MPR6C001R~001 25103246 Coursework & Project Context

MPR6C001R~001 Coursework & Project Context

Project Proposal

SS3 Project Proposal Download

Production Project Files (80%)

1. Pulse – House

2. Lucid – Liquid DnB

3. Surge – Dancefloor DnB

4. Static – Midtempo

5. Haze – Deep House

6. Ember – Afro House

7. Rift – 140

8. Toxic – Deep: Progressive House

Progress and Management Records (20%)

Introduction:

The project is called Fragments, a non-thematic Electronic Dance Music (EDM) album that explores a range of EDM sub-genres, including drum and bass, house, midtempo, minimal techno and more. This project was developed across the academic year to improve my production skills in areas such as composition, mixing, arrangement, project management and more. My portfolio draws inspiration from a wide array of artists, including Hybrid Minds, Rezz, Odesza, Sub-Focus and many more. Using these artists as inspiration for my project also allows room for stylistic experimentation across all tracks.

A key objective for this project was to produce an array of tracks that meet a non-thematic theme, with each track able to stand on its own by exploring different sonic characteristics, structural differences and production techniques. This involved diversifying my creativity and technical ability to create a sound world that encompasses different sub-genres across my portfolio. This project also provided an opportunity to improve my proficiency, develop my workflow within Logic Pro and further strengthen my understanding of specific genre conventions and techniques, such as tonal balance across a collection of tracks.

Planning & Project Management:

The project began with the intention of creating a portfolio of electronic music that took inspiration from a wide range of subgenres with the intention to create track as their own standalone piece. This involved early planning in areas such as defining stylistic influences, defining the genres, defining potential track ideas and more importantly, establishing a concrete workflow that would enable me to manage time effectively across the academic year. Proposals and planning documentation were a pivotal part of the early structure and influenced the development of the portfolio and tracking the progression.

Organisation and time management skills became a crucial part of the production process due to the scale of the project and the number of tracks that were simultaneously being created and improved. Therefore, DAW screenshots, track exports and additional technical resources were organised in their own folders to maximise proficiency and revisit earlier stages of each track. This was extremely important when balancing different stages of different tracks all at once.

Production schedules and track developments changed consistently over the academic year as tracks began to evolve from their initial ideas. Some tracks need additional development compared to others that may have needed much less. This was more practical within the production phases, where some ideas became apparent more quickly than others. This involved mainly structural arrangements and sound design, as well as mixing, where some stages for different tracks were completed quicker than others. Therefore, workflow adaptation was a necessary stage in the development of the portfolio, with unfinished tracks being revisited and refined frequently over a period instead of being shelved and abandoned.

This project also consisted of navigating numerous academic deadlines alongside the creative intentions of this project, which encouraged a stricter, structured approach in line with time management and decision-making, especially in the latter stages where tracks were being completed simultaneously. Evidence supporting this approach is included in screenshots, track exports, and DAW-related material can be found in the appendices.

Creative Approach:

As defined earlier, my creative objective throughout the portfolio was to explore different sub-genres of EDM that fit non-thematically across the project, which highlights the intention of creating a set of tracks that can explore different themes, moods and energy levels with the interface to showcase diversity across the portfolio. Whilst certain tracks aimed to portray an emotional, atmospheric approach, others aimed to explore heavier themes and sonic textures. The idea of diversifying themes and approaches enabled me with greater creative freedom throughout the entire production process.

Although there was a lack of a direct theme, there was still an intention to build a cohesive sonic identity alongside my artistic profile. Cohesion was achieved through using repeated production techniques, arrangement and the use of layered synthetic textures. As stated previously, inspiration was drawn from a variety of artists across different sub-genres, such as house, drum and bass, midtempo, deep house, minimal techno and even more. I draw influences from these genres and artists as they encourage exploration with instrumental style tracks that maintain listener engagement through evolving textures and structured arrangements.

Therefore, the arrangement was a pivotal step in the creation of this project due to the instrumental nature of the project. Several tracks were then reliant on the gradual development of the tracks through layering, automation and dynamic contrast to create recognisable movement. Additionally, without the presence of heavy vocal content, I ensured that spatial depth and varied intensity/ dynamic choices were used to increase listener attention and improve listener experience. This approach allowed me to use tension and release in different contexts across my portfolio to engage listeners in a positive experience.

The portfolio then became pure exploration within electronic dance music, whilst still maintaining the consistency in overall sound in conjunction with my current artistic identity and vision. Although each track represents a different approach, my creative approach consisted of maintaining a focused atmosphere, the development of energy and modern contemporary aesthetics.

Production & Sound World:

Both production and the latter mixing stages were heavily focused on creating an album that consists of consistent and professional quality throughout, with highlighted attention on matching dynamic range across a portfolio that explored different sub-genres. However, due to the wide variation of genre influences, maintaining both clarity and balance throughout the project while preserving the clarity from each genre became a loaded task towards the end of the project. Mixes were translated across numerous systems to test their translation on different listening systems, to check whether each mix translated well and retained its energy and atmosphere associated with EDM production.

However, a consistent technical challenge that arose frequently across the project consisted of balancing the low end and ensuring that there was clarity between instruments like the kick and bass, as well as some melodic content. Several tracks included layered electronic textures and compact arrangements, which required careful attention to detail to limit frequency masking and enable different textures to breathe within their own space. Therefore, EQ, dynamic processing and varied spatial effects were used to maintain each texture’s depth and enhance the listener’s experience positively without compromising energy.

The development of the project encouraged a critical approach to the postproduction stage, which involved using my reference tracks to compare tonal balance and dynamic tonal quality. Adapting to this process enabled me to develop my understanding of how electronic productions are structured both sonically and dynamically, which helped me define areas within my own mixes that helped with my refinement. However, consistently working in Logic Pro throughout the project enabled me to maintain a consistent workflow and strengthen my overall confidence in both production and post-production across a span of electronic styles.

Reflection & Evaluation:

Overall, I see that this project has been a success and has enabled me to develop both my creative skills and production skills throughout the academic year. One of the strongest points of the project was my ability to be able to explore different sub-genres within the EDM scene and fully understand the specific genre style conventions of each style, whilst maintaining a recognisable artistic identity. Being able to explore different sub-genres gave me a deeper understanding of instrumentals and how to maintain energy through the arrangement, atmosphere and sound selection. This also helped me improve my confidence in adapting universal production techniques depending on the stylistic direction I was heading in. As I progressed through the academic year, my workflow became more structured and even more proficient than before, particularly in time management, revisiting older ideas and developing them further rather than sitting upon a shelf.

Although the project encountered numerous challenges throughout both the production process and post-production processes. One of the main issues consisted of balancing both creative urges alongside timemanagement and the submission of external submissions. This meant that due to significant tracks needing to be developed at once, it caused time management issues, which further resulted in the delay of some tracks’ finishing. Another issue I encountered was over-refinement of certain tracks, which essentially saw me endlessly tweaking sounds and arrangements rather than focusing on completing each section as efficiently as possible. Additionally, maintaining consistency throughout each track became challenging especially with balancing sonic aesthetics alongside stylistic variation.

If the project were to be continued on a greater scale, I would dedicate more time to refinement in transitions and improving the mix even better across a longer period. I would also like to develop my sound design a bit further and explore different unconventional ways to draw listeners’ attention. If I were to do this project again, I would become more proficient in the earlier planning stages to ensure consistent flow throughout the project and to actively avoid any rushing in the latter part of the project. However, overall, the portfolio successfully achieved its aims by exploring different genre conventions in a non-thematic way whilst effectively contributing towards the development of my technical understanding, production workflow and my artistic identity as a producer.