Free Download: Ableton Live Instrument Rack for Trap Beat Programming

Download Atropolis’ Ableton Live template that he uses in the tutorial video above. [contact-form] Adam Partridge a.k.a. Atropolis is a DJ, producer, and electronic music production instructor currently living in New York City. Listen to his productions and DJ sets on SoundCloud, and keep up with him on Twitter and Facebook.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

NYC COURSES (Course in session; seats still available.)

Morning Classes: April 29, 2013; Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 10:15am-1pm

Evening Classes: May 1, 2013; Wednesdays and Fridays, 6:15pm-9pm

Weekend Classes: June 2, 2013; Sundays, 1:00-6pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface. After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live. What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here. Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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A Live Instrument Rack is a powerful tool for creating custom devices such as big synths, pads, leads, and drum kits. In part two of this tutorial, we are going to look at trap hi-hat patterns and we’re going to create some variations combining a drum rack, sampler, the arpeggiator MIDI FX, and macro controls.  The arpeggiator will allow you get those fast to slow hi-hat patterns by automating the rate, which could be a faster work flow than programing these patterns via piano roll. – Adam Partridge

Free Download: Ableton Live Instrument Rack for Trap Beat Programming

Download Atropolis’ Ableton Live template that he uses in the tutorial video above.
[contact-form]

Adam Partridge a.k.a. Atropolis is a DJ, producer, and electronic music production instructor currently living in New York City. Listen to his productions and DJ sets on SoundCloud, and keep up with him on Twitter and Facebook.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

NYC COURSES
Morning Classes: March 11, 2013; Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 10:15-1pm (Course in session; seats still available.)
Evening Classes: March 19, 2013; Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fri 6:15pm-9pm
Weekend Classes: March 16, 2013; Saturdays, 12:00-6pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

http://blog.dubspot.com/files/2013/03/Ableton-Trap-Rack_2_Blog_9.jpg

A Live Instrument Rack is a powerful tool for creating custom devices such as big synths, pads, leads, and drum kits. The first part of this tutorial demonstrates how to create a complex Instrument Rack that will allow you to make sounds found in trap music like varied hi-hat patterns, rolling tuned snares and big sub kick sounds. Even if you’re not into trap, this tutorial is a helpful introduction to building complex drum kits using instrument racks. - Adam Partridge

Free Download: Ableton Live Instrument Rack for Trap Beat Programming

Download Atropolis’ Ableton Live template that he uses in the tutorial video above.
[contact-form]

Adam Partridge a.k.a. Atropolis is a DJ, producer, and electronic music production instructor currently living in New York City. Listen to his productions and DJ sets on SoundCloud, and keep up with him on Twitter and Facebook.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

NYC COURSES
Morning Classes: March 11, 2013; Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 10:15-1pm
Evening Classes: March 19, 2013; Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fri 6:15pm-9pm
Weekend Classes: March 16, 2013; Saturdays, 12:00-6pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

/files/2013/02/Ableton_Trap_Rack_BLOG_4.jpg

LN // Cork, Ireland

Sixteen-year-old Ireland-based electronic music producer and singer Ellen Murphy a.k.a. LN is the youngest student so far to complete our Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program (which she completed while she was only 15!) Ellen has studied music theory and she is a classically trained violinist. During her time at Dubspot, she went through a radical transformation and a change in musical direction, adopting and infusing fresh, happening electronic dance music styles such as house, electro, trap, dubstep, and other strands of electronic music into her sound. Preview some of her exciting, club-ready bangers below:

“Being at Dubspot flipped me 180 degrees, from being a singer who wanted to produce her own songs to becoming a producer who happens to sing on her own tracks. Dubspot gave me a crazy love for genres I’d never been exposed to before. Everyone there is so passionate about music; I felt part of a family where everyone shares the same interests.

Dubspot is literally the most amazing place on earth. It’s a colorful world full of totally different, unique people, who share a passion for music, a determination to succeed, and a commitment to helping each other. Bigger than life, it’s just where I needed to be.” – Ellen Murphy a.k.a. LN

Robzilla // New York City

New York City-based DJ/producer Rob Kelley a.k.a. Robzilla began producing rap and dancehall tracks after DJing for ten years. Originally from Hawaii, Rob relocated to NYC to pursue a career in music. He took our Music Production with Logic Pro course with Matt Shadetek and started releasing his dancehall edits and remixes on SoundCloud. His tracks were picked up and played on BBC Radio 1Xtra and Radio Lily, as well as by DJs including Machinedrum, LionDub, and Matt Shadetek. Below you can check out his first single, “World Keeps Spinning,” which features Jahdan Blakkamoore on vocals. It’s out now on Brooklyn’s Dutty Artz.

“Dubspot was the spark that really got me producing, and the reason that I’m releasing records today. The Logic class pushed me like crazy and helped me kick bad habits like not completely finishing off my tracks. If you are serious about making a career of out producing in Logic, this is a necessary step.” – Rob Kelley a.k.a. Robzilla

Tomeeo // Chicago via Brooklyn

Chicago via Brooklyn DJ/producer Tom Chung a.k.a. Tomeeo has been very busy the last couple of years. He’s had the opportunity to play at the biggest clubs and shared stages with prominent electronic music figures including Sharam, Tocadisco, Arno Cost, Norman Doray, Dabruck & Klein, and Mauro Picotto. In 2011 he performed at some of Seoul, Korea’s major hot spots including Club Volume, Answer, Junkie, and LUV.  Within one year of launching his weekly EDM podcast called Earslap, in collaboration with A.move, Tomeeo has been working with some of the biggest international EDM stars through guest mixes including Moguai, Ferry Corsten, Steve Aoki, Swanky Tunes, Tritonal, The Crystal Method, Digitalism, Porter Robinson, Zedd and many more.  Earslap is now the #1 EDM podcast in South Korea! Listen to Earslap Podcast below:

“Dubspot is a great school to professionally develop your skills in music production.  After completing the Ableton, Sound Design, and Mixing & Mastering courses I have newfound abilities that I am applying into my workflow every day in the studio.  I finished the Ableton course with the capacity to smoothly translate the ideas in my head onto the DAW.  Sound Design with Evan Sutton was an intensive look into synthesis, you really get to develop your own palette of sounds, and his track critiques are spot on due to his objective approach and wide knowledge of music.  Danny Wyatt helps you acquire the technical knowledge and abilities to take your track pro.  Before Dubspot I was an aspiring producer without any finished work, now I have a single out on Beatport, a remix to be released on March 13th, and multiple tracks underway.  Finally, the friendships I made during class led to interesting collaboration projects that I’m really excited about, and that in itself is priceless!” – Tom Chung a.k.a. Tomeeo

Bearings Jammed // Bristol, UK

Bearings Jammed is a Bristol-based DJ/producer whose principal musical influences derive from a lifetime spent dancing in fields to underground electronic music. He’s been producing his unique brand of bassline-driven, wonky techno for over 15 years. Growing up in the southwest of England in the early 1990s, 50 minutes from Bristol and two hours from London, there were plenty of opportunities to immerse himself in the exciting early days of the growing UK rave scene.

“Inspiration for my own productions has come largely from these experiences, of feeling the music in a free and open setting (physically and emotionally) and from an eclectic mix of styles…”

Bearings Jammed is a true music enthusiast with a broad range of influences that are reflected in his work, from Dave Clark, Photek and DJ Die to Magda, Hobo, Claude VonStroke and labels such as Items and Things, Minus and Dirtybird Records. His productions are dynamic and range from slow and swanky techno grooves to uptempo jams. Listen to tracks off his latest EP Wonky below–out soon on Agatone Records.

“I picked up more technique and understanding of music production in the first few levels of the course than I did spending over ten years previously guessing and saying oops, with little to no success. Now I have a two-track EP called Wonky coming out soon on Agatone Records which I’m very proud of and have a much better understanding of how to make tracks and more importantly, finish them, and have a few projects on the go with more releases announced this year.” – Bearings Jammed

Party Foul Records // New York City

New York City’s Party Foul Records is an exciting new label/collective focusing on fresh and innovative electronic dance music with forward-thinking and genre-defying artists, producers, and performers such as Aladot and New Planet. Party Foul is determined to set itself apart as a boundary-pushing force in contemporary music.

Alodot is a producer who believes in music–music with no restrictions and no genre specifications. He finds influence from every style of music both past and present, and believes that the future lies within the recreation of past musical standards, trends and sounds. The only difference is that now you don’t need two guitarists, a bassist, drummer and lead vocalist to make music work.

Coming out of New York City, the production duo New Planet has been perfecting their production technique in order to give you a new experience in glitch hop and electronic music. New Planet combines hip hop melodies with crushing basses, ethereal samples, gritty layers and electronic synths to create another world with their sound design.  They have shared the stage with artists such as Archnemesis, Heyoka, The Polish Ambassador, Arpetrio, The New Deal, DNAE Beats, OTT, Eliot Lipp, and Mindelixer.

“Dubspot has given us every tool available to realize our collective dream of launching a record label.  It provided us with a solid understanding of the production industry, the ultimate finesse to our long-standing projects and the capability to grow as artists and develop our talents as competitive musicians.  Most importantly, it gave us the confidence to move forward with our business goals knowing we had a unique foundation of experience on which to build.  Dubspot made our dreams real for us and we couldn’t be prouder of our education.” – Stefany Reese

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A music festival in a city as dense as New York is bound to differ from the vast plains of unshowered fans who traveled long distances to rural environs. But take a look on any given month right in our backyard at the venues along N 6th St. in Williamsburg. It’s no surprise that the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival was able to find an accommodating collection of spaces within such a short distance from each other. Public Assembly, The Cove, The Music Hall of Williamsburg, and newcomer Cameo Gallery are all venues familiar to people here who listen to electronic music, and all are situated within a block from one another. Throw in the pub Zabloski’s and the nearby Brooklyn Bowl and you have a lot of square footage. Then add a food truck lot, street art, and installations and you’ve definitely got an event.

[Deborah Cox - It's Over (Dubbel Dutch Remix) | white label, 2011. Photo of 2009 BEMF by Emmanuel Vivier]

Occurring only weeks after the excess of rock and hip hop that the CMJ festival unleashed on the city, these two nights provide an outlet for those with an interest in the electronic side of things. And there’s a broad selection to choose from within that boundary-less genre. Names like Fischerspooner, Matthew Dear, Four Tet, and Daedelus are some of the biggest names to be headlining the festival and are sure to attract large crowds. But there’s a number of other artists certain to expand audiences’ idea of what electronic music can be. Take the Fade To Mind showcase, which features the bass drum driven hip hop beats of ringleader Kingdom, the global club styles of Nguzunguzu, and the creative UK Funky of Girl Unit from Night Slugs. Or the tropical bass of Mixpak artists Dubbel Dutch, Schlachtofbronx, and Dre Skull. There’s also the mutant house of Braille; the ravey boom bap of Hudson Mohawke; the neon beats of Ghostly’s Michna; and so much more that it’s a bit overwhelming. It’s going to be a long weekend, but at least there’s no need for porta potties.

Festival-goers must be at least 21 years old, except for at the music hall which is 18 and over. Tickets are $25 for one day, and $45 for both. For a breakdown of who’s performing where and at what venue, see below. Dubspot is a major sponsor of this event.

LINE UP

Friday 11/11/::

MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG: Fischerpooner DJ set with Casey Spooner, Diamond Rings, Cubic Zirconia (Fools Gold), Party Supplies (Fools Gold), DECADES, Doldrums

PUBLIC ASSEMBLY: Matthew Dear (Ghostly), Spinoza (Bunker), Jacques Renault, Donor

THE COVE: Nextah Party @ BEMF with Hudson Mohawke (Warp), Michna (Ghostly), Nick Hook (Fools Gold)

CAMEO: Reggie Watts, Eclectic Method, Babe Rainbow (Warp Records), Beacon, Dominique Keegan (Plant Music)

ZABLOSKY’S: Schlachthofbronx, Dubble Dutch, Dre Skull, Shawn Reynaldo (XLR8R), Matt Shadetek (Dutty Artz), NIKKO (Palms Out)

Saturday 11/12/::

PUBLIC ASSEMBLY BACKROOM: Four Tet (DJ Set), Thugfucker, JDH (Fixed), and more..

PUBLIC ASSEMBLY FRONT ROOM: RINSED PRESENTS…Fade to Mind @ BEMF: Girl Unit (Night Slugs) , Nguzunguzu (Fade to Mind), Kingdom (Fade to Mind / Night Slugs), Total Freedom (Fade to Mind), Dan Wender (Rinsed), Blacky II (Rinsed)

ZABLOSKY’S: Tim Sweeney, Jackmaster, Braille, Heathered Pearls (Ghostly International, Jakub from ISO50 blog), Treehouse DJ’s, Messkid

BROOKLYN BOWL: Tittsworth (Plant Music), Daedelus, Stretch Armstrong (Plant Music)

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It’s been a few years since there were only a couple bass music parties in New York, each of which repped a different wave of the spectrum. Things have certainly changed since then. But tomorrow, two crews from those humble beginnings circle back around toward each other for one of the few electronic music showcases during CMJ: Trouble & Bass and Dutty Artz. Although many things have changed in the short period that’s passed since the two began, much has remained the same.

[Deathface performing live @ SXSW 2011 - Photo by Doug Schwarz]

Trouble & Bass started about 5 years ago in various basements around the city, bringing together UK dance music with American club styles. Core members like Drop The Lime and Star Eyes were instrumental in their growth as a label and collective. Early on T&B focused mostly on bassline garage and dipped frequently into electro house. Those sounds are still present these days, but now you’re more likely to hear filthy dubstep and other mutant strains of jackin’ beats. It’s always been about the party for these night owls and it still is.

[Zombies For Money - Oy Shaba EP]

Also, check out a brand new EP from Trouble & Bass act, Zombies For Money. It’s available digitally worldwide now! Three wide-ranging tracks spanning cumbia, kuduro, tropical bass and house music, and it’s titled Oy Shaba!

[Contakt & Mayster - Korak (Matt Shadetek 3ball NYC Remix) | Dutty Artz 2011. Photo by Subcomandante Quito. ]

It was only 4 years ago that the Dutty Artz label and collective heat began to rise, exploring their love of tropical bass and animated gifs. Originally, the largest clash was between grime, dubstep, dancehall, and cumbia. Futuristic UK influences causing butterfly effects on equatorial sweatiness. In this sense, they still rock out along the same lines – but with an evolutionary take on things. Dubstep waned and a broader, clubbier electronic realm took its place. Meanwhile the interest in cumbia expanded into a pan-Latin perspective. Boundaries broke down in electronic music and their travels broadened to farther horizons. Tropical turned arid, cities flooded, and the streets were occupied. Music is part of a complex discussion among the Dutty Artizts, and their records facilitate cultural communication across softening borders. (Co-founder Matt Shadetek is an electronic music production instructor here at Dubspot.)

Gun Selectah “Como Un Perro” out now on FoF Music

Mexicans with Guns / Ernest Gonzales links up with Monterrey, Mexico’s very own Toy Selectah for a one-off 7″ for Friends of Friends! “Como Un Perro” out now FoF!

TROUBLE & BASS (Front Room) w/
Drop The Lime (DJ Set)
AC & Dell
The Captain
Deathface
Samo Sound Boy
Zombies For Money
Udachi

BOND MUSIC GROUP / DUTTY ARTZ (Back Room) w/
Gun Selectah (Toy Selectah & Mexicans with Guns)
Atropolis
Matt Shadetek
+ special guests

21+ // $10
Free w/ CMJ Badge!
10-12 :: 2 hours of free Milagro tequila cocktails in the Back Room!

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Matt Shadetek is an Electronic Music Instructor and designer of Dubspot’s new six level Logic Pro Producer Certificate Program online and in NYC. As a producer, Shadetek has been making beats for over 10 years, making a name for himself as half of Team Shadetek, and releasing records on the seminal British electronic labels Warp Records, Tigerbeat6, Jahmek The World, and Sound-Ink.

His underground hit “Brooklyn Anthem” spawned a YouTube dance craze among Brooklyn’s teen dancehall dancers who call it the “Craziest Riddim.” He is currently working with the Dutty Artz family, which he co-founded with DJ Rupture.

PRODUCTION SPEED DATING

The idea that I’m going to talk about for this first article is Production Speed Dating.  This is an approach that my good friend, and level 99 music production wizard, Timeblind taught me when we were both living in Berlin a few years ago.  It is designed to avoid a specific pitfall, which is the polishing, mixing, and arranging of ideas that are just not that good to start with.  It is a way to give yourself options and choices in the production process, and avoid wasting time on songs that you are going to end up not finishing (gasp! I know, shocking, but this happens to all of us, even level 99 music wizards).

The basic methodology is this: suppose you and I are making music, and we have an eight hour production session planned, from 11AM – 7PM, with an hour break for lunch.  For the first part of the session what we are going to do is sketches.  Sketches may have various levels of completeness but the idea is that it’s a short loop, 16 or 32 bars, that contains the main musical ideas of a track like a beat, bass line, and melody. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

SALVAGE

In this article, I’m going to talk about what you can do with some of the ideas that don’t make the first round of cuts, along with some of the un-finished tracks you have on your hard drive.  Often when we work on stuff we’ll get to a certain point, get stuck and start grinding our gears, spending a bunch of time fiddling with an idea that isn’t going anywhere.  This is exactly what speed dating is designed to avoid: that energy and time wasting, un-fun process, where you get so unhappy with the fact that something is not progressing that you give up.  Very often that experience of having gotten stuck and wasted several hours on an idea will create a negative feeling toward that project, so you don’t want to return to it the next day…  Better to start fresh and move on to greener pastures, with the hope that this won’t happen again.  While carried to excess this will lead to never finishing anything, in moderation this is basically a useful impulse.  The reason you got stuck on something is that it had some problem that was preventing you from progressing with it.  Putting it aside and starting something new is not a bad thing.

The flip side to that coin though is that the thing that made you sit and grind your gears on it while getting nowhere was that there was something in there you really liked.  It was that something that kept you going even as you started to realize that you were not moving forward.  The key here is training yourself to be able to recognize that inspiring element, identify any problems it may have, solve them and build it into something good.  One of my personal favorite beats that I’ve made, called Reign, which I recorded grime MC Skepta on for my Team Shadetek project’s “Pale Fire” album is an example of this. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

DIGITAL ECONOMICS: SAMPLES

Continuing from my first two articles on the theme of producing efficiently, in this piece I’m going to talk about setting up your digital work environment.  Since people started getting carpal tunnel syndrome from sitting at computers, attention to physical ergonomics (chairs, desks etc) has gone way up.  I’m not going to talk about that here.  Suffice it to say that if you can get everything cabled up all the time, within reasonable reach from where you sit, and are not in pain after working for a few hours, you are doing well.  Instead, I’m going to talk about how to get the most out of your digital work environment.

I use Logic, and teach it here at Dubspot, so I will use a few examples from the program, but will also try to keep this as open-ended and general as possible so you can apply it to whatever programs you work with.  In electronic music production, one of the main things that we spend a lot of time thinking about and working on are sounds: getting your sounds organized and under control can be a great way to improve your productivity.

One area where I have struggled in the past is with drum samples.  I have a lot of them.  When I’m starting a track its usually morning, I’ve just drank a big cup of super strong coffee, and I’m ready to GO: I am NOT in painstaking crafting mode.  I want to get the basics up quick so I can get into whatever part of the track I feel excited about.  I absolutely do not want to start looking through my library of a million kick drums to find the perfect one.  What I’ve done to deal with this is I’ve created a map in the EXS24, the built in Logic sampler, with 128 pre-selected kicks that I know I like. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

DIGITAL ERGONOMICS: SYNTHESIZERS

I was talking to a student of mine recently who was saying that he has all these great synth plug-ins.  He sits, and clicks through sounds, and finds a lot of great stuff that’s not EXACTLY what he’s looking for.  And then, when he thinks of a use for one later, he can’t find it, because he can’t remember what it was called.

Pretty much every library of synth sounds you will come across will have a different browsing system, layout, and naming convention.  A lot of them opt for silly ass names like ‘Photon Blast’ or ‘Sunrise on Titan’ (these are actual ES2 preset names in Logic).  I understand they’re trying to make them sound cool, and make keyboard guys with ponytails want to play them, but for me they tell me exactly nothing, besides the fact that the guy who made them loves science fiction.  I love science fiction too, but I also want to find useful synth sounds quickly.  As a result, what I will do if I get a new synth or am feeling bored is go through the banks, find presets I like, maybe tweak them a bit to bring them more in line with my use, or not, and then save them as Logic channel strip settings in one of my folders, before giving them a name that I will understand when it’s time to use them.  If you don’t use Logic, substitute whatever preset-saving system your software of choice uses. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

THE CRITIC INSIDE

The concept of becoming frightened to be wrong is something that I think holds back many people upon entering creative disciplines, as well as those of us who have been doing this for a while. One of the concepts of the Speed Dating methodology is to temporarily silence the inner critic, and simply create by separating the creating and editing stages into different work sessions. In beat-making the time and thought-consuming work of arranging and mixing is similar to the process of revision or editing in writing. This is an important part of the process and one I would argue is critical in defining one’s artistic identity. However, this process of editing, revising and discarding ideas can conflict with the free and uncensored expression of ideas that are necessary to be creative. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

SELF-SIMILARITY

The concept is self-similarity.  Basically, making tracks that sound like each other, and developing a ’sound’ as a producer and artist – meaning that someone could hear a new track and guess that it was you by the style and sonics.

An example of someone who has utilized this concept throughout their career is the grime MC and producer Wiley.  He’s one of my favorite artists from the grime scene both behind the mic and on the buttons.  His productions are bold and unique, and so is his MC personality.  He’s an artist with an outsized persona and a great deal of both personal and stylistic courage. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

ZEN CALLIGRAPHY AND THE ART OF MUSIC PRODUCTION

The goal of learning anything well is to be able to do it easily and without constant thought and struggle.

In sports they call this ‘muscle memory’. You train until the correct action becomes a reflex. The goal of music training is the same. By learning and internalizing the rules we can make the right gesture the first time. My personal study of Zen has given me a great appreciation for the beauty in a single gesture. It’s something I strive for in my own production.

I often teach my students that when they find themselves struggling and unhappy with a project to save, stop and work on something else. Often what is causing you to struggle is a serious problem that you are too close to see. While a painter is painting they repeatedly step back and view the painting from across the room. We need to emulate this practice as composers and often time is the distance that’s required. I was talking with J. Period, a hiphop DJ I met recently and he mentioned a quote from Quincy Jones: “music is one of the few disciplines that simultaneously use the right and left sides of our brain.” [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE]

Logic Pro Tutorial :: Playing Melodies with Vocal Samples

Matt Shadetek shows you how to manipulate, re-pitch, and process vocal samples using Logic Pro 9’s ESX24 Sampler and Pitch Correction plug-in in this tutorial. Utilizing one of the vocal samples that comes with Logic, Shadetek slices each individual note of the sample, converts them into a sampler instrument. Shadetek delves into the ESX24 Instrument Editor, in order to re-pitch the vocal samples and make them playable across the keyboard. He then utilizes Logic’s Pitch Correction plug-in (similar to Antares Auto-tune), which he uses to refine the pitch of the re-pitched notes. At the end of the tutorial, you should have a strong grasp of how to take a sample and play your own melody with it in Logic’s EXS24 sampler.

Logic Pro Producer Certificate Program

132 hours of hands-on instruction in NYC | 60-80 hours of high quality videos ONLINE

NYC classes start the week of July 20th & ONLINE classes start the week of August 7th

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The path that Jahdan Blakkamoore has followed is one spliced with constant forks leading to new and varied enclaves of creativity. Whether it be his early collaborations with hip hop acts, forays into electronically enhanced ideas, or his earthy deviations – there’s much to be discovered. Through this wandering he seeks a larger purpose; “I want to transcend social, racial, and age barriers,” he explains in an interview with Dubspot. “I want my music to inspire positive change around the world.”

But it’s much more than diversity for the sake of it. The Brooklyn-based vocalist pays close attention to the substance of the songs he rocks over, abiding by some basic tenants when choosing a song: “The musical composition in itself has to have a distinct personality, the track has to say something and have room for me to say something back.”

And of course, the lyrics Jahdan pens forge a similar route as his eclectic musical interactions. Within one song, he’ll touch on the impact of those in power on the youth, the blowback that ensues from their neglect of them, the importance of personal responsibility, and the need for peaceful solutions to such cycles of violence.

High standards of creative integrity are standard here as well. He brings together quality singing, clever rhymes, poignant subject matter, and an engaging presence on stage. Turning a party out and making people think are not entirely separate acts in his world.

With such a conscious outlook, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Guyanese artist frequently works in acoustic and rootical environs. To many, he is best known as the lead for his roots band, Noble Society. And his last album, Babylon Nightmare, was a sunny release that blended organic hip hop, R&B, and reggae.

[Jahdan Blakkamoore - "All Comes Back To One"]

Not many musicians are so comfortable within both worlds, but Jahdan is an exception. Case in point is his embrace of autoune. “I love autotune when it’s used correctly, hate it when it’s taken over board,” he opines. “Celine Dion used it for many years and no one even knew because she can actually sing. I love all of the new technology when used with taste.”

A remix EP of the first single of Babylon Nightmare, “All Comes Back to One“, just recently dropped. It spotlights his affinity for a broad range of styles, spanning dubwise hip hop, jungle, dubstep and more. Although he didn’t choose those remixers himself, he’s worked directly with most of them in the past. “As far as production is concerned I’m very blessed to have a strong self contained crew of vocalists and musicians, so I don’t have to go outside of my circle too often for anything.”

But Jahdan’s close affiliation with the Dutty Artz crew exemplifies his warmth towards new technologies best. Look at the grimey “Brooklyn Anthem“, the dubstep track “The General“, or the LP they collaborated on, Buzzrock Warrior. This album comes full circle with the aforementioned interests; it’s submersed in techie inclinations but draws from worldly influences. A quick survey of some of the guest producers of the album sums up that outlook concisely: from Durrty Goodz to Modeselektor to Chancha via Circuito (who we just wrote about). “My initial reaction to Dutty Artz music was inspiring – I knew that they had something special and unique,” Jahdan recalls.

This is his personality as an artist – open minded, forward thinking, and diverse. And he hopes that’s what people come to expect of him: “I think my fanbase is open minded enough to over-stand what I’m about by now.” - MS

[77klash feat. Jahdan - "Brooklyn Anthem"]

JAHDAN CHATS WITH DUBSPOT

What’s the best way for a producer to approach a vocalist they’d like to work with?

It’s good when a producer can create a track with a direction that the vocalist can build off of. I’m used to working with producers that are also great musicians as well so they bring a lot more to the table. To me it depends on the direction the producer wants to go with the project, that determines everything.

How do you approach a live performance?

If it’s a live band show the first thing I do is rehearse with the band I’m performing with to perfect key points in our show – go over my lyrics, go over intros and outros to each song – stuff like that. Same for a DJ set. I just try to get in the right mental place to do the best performance I can.

Were you involved in choosing the remixers for the All Comes Back To One Remix EP?

No I was not involved with choosing the remixes, that was handled by Andrew “Moon” Bain, the producer of the song. Moon reached out to them, got the tracks, and set everything in motion. He let me hear the finished product and I give the OK. Moon usually sends the vocals over as is and everything is synced up to the vocals. I met Moon through my producer Fuego Campo. Check out my band Noble Society.

[Jahdan Blakkamoore - "All Comes Back To One Nate Mars RMX)". Photo: Jahdan with Noble Society producer Fuego Campo by Amir Ebrahimi.]

How did you start working with Dutty Artz?

I was introduced to Matt Shadetek and DJ /rupture by our mutual friend 77Klash some years ago. Klash was recording with Matt at that time. We then set out to record a song called “Brooklyn Anthem” years later for 77Klash’s project. My initial reaction to Dutty Artz music was inspiring – I knew that they had something special and unique.

How is your work with electronic musicians perceived in the dancehall reggae community?

Reggae and dancehall fans seem to really like what I’m doing with electronic music. I performed some tunes from my Buzzrock Warrior album in California at the Reggae On The River festival last year which got a great response from the crowd. I think my fanbase is open minded enough to overstand what I’m about by now.

Do you find that people who know you from Noble Society are interested in the electronic work?

Yes, I feel like our Noble Society fans are definitely interested in what Dutty Artz and I have done with the Buzz Warrior project. It shows them a different side of Jahdan, I want them to see the versatility I possess as a song writer. I haven’t been involved in the local reggae seen too much any more, that was many years ago for me. I’m more concerned now with broadening my horizons. As far as production is concerned I’m very blessed to have a strong self contained crew of vocalists and musicians, so I don’t have to go outside of my circle too often for anything unless I’m hired to do a feature.

[Smif-n-Wessun - "Sound Bwoy Bureill feat Jahdan"]

What type of input do you give on the riddims when in the lab with a producer?

My input on production varies when I’m in the lab with my producers, it all depends on the vibe. Sometimes I hear a completely finished track and I’ll just start writing to it, other times I’m more involved with the creative process in which case it’s a collaborative effort. I bring a lot to the table in that scenario because I play keys a bit and I usually know what I want to hear. I look for melody, space to breath, bottom end, and the head nod appeal. The musical composition in itself has to have a distinct personality, the track has to say something and have room for me to say something back.

How do you feel about autotune?

I love autotune when it’s used correctly, hate it when it’s taken over board. Celine Dion used it for many years and no one even knew because she can actually sing. I love all of the new technology when used with taste.

What goals do you have for your music in the future?

I want to transcend social, racial and age barriers. I want my music to inspire positive change around the world, and at the same time provide my colleagues and I with a sustainable lifestyle.

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In part two of this Ableton Live tutorial series on creative composition and production techniques, Professor Nalepa shares some great tips for drum programming and sequencing he picked up from fellow Dubspot Instructor, producer Matt Shadetek. It is a simple and efficient technique you can apply using any software or drum machine to get your ideas down fast when you’re inspired. This method involves creating a linear 2, 4 or 8 bar drum pattern, duplicate it, and add some variations – the key is making sure something interesting is happening every 4 or 8 bar. This is a fundamental lesson in drum programing for all electronic music genres; add variations from bar to bar, even if they’re slight and subtle changes; avoid sounding loopy.

Focusing on dancehall reggae, grime, dubstep, hip-hop and the cracks in between, his underground hit “Brooklyn Anthem” spawned a YouTube dance craze among Brooklyn’s teen dancehall dancers who call it the “Craziest Riddim.” He is currently working with the Dutty Artz family, which he co-founded with DJ Rupture.

The track used at the end of this video is “Dem Nuh Like It Instrumental” otherwise known as “Wonton Garden Riddim” from Matt Shadetek’s Dutty House EP, out now on Dutty Artz. Get it on iTunes, | Amazon, Juno, Boomkat, and all fine digital retailers.

Dem Nuh Like It (feat. 77Klash and Spoek Mathambo) by Matt Shadetek

For further exploration of Ultrabeat and drum programming in Logic Pro be sure to check out Dubspot’s new six level Logic Pro program designed by Matt Shadetek.  In the six levels of the course, both in Dubspot’s new online school and physical classroom in New York City students will learn to create a four track EP, starting with a set of musical sketches and developing them over the course of six levels, refining their craft as they advance.

Logic Pro Producer Certificate Program

132 hours of hands-on instruction in NYC | 60-80 hours of high quality videos ONLINE

NYC classes start May 24 th / Online classes start August 7th

+++

Steve Nalepa is an LA-based producer, professor, Dubspot Instructor and Ableton Live expert. He’s produced tracks and collaborated with everyone from legends like Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders to rising electronic music artists Nosaj Thing and The Glitch Mob.

For deeper exploration of Ableton Live I recommend checking out Dubspot’s new (in-house or online) courses on the program.

Working together with Dubspot, we have created an online Ableton Live curriculum designed to take you through the complete process of finding your own unique style and creating a body of work – learning Ableton inside and out! (inspired by my advanced classes I teach at Chapman University Conservatory of Music). The goal: to become a well rounded producer. I am thrilled with how it has turned out, Dubspot’s talented Pat Cupo created the videos for the online class, taking my course design and actualizing it in a brilliant way. The weekly video tutorials will supplement this great course.

Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program

All six levels / 48 sessions / 132 hours of hands-on instruction + labs

NYC classes start May 23 th / Online classes start August 7th

NYC

• Ableton Live Core & Advanced: 6 levels
• Dubspot’s complete Ableton course load
• 132 hours of hands-on instruction
• Additional instructor-supervised lab hours

ONLINE

• Ableton Live Core & Advanced: 6 levels
• Dubspot’s complete Ableton course load
• 60-80 hours of high quality videos
• 3 hours of instructor-led chat sessions per week
• Direct video & audio feedback from instructors

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In this tutorial, producer/DJ and Dubspot Senior Logic Instructor Matt Shadetek shows you how to manipulate, re-pitch, and process vocal samples using Logic Pro 9’s ESX24 Sampler and Pitch Correction plug-in. Utilizing one of the vocal samples that comes with Logic, Shadetek slices each individual note of the sample, converts them into a sampler instrument. Shadetek delves into the ESX24 Instrument Editor, in order to re-pitch the vocal samples and make them playable across the keyboard. He then utilizes Logic’s Pitch Correction plug-in (similar to Antares Auto-tune), which he uses to refine the pitch of the re-pitched notes. At the end of the tutorial, you should have a strong grasp of how to take a sample and play your own melody with it in Logic’s EXS24 sampler.

For further exploration of Ultrabeat and Logic be sure to check out Dubspot’s new six level Logic Pro program designed by Dutty Artz founder Matt Shadetek.  In the six levels of the course, both in Dubspot’s new online school and physical classroom in New York City students will learn to create a four track EP, starting with a set of musical sketches and developing them over the course of six levels, refining their craft as they advance.

Logic Pro Producer Certificate

All six levels / 48 sessions / 132 hours of hands-on instruction + labs

Master Logic with our complete program of courses culminating in a four track EP ready for release. In addition to achieving a complete overview of the composition process in Logic you’ll also earn the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Logic Pro.

Courses:

• Logic Pro Level 1: Shake Hands with Logic
• Logic Pro Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Logic Pro Level 3: Production Essentials
• Logic Pro Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Logic Pro Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Logic Pro Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

This program is about learning Logic Pro by going through the entire process of being an artist, from developing your sound through a series of sketches while getting familiar with the application to creating a fully-fleshed out four song EP. You will create a remix and submit it to an active remix contest, score a commercial, and learn valuable insider tips and techniques.

Includes:

• Logic Pro Core & Advanced: 6 levels
• 132 hours of in-class instruction
• Additional instructor-supervised lab hours
• Dubspot’s complete Logic course load

Program Goal:
After completing this program, you will leave with a new EP, a remix entered in an active remix contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Logic Pro.

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Gappy Ranks wants some money, and with songs like “English Money“, he’s gonna be busy stackin. This is one triumphant track, soaring with an epic sense of success. The massive kicks drop from the highest reaches possible, making the bounce so much higher. Prolific rolls drum rolls flitter around easily in the ample space left in the kicks’ wake, which keep the pace energetic. His auto-tuned voice gets twisted into whining synth, while a coarse bassline plows through any adversity. He even offers advise for the ghetto yout with the same idea, telling them to go to school and learn to write and read, then go to university and get a degree. No one can be mad at that, right?! This bashy goodness was produced by Austria’s Bassrunner Productions. – MS

[Guido - "Korg Back" (Tectonic, Dec. 2010).]

Like most of the ‘purple‘ sound coming out of Bristol, “Korg Back” has a sort of primitive futurism hanging about it, sounding like a portrait of coming decades as envisioned from the ’80s. It’s a dangerous place where everyday technologies ceased progressing but function next to some true advancements. Basically Trancers or something. With a half step, boom bap lean, Guido walks a series of synths around a gelatinous loop that rolls through the entire track. Each section warbles in circles, usually breaking out of the pattern briefly to introduce the next. Epic organs flutter high above arpeggiated pianos that stagger about swampland sliders and foggy fuzz. “Korg” was released as part of the Scientist Launches Dubstep Into Outer Space! compilation on Tectonic Records. Read up on that with our new article. – MS

[Rita Indiana - "Los Poderes (Kingdom Remix)" (Dutty Artz, Nov. 2010). FREE DL!]

Syncopated click-claps crash into a slingshot of sounds every few measures like a whip knocking over a cluttered table. A sample of Rita Indiana’s vocals floats about in the background alongside a warped synth tuning in and out. But a full verse makes an appearance as the focal point for a bit, and in a deep throated voice she belts out that Domican flavor. Featured on the recent New York Tropical compilation, this track is a remix of the single she released on Dutty Artz back in July. If you’re diggin this, try and roll through Club Infinity tomorrow night in Manhattan, which is Kingdom’s monthly party with Dre Skull and features Roska as a special guest. – MS

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Considering the level of excitement Munchi’s caused, and the overwhelming amount of free music he’s put out, it’s about time he has a release available for purchase. This Rotterdam-based producer came to the public’s attention with the rise of Moombahton, a mix of Dutch house and reggaeton. He took that style’s origins of combined genres and brought it to another level, gleefully throwing together club musics from all across the globe on the regular. The Murda Sound EP, available on T&A, is no exception. One could spill a lot of electric ink discussing the origins of each track (which Muchi does thoroughly on his Soundcloud page) and the release spans from Baltimore club to future bass-styled R’nB. But sometimes it’s just best to get to the heart of what music actually is, not just where is came from. And the track below was actually made with that in mind – as a sort of middle finger to genre herbs. “Shottas” leans back hard, featuring rolling, growling bass lines, skittery percussive layers, and badman vocals by Mr. Lexx. The track rides with effortless gangsta chat, briefly meeting with interjections of roots sections and lyrics seeking a solution, before jumping back in the heavy tank. Dancefloor murda right here. Please show Munchi some love and cop this one. - MS

[Terror Danjah -- "S.O.S."]

While Munchi is still relatively new to the people’s ears, Terror Danjah has been around for a hot minute. The East London producer has been making beats for grime emcees since the beginning, although he got his start as a drum & bass deejay. Most recently, he dropped a full length album on Hyperdub called Undeniable. Like many other releases on the label, it’s hard to really categorize as anything other than a Hyperdub release. It certainly doesn’t stick to grime or grime instrumentals (if you want that, scoop up his recent free releases, Hardstrumentals and Shock to the System), but the genre serves as a foundation for the full effort. The track we’ve chosen to highlight below is “S.O.S.”, a minimal and techy affair that revolves around a series of beeps which gave the track its name. It begins with a grime beat, but midway switches into a slow tempo 4/4 thump interspersed with jungle breaks, all while raw and staticy synths provide a subtle melody. - MS

[La Ola Criminal -- "Sin Gas"]

And finally, we come back closer to home with a release featured on the new Dutty Artz compilation New York Tropical. The mix is a collection of music from around the world, ranging from cumbia to UK funky. It’s based on a party of the same name, which is unfortunately on pause for the moment, thrown by the Brooklyn collective. The track below, “Sin Gas” by Puerto Rico’s La Ola Criminal, is a take on mambo de calle, which is a new style of digital merengue. The Criminal, also known as Magnum, uses some acoustic-styled drums layered with triumphant synths to get things sweaty and hype. Slower kicks are layered with maddeningly fast, woody highs and punctuated with marching drum rolls. Calmer dancehall rhythms are spliced in every so often to offer a breather. Definitely a good representation of the rest of the release. - MS

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Dubspot, in conjunction with Konkrete Jungle, Halcyon, and Brooklyn Radio, presents SUB:SESSIONS “An education in low frequency vibrations” – Saturday, September 11th, 2010 – a night guaranteed to give the subwoofers at Love a serious workout. On the bill are some of the finest bass-driven producers and dubwize MC’s this side of the pond, including one time Brooklyn resident, now residing in San Francisco, Dub Gabriel, Dutty Artz’s Matt Shadetek, Emch from Subatomic Sound System, Liondub, DJ Kiva, Jahdan Blakkamoore (Dutty Artz, K7) and Dub Poet Infinity (Deep Space).

Dubspot, Halcyon and Brooklyn Radio Present: SUB:SESSIONS “An education in low frequency vibrations”

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

Featuring:

Dub Gabriel (Destroy All Concepts)
Matt Shadetek (Dutty Artz/Dubspot)
Emch (Subatomic Sound System)
LionDub (Lion Dub International/Halcyon)
DJ Kiva (Adios Babylon / Dubspot)
MC’s – Jahdan Blakkamoore (Dutty Artz/K7)
& Dub Poet Infinity (Deep Space)

Love
40 W 8th St.
New York, NY 10012

$5 before 11, $10 after

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Zen Flesh, Zen Bones on my MIDI Controller, photo by the author.

The goal of learning anything well is to be able to do it easily and without constant thought and struggle.

In sports they call this ‘muscle memory’. You train until the correct action becomes a reflex. The goal of music training is the same. By learning and internalizing the rules we can make the right gesture the first time. My personal study of Zen has given me a great appreciation for the beauty in a single gesture. It’s something I strive for in my own production.

I often teach my students that when they find themselves struggling and unhappy with a project to save, stop and work on something else. Often what is causing you to struggle is a serious problem that you are too close to see. While a painter is painting they repeatedly step back and view the painting from across the room. We need to emulate this practice as composers and often time is the distance that’s required. I was talking with J. Period, a hiphop DJ I met recently and he mentioned a quote from Quincy Jones: “music is one of the few disciplines that simultaneously use the right and left sides of our brain.” This is very true and I find that a major part of the balancing act of musical creativity is not allowing either side to completely dominate. One of the goals and uses of skill building is to turn left brain activities into things which the right brain can control almost unconsciously. I was just reading one of my favorite books called “Zen Flesh Zen Bones” which is a collection of Zen Buddhist parables and koans and came across this anecdote:

When one goes to the Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words “The First Principle.” The letters are unusually large , and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as being a masterpiece. They were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.

When the master drew them he did so on paper, from which workmen made the larger carving wood. As Kosen sketched the letters a bold pupil was with him who had made several gallons of ink for the calligraphy and who never failed to ciriticize his master’s work.

“That is not good,” he told Kosen after the first effort.

“How is that one?”

“Poor. Worse than before,” pronounced the pupil.

Kosen patiently wrote one sheet after another until eighty-four First Princiiples had accumulated , still without the approval of the pupil.

Then, when the young pupil stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen thought: “Now is my chance to escape his keen eye,” and he wrote hurriedly, with a mind free of distraction: “The First Principle.”

“A masterpiece,” pronounced the pupil.

- From Zen Flesh Zen Bones, Nyogen Senzaki, english translation by Paul Reps

As creative people we can learn a great deal from this. Going back to my piece The Critic Inside you can take the student in this example as the inner censor and experiment with the speed dating approach I discussed in my speed dating article to activate your ingrained creative reflexes. Try using the site e.ggtimer.com or any other timer device and challenge yourself to build several sketches of tracks as quickly as you can. I recommend starting with a 20 minute per sketch timer.

Matt Shadetek is a producer, DJ, writer and instructor at Dubspot.  He co-founded Dutty Artz with DJ /Rupture.  He lives in Brooklyn and writes a blog at mattshadetek.com

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Andy first began making beats during his single digit years as a kid in Canada. This early passion eventually grew into a lifelong dedication to music, drawing inspiration from an eclectic selection of styles he has exposed himself to through the years – as discussed in this interview – as well as his classical music education at NYU.

Two years ago, Andy joined up with the Dutty Artz crew. He now runs a weekly at Santos Party House – the Que Bajo parties, hosted with Geko Jones  – and maintains an incredibly busy touring schedule, along with a steady flow of production projects. One of his newest works, a remix of Los Rakas ‘Abrazame,’ is tearing up the internet and the clubs as we speak. Be sure to check it out and download it – yet another tasty feature of this artist interview provided below…

I made my first recordings with my neighbor in Toronto when we were 9 or 10 years old. My parents are musicians so there were always instruments around, including a synth and a drum machine, and we would just set up a tape recorder in the room and my friend would work the drum pads while I rapped and messed with the keyboard. So I guess I’ve always had the impulse to make music, but it was really important that I also had the means.

Which artists influenced you the most when you were young?

At that time, when I was very young, I was back and forth between rock bands like Led Zeppelin and rap like Naughty By Nature and MC Hammer, anything that was popular enough to get to my ears. By high school I was listening mostly to hip hop, Wu Tang Clan being maybe the most significant, and exploring jazz, Dave Brubeck’s Time Out was big for me and probably one of the main reasons I started looking for different sounds. Then when I moved to New York I started studying classical music and started hearing all kinds of world music and my tastes have just continued to develop and broaden since then.

You are a true full time DJ in addition to your production/remixing work – how do you balance the two?

I wish I had some good advice about this to follow myself, this is one of my main struggles. One of the things I’ve had to do is to limit the time I spend searching for new music in favor of actually making new music. Of course a DJ has to spend time looking for new material and even for a producer it is important to listen to the new things that are coming out, but with the internet you can really get lost down the rabbit hole because there’s always something else to check out, you never cover it all. In the end I think you have to let go a little bit of that urge to be up on all the new stuff if you ever want that new stuff to be yours.





How does DJing, and the music you play in clubs, influence your remixing?

The atmosphere in the club is very different than it is at home; music sounds different when you have a bigger sound system and a room full of people. The obvious example is that you feel the frequencies more, especially the bass, and so DJing teaches you to pay close attention to that low end when producing. But a maybe less obvious example is that even time feels different in a party atmosphere. So musical gestures in club music, kind of like make up on an opera singer, tend to be more broad and drastic. Sometimes I listen to a track at home and I feel like its a little over the top, but that same track in the club might really land in the right way. I might not always be producing with the club in mind, but if I am it definitely changes my approach.

Which styles of music are the primary influences on your productions? What parts or aspects of those musical styles do you draw from the most from?

Well its hard to narrow it down, since I try to let anything that I like into the kitchen. But afro latin percussion has been a huge influence on my production. Aside from actually remixing this type of thing, I draw on these rhythms and textures for my own productions to try and make electronic music that that has a non-programmed feel at times. I’ve learned, by remixing a lot of folkloric music, the ways in which some of that music is swung off the beat in different ways, and now I use the same types of patterns when I program beats on the computer. I also draw a lot of influence from the UK’s dance music and especially its use of synthesizers.

How do you identify/decide if a song is good for remixing?

Mostly if I choose to do a remix its because the song is just beautiful or powerful or just makes me want to share it with people, but is lacking something for it to stand up to modern dance music in the club. I usually just start out with a simple idea of how to tune it up, usually adding a kick drum to begin with, and then I usually get carried away from there until its become a more involved remix. The most important thing is that I love it. The second is that I can imagine how to make it work in the club.

Uproot Andy’s Remix of Los Rakas ‘Abrazame’

Can you tell us a little bit about the process of the Los Rakas ‘Abrazame’ remix? How long did it take you? What did you use (software/hardware) for the project?

I had spent an afternoon starting to rework the ‘Hold Yuh’ riddim when Los Rakas were passing through New York and Rich told me he was doing a version as well. After that I probably spent two more work sessions on it and tried to take it in this pan caribbean direction by mixing Indian percussion with reggae dancehall, which happens in different ways in a lot of caribbean music. I mostly use short single note percussion samples that I pull from recordings and chop them up and layer them right in the Logic arrange window. This way I usually get a more messy but also more natural sound. And then to contrast this I made the bass and melodic parts with a Juno 60 analog synthesizer to get that round digi-dancehall sound. Then they sent me the acapella they recorded back in California and I just dropped it in and adjusted the form and order of things a little to fit well with what they had recorded. Download Los Rakas ft. Faviola “Abrazame” (Uproot Andy Hold Yuh Remix)

Footage of Andy DJing at Switch Club in Cordoba, Argentina

How is your European Tour going? Any highlights so far?

The tour has been great so far, every night has been different, but always fun. Highlight so far would probably have to be playing at the Distortion festival in Copenhagen with Douster and Schlachthofbronx. The whole city was raving all day and night, it was a party from when we arrived in the city until we left for the airport and we never even made it to the hotel.

Tell us about your Que Bajo parties with Geko Jones?

Geko and I started Que Bajo about a year and half ago to create a space where we could play all kinds of music that we liked, especially new electronic music from Latin America, that otherwise had no place in New York. Now we’re at Santos Party House, weekly this summer, monthly otherwise, and its really turned into a super fun all out dance party with a really diverse crowd. We also host a lot of great DJs in the global bass scene when they come through New York, and once and a while a straight up live cumbia band.

What advice do you have for those learning to produce and DJ?

I guess I would just say to jump in and start making tracks. The most important thing is that you have ideas for what you want to make. If you have those ideas then you just need to learn certain things to be able to realize them. But most of the time it isn’t necessary to know everything about a machine or a piece of software to make something good with it. I still don’t know all the ins and outs of my software and I’ve been using it for 10 years. It’s greatly helpful the more you learn about the technical side of producing but you shouldn’t wait to just start producing. If you have an idea go for it and see it through. And then when you’re finished, start something new.

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MMNY @ Dubspot
348 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014
1-877-DUBSPOT (382-7768)
1. (02:00) Marchthirtyseventh – Surreal 1980s TV soundtracks
3. (03:00) !bangInclude – Booty Droid Bass
4. (04:00) Exaltron — Funky trumpet, guitar, and remix ninja
5. (07:00) Matt Shadetek – NY Tropical dancehall/house/dubstep
7. (06:00) In The Loop – Solo guitar laptop looping & live remixing
8. (05:00) DJ Kiva – Stuttastep & Future Soul
9. (08:00) Atom – Wiggly, odd, bumpity microhouse, with a side of digital bliss.

Later in the evening, Mike Hatsis is taking us to Brooklyn, for his WARPER PARTY at the Knitting Factory (2361 Metropolitan Avenue)
Brooklyn, NY 11211 – (347) 529-6696
1. (02:00) 12,000 Trees
2. (03:00) Shakey – Outrageous live funkstrumentals
3. (04:00) 12,000 Trees
4. (05:00) Tom Phonic – Dance and hip hop influenced techno music on various drum machines and synthesizers
5. (06:00) 12,000 Trees
7. (07:00) !bangInclude – Booty Droid Bass
8. (08:00) 12,000 Trees
10. (09:00) HeavyW8bit ChampionChip – 8-bit Wrestling Dance Music
(might have visuals so good after dark)

Check out these recent mixes and tracks

Beauty+Ruin DJ Kiva by DJ Kiva

Dem Nuh Like It (feat. 77Klash and Spoek Mathambo) by mattshadetek

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Funny Cats by mattshadetek

For more than a decade, Matt Shadetek has been a unique and exciting voice in experimental electronic and international dance music; as a producer, “connecting the dots between Hip Hop, grime, dancehall, and electronics in unexpected ways” and releasing works and collaborations with producers and artists such as Modeselektor, Johnny Osbourne, 77Klash, Jahdan Blakkamoore, DJ /rupture, Skepta, Spoek Mathambo, and more. on reputable labels such as Warp, TheAgriculture, Sound-Ink, etc.

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SELF SIMILARITY

In the past few articles of this series I’ve talked about technique and work-flow related issues all contextualized around making beats and producing electronic music.  In this article I’d like to introduce a concept which perhaps not everyone will agree with, but I think is worth talking about.  It deals more with the artistic component of making music.

The concept is self-similarity.  Basically, making tracks that sound like each other, and developing a ’sound’ as a producer and artist – meaning that someone could hear a new track and guess that it was you by the style and sonics.

An example of someone who has utilized this concept throughout their career is the grime MC and producer Wiley.  He’s one of my favorite artists from the grime scene both behind the mic and on the buttons.  His productions are bold and unique, and so is his MC personality.  He’s an artist with an outsized persona and a great deal of both personal and stylistic courage.

He’s also massively prolific.  I have no idea how many beats and songs he’s released, but it’s definitely in the hundreds in the past decade.  One way he does this is by re-using a lot of the same sounds and samples.  For example, he can finish a riddim, save the project as a new copy, delete the MIDI data, and start again using the same sounds.  He has mentioned that he works in Logic in the past, so specific to that program, you could use the ‘channel strip’ feature to achieve this.  In Ableton a similar technique would be to use an instrument rack.  Regardless of technique, after hearing so many different tracks with, for example, that wood-blocky, massively compressed Wiley snare, he has developed a very recognizable sonic signature.

For all producers reading I recommend you try this:

Finish a track, save it and then delete all the notes, patterns and melodic phrases and save with a new name.  Be careful not to hit save and overwrite your previous song without changing the name.

Now, write a new song in a new key signature, maybe a new tempo, and re-use the same sounds.  You’ve already spent a lot of time gathering and making these sounds, so they’re probably pretty good.

Focus on creating melodies, beat patterns and musical ideas, rather than sound design. Obviously in the course of the track you may end up adding some new sounds, changing existing sounds etc., but the point is you already had a nice palette to start with.

The second strength of self-similar production is that by doing this a few times and releasing the results, people will start to hear similarities between your tracks: if they like them they will often be happy to hear more of the same.  Yet another use for this technique is to make several songs using a good sound palette, and then choose the best one or two to release.  Choose two that sound similar but are different enough to stand apart, for example.  There is a fine line here between creating a sound for yourself and being repetitive, and this is where the controversy may arise.  Obviously many people, especially people who are into sounds more than songs, may complain (nerds hating on internet forums, I see you guys, don’t worry!)  It’s up to you in this case to find an artistic balance here between similarity and variation.

Maintaining a certain self-similarity in your own output can help people, both listeners and DJs, to understand your work.  By maintaining a certain somewhat consistent sound and vibe throughout, someone like Wiley can guarantee that if I am in a record-shop looking for a certain type of thing – basically interesting, weird but hype grime – I will definitely check out his new releases.

Another example of someone who does this in both the production and song writing side is Terius Nash, aka The Dream, another artist I find very inspiring.  As a producer/songwriter his  shiny, heavily processed, cotton candy R+B is immediately recognizable, whether it is he himself as an artist singing “Rockin’ That Sh*t” or someone like Rhianna singing “Umbrella” (he wrote both).  Again, in this case it can be both a strength and a weakness, but for someone like The Dream who made his initial mark as a behind-the-scenes song writer/producer (with partner Tricky Stewart) this guaranteed that when his clients went shopping for a single they could go to Radio Killa (his company and he’s not kidding with the name) and be confident that they would get a certain type of track and that it will probably set the charts on fire.

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Using Logic’s ES2 synthesizer, Matt runs through the steps of creating a wobble bass, starting (in part 1) with selecting a proper wave and setting up the basic sound, to part 2 where he examines more advanced modulation techniques using envelopes to affect pitch change, and add dynamism to the sound.

Overall, these principles are not limited to Logic, and can be applied to any synthesizer – an understanding of the general modulation matrix, its components, and signal flows is the most essential part of synthesis for a budding producer.

Anyone interested in grabbing the Logic set he used in this video can do so by signing up for our mailing list, and emailing logicwobble@dubspot.com.  There are also Logic courses taught by Matt starting soon, check out our website.

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As a DJ, Matt’s live sets encompass contemporary dancehall, UK funky, and dubstep, all delivered with his unique production voice, which bridges the underground/ mainstream divide.  He’s one of the rare DJs who can rock a crowd with sets composed solely of his own dancefloor bangers and remixes.

As a producer, Matt’s early love for hip hop and dancehall, along with edgy electronic sounds, have shaped his creations throughout his career.  From his early work on Warp Records, Burnerism, to his underground hit ‘Brooklyn Anthem’ on his Pale Fire LP, to his work as producer on Jahdan Blakkamoore’s first album Buzzrock Warrior, on which he pioneered the album’s reggae-dubstep-rap sound.  Matt has always drawn on an abundance of influences, and selectively molded them into something new and original.

On returning from Berlin in 2007, Matt founded Dutty Artz along with friend and collaborator DJ /Rupture as home and creative outlet for their new productions.  The label has received lots of attention and good press recently, as they have established themselves as one of the fixtures in the growing, and constantly evolving, bass scene.  Be sure the check out the feature that XLR8R TV did on them a few months back, and their website for updates and news.

In the near future, Matt has some serious releases coming out.  First, his solo album, titled Flowers, is dropping in June on all the usual suspect digital retailers. Then in July, an EP of 4 tropical house instrumentals titled Dutty House will be released.  Both will be presented on Dutty Artz.

The following are links to production articles that Matt has done for us, as part of the Dutty Artz Production Knowledge Series:

Production Speed Dating
Salvage
Digital Ergonomics: Samples
Digital Ergonomics: Synthesizers
The Critic Inside

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