MUSIC
Most Recent Production
I would describe this piece as EDM or House Beat, and it’s influenced by an artist called TheFatRat, as well as other artists that I listen to in the Electronic and Dance genres. I think it would be a good dance piece, or something to get a crowd pumped up at the beginning of an event.
The tempo I chose for this piece is a standard house beat in the first half, starting at 140 BPM and in 4/4 time. At the halfway point, I changed it to 6/8 time and dropped it down to 120 BPM so that it still sounds like the first half, but the change is noticeable. I used a synth drum kit called Video Star for the rhythm section, with a kick, snare, and high hat, as well as a synthesizer kick that I made from scratch. I wanted this piece to reflect an 80’s beat, but with a modern twist. I used two synths for the bass, one called Metro Bass, and the other, a sound made from scratch. My goal was to keep the bass high-energy and well-heard throughout.
This piece is in the key of A minor. Chords include Am, C, G, F, Em, Asus2, and Csus2. I like the sound of the first four chords, but decided to add some variety in there to change it up a bit. There is no particular structure that I followed for the melody, as I just stayed in key and followed the tune that seemed to flow out. I chose synth sounds for both the harmony and melody, as these both seem to fit that 80s vibe with a twist.
The audio track, #9, is a quick recording of me singing into the mic. I used the best sound-absorbing room that I could find for this, which happened to be my closet. I created two synth tracks from scratch, track #2 and #6, those being a kick drum and bass, respectively. For the kick, I used the ES P synth with several types of wave forms, as well as an envelope, plenty of overdrive, and high resonance with a low frequency pass. For the synth bass, I used a retro synth with an envelope, left the sustain up high, and turned up the vibrato. I loaded the sampled track, #10, with the same audio that I recorded originally for this piece. I sliced the audio sample into 4 parts based on note pitch, and used a gate so that I could make the quick choppy sounds throughout the 2nd half of the piece.
For track #9, the audio track, I used a compressor as a dynamic effect, as well as an EQ with high and low-pass filters. I also used reverb on the audio track to give it that big room sound. I added a delay effect to the harmony track, track #7, so that it would add some depth. I wanted the effect to sound a bit etheric in the piece. I also put a compressor on the synth kick drum that I created, track #2, as it was causing the stereo fader to clip. I also did my final mix based on the kick drums, as I wanted these to be the driving beat of the piece. Every track was adjusted after that, as well as panned, so as to avoid clipping and creating the best sound quality.
I chose to post this cue on my site because it was the first time I’d ever made a Hip-Hop track. It feels like a hybrid of Hip-Hop and EDM, and EDM happens to be my favorite genre of music lately. Before I started composing this track, a simple melody popped into my head, which eventually became the counter melody. I struggled with choosing my instruments for this track because I was looking for a particular sound. This consisted of hours of selecting synths and then tweaking and fine-tuning the envelopes and effects. Eventually I found a couple of strong synth leads that I loved for these melodies. I wanted it to have a strong beat, so I used the 808 flex kit and another cavernous kit to boost the kick sound, as well as an 808 bass to keep that vibe going.
I chose a couple of synth pads to set the undertone for the piece, as well as a choir to add some pulsing energy during the climaxes for dramatic effect. You’ll hear a Boesendorfer grand piano in the mix, which I used to enhance a strong driving and syncopated rhythm effect. I like the combination of synth sounds mixed with acoustic sounds, such as piano. And of course what would EDM or Hip-Hip be without risers and cymbal swells, so I chose to add those to the mix for extra effect. Creating this piece got me outside my comfort zone and I had fun in the process. I’m looking forward to creating more beats like this! Thanks for listening!
[Verse 1]
On a day like no other
Unexpectedly
I heard a voice call out
As it spoke to me
As the light came pouring in
I found identity
It told me there was guidance
And lessons I could learn
All the things I hoped for
And places I could turn
[Pre-Chorus]
Some will ask for guidance
Some will sit and pray
No matter how they seek it
Love will find a way
[Chorus]
Some say there's a mystery
Behind all living things
And solving things that aren't there
Will surely make us kings
Oh, that's not what was meant
By this whole cosmic plan
We're just here to live this life
And do the best we can
[Verse 2]
So revel in your freedom
And don't let fear intrude
Hold on to joy and giving back
Live with gratitude
So many pick up the line
To listen for the call
Some just choose to hang it up
Some don't hear at all
[Pre-Chorus]
Some forget to listen
Some forget their way
No matter how it finds you
Love will find a way
[Chorus]
Some say there's a mystery
Behind all living things
And solving things that aren't there
Will surely make us kings
Oh, that's not what was meant
By this whole cosmic plan
We're just here to live this life
And do the best we can
This track was used for educational purposes only.
This piece is a regional track that reflects an urban action scene. I had originally decided to do a Hip-hop beat, but eventually went with more of a syncopated Pop feel because it was sounding too laid back than I had intended. This track is in the key of Gm with the chord progression being i – VI – iv – III – V for the most part, with a few variations in there. I started out with a synth pad for underlying texture, an arpeggiated synth bass that feels like a low driving pedal tone, and an 808 bass. There is a layer of piano for rhythm variation, as well as a synth brass section for dramatic effect. I seemed to struggle during this project with picking out hit points and risers, but I do like the end result with them. At some points I combined risers to make it all sound coherent.
The main struggles with this track were in making the 808 drumkit pop and with constructing the right beat. After the first version was complete, I added in another kick for accents on specific beats, as well as a synth drum that acts like a tom. Ultimately that ended up being the main beat that you hear, but the 808 kit is still there in the background. There was also a struggle with the main synth not having enough of a driving force, so I used a lead saw synth to create a more driving ostinato. That synth is more in your face than the rest of the supporting instruments. Between the beat and ostinatos, the struggle was just in making everything feel like it was driving forward. I’m happy with the final outcome, thanks to guidance that I received on the final beat and synth/ostinato choice.