Joshua Booth
I.D-25105142
Task 1: Three Minute Song Production (70%)
Task 2: 1000 Word Write-Up (30%)
Song Title – ‘Stars’
Introduction
I started this track with an idea of trying something new, leaning into creating a blend of genres consisting of RnB and Dream pop, using rap and pop vocals to create a modern production. I wanted to create an atmospheric song, focusing on blending synth pads with shoegaze guitars and sub driven bass lines for an ethereal feel, making the track an engaging piece of music. This is a common approach in contemporary music and artists like ‘The Weeknd’ have been an example in using multiple genres In his earlier productions to branch out further afield. ‘Stars’ has 90’s influential roots and blending this with modern pop style vocals creates a mix of interesting arrangements. Using two different vocal ideas has enabled something that is experimental as well as personal and exciting. The song was arranged and mixed on Logic pro, which gave me the flexibility to easily create multiple take lanes on both instrumental and vocal parts. This meant I could spend time comping and choosing the best takes for the track. I created all the instrumental parts myself from home and utilised a drum machine for the percussive elements, a guitar and tape echo for that dreamy pop sound and layered multiple synth parts for the bass lines and pads. The guitar helped establish the main melodic hook whilst leaving a large amount of space for the pads and piano parts to really add atmosphere and texture. Because the track combines rap and pop elements, I wanted to create space using large sounds and maintaining a steady rhythmic approach.
Sampling
An important part of the production was the use of sampling. I decided to use the intro rap vocal line as a way of showcasing my ability to not only demonstrate sampling but by bringing the original vocal line to life. This I feel fits into a space around the instrumental parts and not consumes it. I used logic’s quick sampler to create slice points over one vocal line and assigned these to a midi keyboard and recorded in manually over the track. The sample adds a level of dynamics to the track and through chopping, slicing and some delay, there becomes a point of engagement whilst adding a little comic value.
Vocals
Both vocal parts were recorded in the university studios in one session using a Neumann TLM 102 microphone and a pop filter. My aim was to create a minimalistic session without the added time of deciding between different microphone options, focusing more on the capture. In addition to this I utilised a Neve pre- amp and a Drawmer compressor on the way in to aid with dynamics and correct gain staging so it would help with the process later in the mixing stage. For the pop style vocals, I double tracked the main line and added harmony layers before panning them for a larger stereo image. An issue arose when I was finding difficulty in making the vocals stand out over the instrumental parts as the main aim was to have a large reverb tail for a dreamy pop feel but felt I was losing them harmonically in the mix. I did however strip back the reverb and continued with a slightly dryer approach, achieving the overall clarity in my opinion.
Mixing
In terms of mixing, some slight EQ adjustments on the rap vocal lines gave way to some of the low end due to the artists vocals been in a very low register. I then added a De-Esser to help manage sibilance before finishing off with a very small plate reverb. My goal was to keep the rap lines clean and dry but still have it sit consonantly in the mix. There was a little pitch correction added to the pop line vocals just to make all the layers sit nicely in key with each other as the high register parts where a little difficult to get locked in in one session. Beyond all of this, I used an echo effect and some automation on the intro vocal line to allow the last word “Far” to travel during the silence of the song, adding an interesting texture. I tweaked the time using logic’s metronome to match as close as possible to the current bpm of 105.
Challenges
The drum programming was the most challenging aspect for me. I often struggle with drums, but I do notice an improvement from my earlier productions. I used addictive drums to play in the notes in real time from midi before using the grid in logic to line up any loose notes. Beyond this, the drums were a little thin, so multiple claps were layered to improve the overall groove and supported the songs laid back feel rather than clashing.
Commercial Success
The commercial potential of ‘Stars’ is best suited within the alternative RnB and Dream Pop market. The blend of the two genres aligns more with artists such as ‘Tame Impala and ‘Beach House’ pointing towards a more niche market but also becoming open to more mainstream avenues. The tracks success would be by establishing a following on platforms such as Spotify as the company its self has many ways of incorporating genre-blending music into specific playlists and pushes that towards its client base, through algorithms. The blend of the two different vocal styles means there is increased potential between different audiences. However, due to the weaker parts of drums, and room for improvement, the track could lack what it needs to branch out reaching larger listeners, proving difficult to come to any form of commercial success. Furthering my production techniques and writing style could benefit the songs chances of reaching new and loyal listeners.
Conclusion
Overall, I am happy with ‘Stars’ and believe it shows both my strengths and weaknesses giving me a wide array of knowledge to apply to my future productions. I think the stronger points of the track are the instrumental layers, focusing on how I can leave space for other instruments to fit into place and how to create harmonically rich textures, ready for receiving strong vocal parts. The use of compression and EQ has worked wonders for the vocals and whilst there are still areas to improve, I am proud to have been able to achieve a mix that is well balanced. This project has showed me that a collaborative approach has also been beneficial in receiving feedback off others to aid in future productions and has left me with a sense of pride for potential commercial success.
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