Collaborative Music Project with Kingsley, Josh and Dante
Section 1 – Rationale
In the past seven units i have learnt many things relating to music production and performance. From rigging up a three-way system to learning about the influence of Jamaican culture on British music. These skills and research have helped me acquire a vast amount of inspiration and opened up the possibility for me to pursue what i want to. Through this course i have discovered new passions like sampling and composing music with people, which has lead me too widen my taste in the music i listen to. Before this course i had a more closed mind about other genres and their appeal but because i had to listen to other genres of music and play them i found qualities in other genres that i liked, for example before i thought jazz was boring and pretentious but through listening to it i saw that it had a lot more experimentation than other genres which i found intriguing.
Section 2 – Project Concept
For our project we decided to make a 5-6 track EP rooted in hip-hop and R&B but takes some elements of other genres. We want this EP to have a dark, melancholic vibe and be full of emotion because we feel it is important to put emotion into your music. We looked towards Lil peep as inspiration and look to incorporate his production technique/style, his use of hard drums, atmospheric guitars and emotional lyrics with his melodic delivery. We will record live guitar into Logic pro x and experiment with different ways to record and incorporate the guitar into the tracks. We will also look towards other genres to incorporate into our tracks to get a unique sound. In order to incorporate a wide range of genre we will need to listen to genres out of our comfort zone and experiment with what works. During the end of the project we will also look at how we will present the final realisation of the project whether it will be performed live with playback or live instrumentation too. In conclusion we hope to create something worth listening through over and over again with this EP and that it moves its listeners.
Section 3 – Evaluation
As the project continues i will evaluate the quality of the project and its efficiency. I will also re-evaluate the project after it is finished looking at the overall quality of it and how well we achieved are goals. I will do this by writing down short evaluations into this blog weekly.
Section 4 – Timeline
Week 1 – Research.
During this week we need to each do individual study, research and discuss what we want to achieve and do with this collaborative project. This will be done by going to the library, reading books, looking online for information and after that discussing ideas on what we what to do.
Week 2 – Foundations.
After completing research and coming up with what kind of EP we want to work on we will start working on the premise/ theme of the EP. We will work on the first track and experiment on what sound we want to use. I will acquire a guitar to use on the song and provide constructive criticism.
Week 3-5 – Studio Work (Part 1).
Once the foundation of the EP is done we will start working on the EP creating beats/Instrumentals. We will show each other different beats that we made and give constructive criticism on how to improve them / what to change.
Week 6-8 – Studio Work (Part 2).
We’ll choose the best beats to put on the EP and write lyrics to the instrumentals. I’ll experiment with vocal techniques and recordings to get a unique sound. After the lyrics are done and recorded we’ll go back to the beats and change parts according to what fits the vocals so that the songs are a coherent piece.
Week 9-10 – Studio Work (Part 3).
After this the EP will be mixed and mastered to get focused and refined sound that is on par with what is on the radio. This will conclude the music work of the EP and the rest of the weeks will be dedicated to cover art, publishing, performance and evaluation.
Week 11 – Release/Publishing.
During this week we will research and find out how to create cover art for the EP, Promote and release the EP. The research will cover copyright, publishing, streaming services, pricing and promotion.
Week 12 – Performance.
This week well look at how we want to perform one of the songs off the EP and rehearse according to whether well perform with a backing track or live instrumentals.
Week 13 – Evaluation.
This is the final week and i will reflect on the project and evaluate the success of the project and what we could of done better.
Progress Logs
Week 1:
In the first week we discussed as a group what we wanted to accomplish with this project and started doing research on similar projects, listening to EP’s and popular music.
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt rehearsing as a group we communicated our ideas effectively.
Week 2:
In the second week we started the basic arrangement for the first track and looked at lyrical themes for the first track to establish the tone of the EP. We also experimented with different sounds to make a sonically pleasing foundation for our first song
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt throughout the year we were able to effectively use logic to program drums and record melodies and chords.
Week 3:
In the third week we started to finalise the first track by arranging all the parts together and doing some light mixing, adding reverb, EQ and adjusting levels.
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt throughout the year we were able to properly use logic to create a completed track.
Week 4:
In this week we started our next track by using a guitar for the lead melody and experimenting with different ways to record the guitar like with DI or playing through a real amp and miking up an amp.
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt in the live sound unit we were able to patch a guitar into the mixing desk, record and add effects
Week 5:
In this week we finished off the second track by arranging, mixing the track and finding a drum kit that fits with the guitar.
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt in the live sound unit we were able to correctly mix the guitar so that it fit in the track.
Week 6:
In this week we started and completed the third track whilst also looking back on the previous two tracks to see what could be improved.
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt producing tracks in Unit 5 and 6 we were able to sample and use synths in our track
Week 7:
In this week we started the fourth track which used live bass and guitar. We messed around with different ways of recording the bass and preferred to record it the same way as the guitar by using an audio interface.
Analysis: Using the skills we learnt in Unit 3 and 4 we were able to incorporate techniques from other genres like funk and jazz.
Week 8:
In this week we completed the fourth track by creating a boom-bap drumkit and arranging the guitar, keys and bass to create a song structure.
Analysis: using the skills we learnt in unit 1 and 2 we were able to arrange our recordings to create a solid song structure.
Week 9:
In this week we started the fifth track and listened to our previous tracks to see where we wanted to take this track.
Analysis: using the skills we learnt throughout the year we were able to properly evaluate our previous tracks and communicate to each other where we wanted to take our final track.
Week 10:
In this week we completed the fifth track and reviewed the entire project for the last time before releasing it.
Analysis: using the skills we learnt from evaluating our work in Unit 7 we were able to give each other constructive criticism and improve our overall work.
Primary Research
Definition and history of an EP
An EP or extended play is a record that has more tracks than a single but less tracks than an album. The average EP nowadays has 6 tracks ranging anywhere from 7 to 53 minutes. The first EP was introduced in 1952 by RCA Victor and where on 45s, which are gramophone records. The main appeal of an EP is that its less expensive and take up less time than to produce an album which is why it is popular with indie and punk bands which have the DIY aesthetic.
Popular Music genres and sub-genres
Over the past couple of years Hip hop has been taking over the charts and is now the most popular genre. Last year 58% of the songs in the Billboard Hot 100 where from Hip hop artist and other genre such as country and pop have started to incorporate elements of Hip hop, even going so far as having a country rap song go to the top of the charts and stay for two weeks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Ov5jzm3j8 .
Secondary research
To get the Average number of tracks and the range of minutes of an EP i looked at a list of EP’s that came out in 2018 and recorded the total amount of tracks and minutes (to the nearest minute).
After recording this information i put the data into a tally chart because a tally chart would best represent the data visually. Then i multiplied each set by its frequency and added up all numbers and divided it by 100 to get 5.78 which rounded to the nearest set is 6, which makes 6 the average amount of tracks for an EP in 2018.
Evaluation
Group Evaluation:
During this project we made a lot of mistakes but we learnt from those mistakes and corrected each other when needed and for that reason i think this project went well and was successful.
What went well:
- We worked well as a group and bounced off of each others ideas.
- We were motivated to work on the project, which made us work hard and stay concentrated
- We reflected on our tracks and provided each other with constructive criticism
- We tried to work to each others strengths and allocate a role for everyone in the group
What could’ve been better:
- We were too ambitious with the size of the project and ended leaving some tracks as instrumentals.
- We didn’t experiment enough with the sounds of tracks.
- We should’ve planned out the project more.
- We should’ve incorporated more live sound
Self Evaluation:
I think that the project was successful and we made some good tracks. I provided useful and helpful input to the EP. I missed some days of the project and could’ve been more helpful but overall i am happy with the amount of work and input i put in.
What went well:
- I contributed where ever i could to make the EP.
- I provided constructive criticism and my honest opinion to the other members of the group.
- I played guitar on some of the tracks and experimented with audio effects.
- I listened to what the other members had to say and tried to incorporate their ideas as much as possible.
What could’ve been better:
- I missed a couple days
- I should’ve done more research before starting production.
- I could’ve spent more time evaluating progress to see if we were going to finnish on time.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:2018_EPs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_play#Background
https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/
Medium: Popular Music in the year 2018 -year in review (i couldn’t copy and paste the link)
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