Project Proposal
Production Project Files
I have uploaded the tracks individually, or as one continuous mixtape wav in a ZIP folder labelled “Development Mix” if you would rather listen in its entirety (recommended due to transitions).
Progress and Management Records
Initial Plans and Project
The concept for my project was to create a cohesive album inspired by Magdalena Bay and Cocteau Twins, suggested by my tutor Teresa. I was drawn to their textures sound design with storytelling, aiming to explore these characteristics.
As discussed in meetings with Teresa, the project was planned as a MIDI based production, for control over arrangement and sound design, with a focus on synthesis. This would be combined with studio recording for more expressive elements to add a more human quality to the project.
The intention was to produce a cohesive album/EP that balanced all of this, as these were genres that I had not previously explored in depth, the project was also an opportunity to expand my production and songwriting skills and develop a broader stylistic range.
Evolution of Project
As the project developed, I encountered challenges that impacted my original direction. Including difficulties with vocalists and achieving the sound I had envisioned. As a result, I found myself dissatisfied with the creative process and progress I had been making. This led to the decision to restart the project in January.
Early material like demos for Track 7 reflect the project’s intentions as a more instrumentally minimal composition, designed to support vocals as a ‘song’ (Fig. 1). As the project evolved and vocal elements were less of a focus, this approach was abandoned in favour of an instrumental, production-focused project.
Following the reset I moved away from the original concept and developed as a genre-diverse mixtape, involving jungle, jazz, ambient and electronic. This marked a return to my roots in areas of atmosphere and sound design, while allows me to develop my sound through more complex styles.
To support the transition, I researched techniques and sonic qualities within jungle music, including breakbeats, Amen-style patterns and syncopation. Jungle is characterised by fast tempos and breakbeats, often derived from the Amen break, which is iconic in the genre.
The relevancy of this is still discussed (ACM, 2024), showing the lasting influence within the electronic scene. Further research into the historical and cultural context of jungle (Hockman and Davies, 2015) further informed my decisions. I ensured that these elements were incorporated in a way that respected its original, while giving me the chance to creatively interpret them in my own style.
The transition between the two projects was sudden and due to limited and ineffective communication with my tutor. As a result, the project became mostly self directed. While this allowed for creative freedom, additional guidance during the earlier stages may have supported a more gradual development.
The evolution of my project led me to reconnect with my original approach to music production, focusing on ambience and sound design.
Although the project moved away from its original concept, it became more aligned with my creative identity, combining this with new influences to create a more developed sound.
Development and Creative Process
DAW + General Workflow
My chosen DAW is Logic Pro, I have always used Logic and find that my workflow is best there. The synthesisers and recording interfaces work within my genres and are great for MIDI based workflows.
Drums and Sampling
Sampling is a crucial element to these genres, from adding warmth to reworking and enhancing a track. Jungle (the band) say “Sampling brings more warmth and depth than digital music can offer” (Mixmag, 2021). From this, I decided to sample numerous drum sounds and one-shots to create the drums.
The tracks where drums are MIDI are 2,5,7 and 8. I felt as though samples added life to the track and allowed me to manipulate the sounds in a more organic way.
I manipulated the samples to fit around the tracks and demos. As heard in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the variation of samples that I layered allowed for a diverse range, while also blending the genres together, from jungle breakbeats to hyperpop.
These samples were manipulated through chopping, pitching and retriggering with Logic’s sampler, allowing me to build drum patterns from existing materials. This provides creative control as well as retaining the characteristics of source material. As demonstrated in figs 2-4, this resulted in complex drum arrangements, marking a clear development from more static compositions.
Sound Design and Synthesis
I heavily relied on Logic’s synthesisers as I believe they provide everything needed to create sounds I aimed for, as well as Vital, to create more in depth sounds from scratch.
I used multiple MIDI instruments and synthesisers, and from tweaking presets, to get sounds that fit my needs. In track 6 there is heavy use of synthesised bass, organs and strings using built in VSTs (Fig. 5).
This allows for a range of sounds without needing recordings, using MIDI transforms sounds and samples in a way that recording sometimes doesn’t allow.
However, many parts were recorded. Pianos, guitars, bass and vocals (sampled) were recorded with a range of microphones as follows:
Grand Piano – Neumann KM184, XY position
Acoustic Guitar – SM57 x2, Neck and Mouth position
Bass – DI + Audix D6 on Amp + ReAmped later
Vocals – Shure SM7B
The microphones and placements are informed by experience and trial and error, as well as preference. However, the mics chosen inform the sound that I wanted, ie. a light sound from the KM184s fits well with my chosen genre and could have effects added while retaining its original sound identity (Fig. 6).
The slap bass in Tracks 7 and 8 were recorded with DI and the D6 to get the full range of the bass, which could later be edited and tweaked in Logic due to having both available (Fig 7, 8).
While I didn’t use vocals as a lead, I recorded vocals from other vocalists and myself which would later be resampled (Fig. 9), this is a ‘classic technique’ (NITELIFE Audio, 2017) used in the jungle genre alongside time stretching (Fig. 10). This allows me to repurpose vocal material as rhythmic devices rather than a focal point, aligning with the project’s shift away from traditional structures.
Organisation and Management
Below are two Gantt charts, an original plan and the actual project. As I had to restart my project, Fig. 12 shows I had less time to do everything, but since I had already planned ahead (Fig. 11), I knew I had time and management to complete the project to the best of my ability, and since I already researched I was able to finish project quicker.
Since the restart in January, the project was very iterative and messy at times. Although it isn’t ideal, it is often a way that I work anyway, and having planned the project prior, I was able to pick it up and use these strengths to continue, proving that the Gantt charts were efficient.
Organisation Systems
Although simple, file organisation is essential. Named and organised files allows me to keep track of what I am working on. Fig. 13 shows the names of Logic sessions, although they seem random, keeping the original names is something that works better for me, and changing this could disrupt workflows.
Since I created tracks in the same Logic sessions, keeping them organised (Fig. 14) allowed me to create tracks that flow seamlessly, also creating cohesion, especially due to their genre-clashing natures.
Adaptation and Problems
The decision to restart the project had a significant impact on timelines, in response to this I adapted my workflow by prioritising tracks one at a time. I decided that I would finish tracks and move on, instead of holistically juggling the projects, also known as monotasking (Solan, 2022).
Communication
Due to the independent nature of the project, communication primarily took the form of self-evaluation and critical listening, with feedback from peers, family and tutors alongside it.
Emails between my tutor and I were used to organise meetings at the beginning of the project, which became more sparse until submission (Fig. 15). While this hindered the feedback and communication of the project, I made an effort to get feedback from peers.
An example of this was my mixing meet ups with Dylan arranged via Instagram, also a student on my course, in room 114 (Fig. 16). We gave each other constructive feedback on our SS3 projects, which was largely helpful, especially since the nature of our projects varied.
Feedback and communication influenced my work from constructive criticism to changing or keeping parts of the music. Doing this allows for criticism from tutors and peers, and using it productively to create something that is valuable.
Another form of ‘communication’ was influences, a playlist allowed me to develop my sound while differing genres in my work, specifically using soundtracks, as this is something I have often taken inspiration from, inspiring compositional elements in the project (Fig. 17).
Reflection and Evaluation
Aside from the restart, I set out to make something that proves and develops my skills as a producer, showcasing versatility across a range of genres.
Throughout Development Mix this is shown clearly, from transitions to genre blending sonic ideas. I believe the outcome is successful, if success is measured through personal development.
A large part of this project was the change, diverging from its original intention, and becoming something more authentic than intended.
While success is subjective here, there are strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths:
Sound design
Genre awareness
Cohesion
Experimentation
Weaknesses:
Vocal limitations
Time loss
Limited feedback
Possible mastering inconsistencies
Acknowledging these is a step towards self improvement, being aware of weaknesses allows me to expand skills and learn from mistakes I made across this project.
What I learned + Future Improvements
Overall I learned that it is better to work on strengths rather than try to prove I’m something I’m not. For future projects, I will bear this in mind, using strengths and developing from weaknesses as the project as a whole suggests, and using feedback and influences to develop, create and explore what it is to be a producer.
Bibliography
ACM (2024). A London Sound: The Evolution Of Jungle Music | ACM. [online] ACM. Available at: https://www.acm.ac.uk/a-london-sound-the-evolution-of-jungle-music/.
Aphex Twin (1992). Xtal
Burial and Four Tet (2022). Moth / Nova
DJ Hype (2014). Dawn Of The Fever
Hockman, J. and Davies, M. (2015). COMPUTATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR BREAKBEAT CLASSIFICATION AND RESEQUENCING IN HARDCORE, JUNGLE AND DRUM & BASS. [online] Available at: https://www.dafx.de/paper-archive/2015/DAFx-15_submission_47.pdf.
Lorde (2025). Virgin
Magdalena Bay (2022). Mercurial World.
Cocteau Twins (1990). Heaven Or Las VegasMagdalena Bay (2024). Imaginal Disk.
Mixmag. (2021). Jungle: ‘Sampling brings more warmth and depth than digital music can offer’. [online] Available at: https://mixmag.net/feature/jungle-loving-in-stereo-sampling-interview.
Nintendo (2008). Coconut Mall From Mario Kart Wii
NITELIFE Audio. (2017). Classic Techniques: Timestretched Jungle Vocals. [online] Available at: https://nitelifeaudio.com/classic-techniques-timestretched-jungle-vocal/.
Solan, M. (2022). The art of monotasking. [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-art-of-monotasking.
