spend developing structure of songs and postproduction finalisations. Going forwards, I would allow more time at the end to account for these delays.
Burnout set me back towards the final weeks of the project. The combination of managing other assignments caused me to lose momentum. To mitigate this, I took a step back, listening to inspiration songs and returning with a clearer vision. In future projects I will ensure that I take time away from the project as this is important to draw inspiration and work efficiently.
The evolution of the albums sound can clearly be heard throughout this process. I successfully ensured that artists had a demo of my track as soon as they were free. This helped me optimise time management and allow the artist to think about what they’d add.
Influences:
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
The collective aspect, both conceptually, through animation, and through artist features creates unique sounds and cross genres. Their ability to adapt to different features allows the group to evolve through the changing music industry. (Loco, 2020)
I’m inspired by the instrumentation on ‘Plastic Beach’, Gorillaz third studio album. Their use of layered synthesis combined with acoustic elements like drums and flutes creates a unique fusion.
I was inspired by the narrative that this album conveyed. I believe I successfully portray a developing theme that changes as the listener follows the album.
The Orb – History Of The Future
The Orb combine 90’s dance beats with ambient soundscapes. Their ability to sample vocal lines transform’s their tracks to give narrative and atmosphere. (Simpson, 2016)
Often being reserved with a melodic line means for a greater impact when elements are slowly added.
The fusion of electronic synthesis with acoustic instruments like flute, guitar and vocals, creates a unique soundscape that inspires my sound.
Inspired by the long build ups and sections of impact, I achieve this in my track ‘Change’ as the vocal is introduced towards the end of the song.
Cleo Sol – Rose in the Dark
Cleo’s songwriting and minimal instrumentation in this album was inspiring to me. The overall mix is minimal and has a clear focus on each layer being played. Something I believe I need to improve upon in my own work.
The placement of backing vocals was a great reference for my track ‘Tree Tops’. Not overly spacious within the mix, they were a present element within the song.
The use of backing vocals and similar songwriting structure can be heard in my track ‘Tree Tops’.
Making of ‘Where Have You Been’ – Album
Development
Originally named: ‘DafoDYL’, I wanted the title to have a nature theme, like the cycles of spring and growth which is compared to human emotion and experience.
Instead of being too literal with the title, I wanted the listener to create their own meaning. ‘Where Have You Been’ could be looking inwards at an individuals personal life, or directed towards someone else.
1. Watch The Flowers Grow
Feat. Shania Sabrina
I wanted this album to start with an introduction track. Inspired by ‘Plastic Beach’ and ‘Endtroducing’, both having intro tracks, I believe it creates a narrative and sets the tone for the album. (Neighborhood Art Supply, 2026)
I sample multiple layers for different tracks within this album.
- The vocal was originally an outro idea for ‘Where Has You Been’. I decided to use it in the intro, laying the vocal stacks to create the impression of a large choir. The repetitive nature of the vocal creates anticipation whilst being easy to remember.
- The Saxophone part was take from the same track. I took the stems and chopped up riffs to add to the intro. I was inspired by The Orb as they usually cross reference melodies in multiple songs, hinting at what’s to come.
2. Where Have You Been
Feat. Shania Sabrina, Kurtis Scotland
This track revolves around this main piano riff, created from a past recording on an old upright piano in a friend’s living room. I stretched it to fit in time and altered the pitch using Logics transpose feature.
The verse was created from the same recording, this time I put it in a sampler to speed it up x2. Played as a smaller riff gave space for the vocal.
Drums
Inspired by the band ‘Sault’, I wanted continuous drums providing momentum. With minimal changes to the drums, I rely on the addition of percussion and drop outs to break up the patterns. (Let, 2019)
The Saxophone instrumental was inspired by the brass sections from Gorillaz ‘Desole’. Layering long notes over short staccato melodies worked well for this section. (Pan African Music , 2020)
Collaborators
3. Serenity
Feat. Sam Lynn, Mya Mistry
Original song:
After spending time on the original track, I felt it was lacking momentum. My collaborator was getting increasingly busy, so I decided to remix the track, using the components from the original song.
When getting Sam on this track, our first session was spent listening to the track and deciding on the direction we wanted to go. I got my Korg Minilogue up and running and started manipulating the tone as Sam played anything that came to mind.
Sampling
Collaborators
4. Tree Tops
Feat. Sohini, Nathan Thomas
The track started with a recording in 219 using the grand piano. I used x2 C414’s using the spaced pair technique 10cm from the piano strings. I was inspired by Madlib’s production style, he often samples instrumentation to create new compositions. (Kavan Dignam, 2024) (Appendix 4)
Writing with Sohini was a great experience. Taking just two sessions to write the vocals, we worked well writing lyrics and the melody.
When working with Nathan the track was in early stages. A lack of direction is what it felt like at first but after looping a section and letting Nathan play what he wanted, ideas started to form. We settled for a picking guitar style that would form the chorus melody. (Robley, 2018)
Collaborators
5. Find Your Feet
Feat. Shania Sabrina, Josh Pattison, Jonah Thom
6. Change
Feat. Sohini
7. WHYB – Interlude
8. DXS
Feat. Sam Lynn
Overall Narrative
Project Management
I had to ensure that the project was completed within the time frame. Because these were my own compositions, I had to consider time to compose the tracks, mix and master whilst maintaining a high standard of work.
Communication
Maintaining consistent communication was necessary for the development and completion of this project. Organising writing sessions with artists, to getting feedback from peers. In some cases, communication was lacking. As a result, I had to mitigate this by remixing tracks. This ensured I complete the assignment on time. (Bricio, 2024)
Use Of Technology
Commercial Viability
Feedback
Mastering
Evaluation
Looking back on this project, one of the areas I would most like to have developed further is the structure of some of the tracks. In Find Your Feet I could have added an additional verse. The track lacked the variation needed to maintain engagement throughout. Without that structural development, the song risks feeling repetitive, lacking to narrate my key themes and convey evolving change. This came down to poor time management and organisation in the final weeks of the project. If I planned the track’s structure earlier in the process and dedicated more sessions with Shania specifically to arrangement before moving into final recordings, I believe the outcome would have been stronger. In future projects, I intend to map out full track structures during pre-production stages, rather than developing the song on the go. (Matthew , 2023)
My aims for this project were to fuse electronic soundscapes, RnB vocals, and hip-hop drum patterns into a cohesive body of work, and I believe these were successfully achieved. In my track Where Have You Been, the layering of sampled drums with synth layers and acoustic elements like saxophone demonstrates how I have developed a unique sound. The use of my own recordings as samples gave me creative control over the sound and helped me develop unique textures and timbres. For example, the synth that is introduced in Tree Tops is a resampled, stretched synth recording. These unique sound engages the listener and adds texture to my compositions. (Bricio, 2023)
Conclusion
Overall, this project was successful. The cohesion of the album’s theme, and the growth I’ve experienced from collaborating with other artists has hugely benefited my communication skills, musicianship and technical ability.
Areas to improve upon are planning structure for songs. This is just as important as the sound itself in a lot of cases. This will help emphasise my overall narrative and storytelling ability as a producer/artist. Moving forward, I will approach new projects with earlier structural decisions and continue collaborating with artists.
Bibliography
Atlassian (2023). A Guide to the Project Life Cycle: Exploring the 5 Phases. [online] Atlassian. Available at: https://www.atlassian.com/work-management/project-management/project-life-cycle.
Bricio, C. (2023). The Art of Sampling in Music | a Guide to Get You Started. [online] United Kingdom. Available at: https://abbeyroadinstitute.co.uk/blog/the-art-of-sampling-in-music/.
Bricio, C. (2024). The Art of Studio Communication: Strategies and Practices. [online] United Kingdom. Available at: https://abbeyroadinstitute.co.uk/blog/the-art-of-studio-communication-strategies-and-practices/.
Fiero, G.M. (2025). The 6 Rules of Commercial Music Success. [online] Musicbizacademy.com. Available at: https://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/gf_6rules.htm.
Inglis, S. (2017). Warm Audio WA-87. [online] www.soundonsound.com. Available at: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/warm-audio-wa-87.
Kavan Dignam (2024). What Every Producer Can Learn From Madlib. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptHwK_bImfg [Accessed 3 May 2026].
Let (2019). Ones To Watch. [online] Ones to Watch. Available at: https://www.onestowatch.com/en/blog/let-sault-walk-you-through-a-beautifully [Accessed 6 May 2026].
Loco (2020). Gorillaz – The Making Of Plastic Beach (1080p 60 FPS). [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwKt_7QHu64 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2026].
Malsam, W. (2025). Benefits of a Gantt Chart for Project Management: 8 Key Advantages. [online] ProjectManager. Available at: https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/benefits-of-a-gantt-chart.
Matthew (2023). The Importance Of Structure In Music. [online] Medium. Available at: https://matthewandhispiano.medium.com/the-importance-of-structure-in-music-365ef2e0eed7.
Murphy, H. (2024). The Good and Bad of Short-Form Video for Songwriting Artists. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture-council/articles/good-and-bad-of-short-form-video-for-songwriting-artists-1235000790/.
NEFF, S. (2014). Saxophone Microphone Review and Audio Shootout. [online] www.neffmusic.com. Available at: https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2014/09/saxophone-microphone-review-and-audio-shootout-part-2/.
Neighborhood Art Supply (2026). How To Become a Storytelling Genius For Your Music Project. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxkshWbz184 [Accessed 3 May 2026].
Pan African Music (2020). Gorillaz enlist Fatoumata Diawara for new single ‘Désolé’. [online] PAM – Pan African Music. Available at: https://pan-african-music.com/en/gorillaz-enlist-fatoumata-diawara-for-new-single-desole/ [Accessed 6 May 2026].
Robley, C. (2018). Musical teamwork: the pillars of effective collaboration. [online] DIY Musician. Available at: https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/music-career/musical-teamwork-pillars-effective-collaboration/.
Room, T.G. (2019). The Green Room. [online] The Green Room. Available at: https://www.thegreenroomleeds.com.
Simpson, D. (2016). How we made the Orb’s Little Fluffy Clouds. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/07/how-we-made-the-orb-little-fluffy-clouds-interview.
www.neffmusic.com. (n.d.). Saxophone Microphone Review and Audio Shootout. [online] Available at: https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2014/09/saxophone-microphone-review-and-audio-shootout-part-2/.
www.yum-audio.com. (n.d.). Yum Audio. [online] Available at: https://www.yum-audio.com/blog/integrating-traditional-instruments-in-electronic-music-explore-ways-to-blend-acoustic/.
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Appendix 6
Appendix 7
Appendix 8
Appendix 9
Appendix 10
Appendix 11
