New Music Friday Minus One

Rather than spend all my entire night studying for a physics exam, I'm going to tell you about the music that's hot on the SBlock playlist right now.

Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty: a standard Aesop Rock track. Off his most recent project, Skelethon, Zero Dark Thirty uses the Tragedy of the Commons to illustrate a theme that's been common to many of his songs: the clash between "unsigned hype" and the beast that is the music industry.

Yonas - Drive It like It's Stolen: this dude came on the radar a few days ago from a friend (props Brad). He's got a free mixtape on datpiff, which is pretty dope; this song's beat is from the Glitch Mob, Brother Ali is featured, and there are some other familiar covers. He's got a great flow, some wit to go along with it, and makes good use of cultural references without being over the top most of the time. Oh, and anyone who takes shots at hipsters is a-okay with me... "RIP hipsters I'm a backpack killa". Not that I hate hipster, they're just easy targets.

Tornado - Kill the Noise (remix): found this near the top of beatport's dubstep chart this week and have been bumpin it ever since. I really like the use of the slow attack bass to signal a change in the song is coming. The percussive, bell at the high end/organ at for the lows synth is what makes this song awesome - great sound design indeed. My one dig is it does have a very stereo typical intro and outro (so friggen long), but it's still a great track.

Next week look forward to some scotch and more Scott Block.

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TESTIMONIAL:

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Watch The Throne

Awesome behind the scenes look at one of my favorite albums of the past few years! This is like some of my all time favorite stuff, the behind the scenes look at how an album came to be. Wish all my recording sessions looked this baller.

Music Process

My goal with this blog is to provide you tips and ideas to boost your production skills and make sure you stay up on the game.  Today I stumbled upon a great article by one of my favorite producers Blockhead.

http://phatfriend.com/2011/03/22/how-my-music-is-made-fuck-the-bullshit/

Turns out his set up and process is pretty simple.  But one of the key things I got out of the article is that everyone has their own style and work process.  Back in the day I didn't want to waste time learning a new program, or trying something new because I get so set in my ways.  I am glad I finally got out of my 'put 2 samples together and call it good' rut and learned so much more about mixing editing and composition.  But at the end of the day find the process that clicks for you.  Usually that process is the fastest, and there for more productive and lucrative.

While studying Abelton and learning more tricks and tips from online videos or articles I am realizing that almost every step in your music creating process can be done in so many different ways.  Pitch shifting and chopping up samples alone each have 3-4 different ways to get accomplished in Live.  Just remember on your quest for the number one spot, go with what works for you, what you feel comfortable with.  Once you get that base skill set to crank out hits like I did back in the day with just 2 samples you can learn and build and soon be making hits with 20 tracks in Pro Tools with all sorts of routing and plug in's as easy as it was when you first started.   This process you develop helps create your sound, your personality as a producer and musician and is what you can build on to seperate yourself from the thousands of other "hip hop producers" in the world.

-AP

New Gambino Music

"Mr. Talk About His Dick Again" is back with a new track.  After going on a Twitter rant about haters, and his own life and how this whole Childish Gambino thing started as a joke and just blew up he drops a link to the new song "We Ain't Them."  Now he is hinting that he wants to make this a full time gig.  Or to quote him "I don't think anyone person on earth should strive to be 'just some dude.'  I don't wanna be that.  or a coward.  Those are the worst things you could be."  Great advice to all people, not just artists.  No longer is he going to fool around with this hip hop scene, he is going balls to the wall now. Rappers without their "Luxuries of Subtleties" have the voice to tell it like it is.  We don't need to veil all of our feelings in metaphors if we don't want.  There is a new wave of very introspective rappers talking real live problems on beats like they are writing in their diaries.  

I have always enjoyed his style, his honesty and stream of consciousness raps mixed with real lines to make you stop and think.  This track is one of those where thanks to Twitter you can really see where he is coming from. The last line on the track "Im the best . . . " even references a part in his original post about claiming your the best rapper.  In this linked in world today even the semi famous and under microscopes, being bombarded from all sides with love and seething hate simultaneously.  Makes you expect to see a few more Britney - esq meltdowns.  Or if your a rapper, tell it like it is and keep doing your thing.       

So looks like things are changing for this comedian, writer, actor, artist.  With talks of "Community" being canceled, put on hiatus, moved to Friday nights, I don't see this show on NBC much longer.  Bummer to fans, but for Donald? "Back of my mind I hope the show gets canceled, maybe then I can focus."  Sounds like home boy is settling into the rap game, and I am one fan who welcomes you!

http://www.iamdonald.com/1

https://twitter.com/#!/DonaldGlover