Show assignment
In this portfolio, I will be documenting my findings and experience in creating my 6-minute electronics performance video.
The Ongoing Reflective Process
As of January 2026, I am starting to think about the basis and the references for my project. One is the Alchemist, who is well known a producer in the hip hop scene. I really connect with his work and often draw inspiration when making my own music, and I thought it would also translate well for this project. His use of warped and chopped samples is very unique while also ceremonial for previous producers before him. This leads to my next reference: J Dilla, who is one of, if not the most, well-known and acclaimed hip hop producers of this century. I want to apply his influence to make my project sound more zany and unpredictable, as that is one thing (apart from the obvious “Dilla Swing” that he is known for.
As of February 2026, I have been looking into what equipment and software I will want to use for the performance. I have a Digital MIDI sample pad, which I am planning to use for sample chops as the basis of the various melodies. For the beat behind, I will be using the Analogue Roland TR8s Sequencer, as for the context of this being a Hip Hop genre performance, I think it will be perfect sound-wise and for the culture! Famous, well-acclaimed hip hop producers such as Swizz Beatz use the TR8s, and, not a far cry away, Groups like Public Enemy frequently used the TR808 for many of their golden age tracks.
As of March 2026, I have been considering the setup of my performance: a few others and I on this pathway have been able to book out the TR8s for a few days in May, so I know that is a definite, and my project idea is a go! I will be using direct input into the Logic Software to record my drum melodies and have been studying up on my way around the sequence with videos from the Roland YouTube channel, as well as videos on my module page.
As of April 2026, I have been selecting sound choices for my performance. I have decided my main sample chop will be of the song “La Roulette” by Pierre Bachelet. I found this song through a YouTube channel entitled ‘Andre Navarro II’, which I frequent for my sample chopping. I have also decided that my BPM for the performance will sit around 100 BPM, as this seems most unassuming for the combination of genres I am referencing.
As of May 2026, I have completely planned my beat as well as written and structured lyrics with ideas on what plugins and effects to use on my vocals. These include Delay and Heavy Pitch Corrector (In a stylised way of the genre, not to fix my vocal performance). I have now recorded my performance and edited it together in a style I am happy with. I have used the software CapCut to edit and finalise my video.
The Critical Evaluation Undertaken
“The acclaimed hip-hop producer The Alchemist can’t really describe his process for making beats. It’s natural and flowing and fun; it operates kind of like, well, alchemy.” – Will Schube Via Tidal
Evaluating this project, I had to look at various cultural references as well as take some introspection into what I wanted. For this evaluation, I started looking through academic sources and music articles for points I needed to incorporate in my performance. Just to make sure it is based more in academia as well as in my own creativity and musical references. I had a look at the ‘FOUR CRITERIA OF
ELECTRONIC MUSIC’ From the lecture FOUR CRITERIA OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC filmed by Allied Artists, London 1971, written by Karlheinz Stockhausen and published in a textbook by Marion Boyars in 1989.
The first criterion is the ‘unified time structuring’. Which is easily achievable by utilising the TR8s sequencer. The TR8 is automatically grid snapped in terms of rhythm and exact in its tempo. The forgiving nature of the sequencer means that it will be easy to keep a unified time structure. The second criterion is the splitting of the sound, in which I will achieve a variety of timbres from my sample pad playing style while chopping up samples. I will layer samples over the top of each other to create thicker sounds, while using more staccato rhythm and separated playing for more ‘lowkey sections’. As well as this, I will be using a distortion plugin running through Logic on the drum machine signal. This will give the drums a more aggressive sound. I will also be running them through heavy compression for that fat sort of presence.
The third criterion is ‘multi-layered spatial composition’. I will achieve an even spread of sound by using a stereo spread plugin to enhance the atmospheric qualities on my sample chops. I also have FX panned left and right for the purpose of stereo separation. This, combined with the through-line central audio of the drum machine, will hopefully give a spacious lo-fi effect.
While on the one hand, these ideas were very helpful in basing my performance in concrete academia, I also acknowledge that, being published in the late 80s, this piece of writing could be considered outdated in the scope of modern electronic performance. This is why I used this reference, in combination with more modern, less academic references, such as analyses of performances from the Alchemist, to inform my evaluation.
The Development Of The Composition
In terms of planning the structure for my composition, as I am firmly in the genre of Experimental Hip Hop, there will be a planned structure, but it won’t be traditional. The structure I will be going with is an abb2, as this is a staple of the experimental hip hop genre. The instrumentation will be simplistic again, courtesy of the genre I am trying to plant myself in. Drums, a simplistic bass and a chopped up sample over the top, towards the end of the song, I will also be playing additional sample fx, to include homage/inspiration from J Dilla. Throughout the song, I will have my vocals with various effects. I want to be a little more sparse than my songwriting usually is because my own work is usually a lot shorter in duration than 6 minutes, and I do not want to overwhelm the listener with constant, heavily lyrical vocals. During the outro, I will not be adding any vocals for similar reasons. I worry that with the FX I’m using, it would sound messy. As for the video, I will have a main video with square overlay videos showcasing different aspects of the composition.
My Contextualised Understanding Of The Composition
"The house of Hip Hop was built with five foundational elements:
1. MCing (Oral)
2. DJing (Aural)
3. Breakdance (Physical)
4. Graffiti (Visual)
5. Knowledge (Mental)"
- Harlem Gallery of Science
This is a widely shared sentiment among hip hop historians. I believe that my performance covers many of these aspects. The first obvious key one is MCing. I have been writing raps since 2020 and believe I am quite capable. Although it will be a new challenge to write consistently for a 6-minute project (my songs are usually between 2 to 3 minutes apiece), I am excited to stretch my ability. On the DJing, while it might not be traditional DJing, my production style for this project is heavily influenced by it. Nothing on the project has been pencilled in via midi, and I have also avoided using any quantisation to keep samples in time, apart from the quantisation on the tr8 synthesiser. The lack of quantisation helps give the project a more natural human feel and rhythm, and the chopping of samples comes from the basic building blocks of DJing in a hip hop context. As for the physical aspects of my performance, I have practised hand signalling while performing as indicated in the video, which is one of the physical aspects adapted from watching other MCs perform live/ perform in cyphers. To better describe what I mean here is a video from XXL featuring Kodak Black and 21 Savage. Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty and Denzel Curry. I particularly studied Denzel Curry’s performance. Taking note of stature and hand gestures. His fast-paced movement and rapid hand movements give a sporting feeling to his performance, enhancing his lyrics with an electric intensity.
As for the visual aspects of composition, referring to my Mood Board at the top of the page, I took influences from other experimental hip hop artists and their music videos, such as JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown. I am aiming to create a grungy, homemade vibe influenced by underground internet culture, which is heavily referenced in modern hip hop media. I also wanted to take reference from older hip hop, such as from the 80s and 90s, which is why I want an overall fuzzy lo-fi quality to the video, with a fisheye lens focused on my person. Taking inspiration from music videos from N.W.A and Run DMC. As for my knowledge, which I believe is the most important aspect of these aforementioned 5. The knowledge I have accumulated of the genre over my 6-year span of writing raps, as well as from my 1-1 sessions with Peter Darling and even research for this project, Means I believe I am well-equipped to analyse the genre. In my own writing, I draw inspiration from UK artist Little Simz and US artist Earl Sweatshirt, among others. As for the electronics side of my knowledge, I have my aforementioned references and some videos I looked through on the module page to inform myself, such as this video on sample dubbing from Prince Fatty:
Audience and Impact
My target audience for this project is obviously other hip hop fans, appealing to ‘oldheads’ with my use of iconic sequencing technology, as well as my sample chopping rooted in the culture. For newer hip hop audiences, I feel like my writing style is quite modern and experimental, as the structure and sample selections in the song are fresh and new. As for regional, I was struggling to toe the line between my inspirations and my own writing on whether I was going for a more UK sound or a more conventional American sound. I think I managed to toe the line between the two due to my production style being heavily taken from American alternative hip hop; however, my lyrical content is delivered in a more Grime style (the predominant rap sub genre of the UK during the 2000s to mid-2010s), think Dizzee Rascal’s LP ‘Boy In Da Corner’ and Skepta’s ‘Konnichiwa’. I know that I would want my new journey in creating music performance video content to not initially have much of an impact, but I would want to progress to the point of having a local audience of supporters and collaborators, not just interested in the music aspect but also the videography and technology side.
The Capturing of the Recording
Initially, I was a bit intimidated by the capturing and recording process, as while I am proficient in writing and recording music, capturing it effectively in video form is something I am not used to. Going in, however, I knew that I needed to showcase information on the workings of the performance, while also keeping it stylised and entertaining. Starting the process, I recorded the track into Logic as I wanted to perform it, vocals included. Using a jack input into my interface to record the drum sequencer. Then, once I had worked on the track and the track was finished, I set up my phone to record a primary shot for the video of me in my room lip-syncing to the track playing off of Logic. While this is running, I have the sequencer next to me running through each part of the drum beat (the a, b and c sections). Once I had recorded a Lip sync that I was happy with, I then recorded more videos to overlay, one video more clearly showcasing me using the drum sequencer and another video of me playing my FX pad along to the song. After editing together these various videos, I decided I needed some more shots, more for aesthetic purposes to keep the interest of the audience than for a practical demonstration. I added some ‘creepy’ face overlays during my singing of the hook, as well as a secondary, more active video of me lip-syncing parts of the lyrics that I wanted to accentuate. I filmed the secondary lip sync at a low 0.5 angle to pay homage to the ‘fishbowl’ camera style used in many early hip hop music videos, such as several videos directed by director ‘Hype Williams’, including Wu-Tang Clan‘s “Can It Be All So Simple” (1994) and Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See (1997).
Potential Future Ideas
After creating and evaluating my performance, I have had thoughts about where I could go in the future. This style of performance was something quite new to me before doing this task, but it was very inspiring and enjoyable. I think going forward, I will be doing more projects like this; however, if it is not to any particular brief and just for my own creative fulfilment, I think I would put more effort into the stylised aspects and aesthetics rather than the informative side of showcasing parts of the composition. I think creating these types of electronic performances is something I would like to do more of if the end goal is entertainment and creativity over being more informative and technically impressive. I would also like to include potential collaborators in such performances, as I am not a very well-practised instrumentalist; I am definitely more of a songwriter and producer, so I think that having the talent of an instrumentalist to execute my creative vision would be creatively fulfilling. I would most likely stay within the hip hop/ rap music genre, as that is where I flourish and creatively thrive within the culture. I would consider pivoting, yet I would worry it would be disingenuous to me and my artistry. In conclusion, to be the most authentic I can be, I would stay within the Hip Hop/Rap genre, yet also to create and continue to push my artistic and academic boundaries, I would incorporate more collaboration from instrumentalists, and research and educate myself on more video editing.
Bibliography
Boyars, M. (1989). · FOUR CRITERIA OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC From the lecture FOUR CRITERIA OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC. Available at: https://web.uvic.ca/~aschloss/course_mat/MU307/MUS307_MATERIALS/Stockhausen_Karlheinz_1972_1989_Four_Criteria_of_Electronic_Music.pdf.
Harlem Gallery of Science (n.d.). The Five Pillars of Hip Hop. HARLEM GALLERY OF SCIENCE. Available at: https://hgs-ny.org/five-pillar-of-hip-hop.
Ruben (2020). 5 Hype Williams Directed Videos That Defined The 1990s – Hip Hop Golden Age. [online] Hip Hop Golden Age. Available at: https://hiphopgoldenage.com/list/5-hype-williams-directed-videos-that-defined-the-1990s/ [Accessed 12 May 2026].
Schube, W. (2022). The Alchemist Interview: TIDAL Backstory. TIDAL Magazine. [online] 19 Oct. Available at: https://tidal.com/magazine/article/alchemist-backstory/1-87240.
XXL (2016). Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty & Denzel Curry’s 2016 XXL Freshmen Cypher. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_IbIMUbh-k.
