23029687's blog

In this blog post, we will take a look at the technical equipment that marked the history of music production.
The Music Production Controller, better known as MPC, was first introduced in the 80s by Akai. It was mostly used by musicians who made hip-hop and electronic music. The ability of the MPC to use samples and transform them, revolutionised the way we make drums, synths, and other percussive sounds. Moreover, the controller was very intuitive and hands-on, which enabled artists to express themselves more easily and creatively.

The first Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), clearly was an indicator of the transition from anolog to digital recording. Soundstream is considered to be the first DAW. It came out in 1977 as the first digital recorder, and since then, a multitude of different DAWs, such as Logic, Ableton, and Pro Tools, were developed in the aim to facilitate the workflow of musicians.

The Fairlight CMI, is another equipment that revolutionised music production. Another digital equipment, it was synthesizer and also a sampler, musicians used it to manipulate sound, which was deemed utopic when it came out in the late 70s.

(Leete, 2023)
To sum up, the evolution of technology and the transition from analog to digital, deeply impacted the nature of music. From MPCs, DAWs, to the iconic CMI, these technological equipment facilitated the workflow of musicians, giving them more precision and liberty over their work.

Leete, N. (2023) Fairlight CMI [retrozone]. Available at: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/fairlight-cmi-retrozone (Accessed: 05 December 2023).

Zardini Lacedelli, S. (2021) The Fairlight CMI: The secret composer of the music you love, National Science and Media Museum blog. Available at: https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/fairlight-cmi-playlist/ (Accessed: 05 December 2023).

Cortez, M. (2022) What is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)?, Recording Connection. Available at: https://recordingconnection.com/reference-library/what-are-digital-audio-workstations-daw/#:~:text=Soundstream%2C%20which%20developed%20the%20first,all%20was%20the%20easy%20part. (Accessed: 05 December 2023).

Marc, M. (2021) The historical timeline of the akai mpc, Millennial Mind Sync. Available at: https://www.millennialmind.co/the-historical-timeline-of-the-akai-mpc/ (Accessed: 05 December 2023). *

“Think” is a classic released in 1968 by the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin. In this post, I will look into the song’s instrumentation & arrangement, to hopefully understand how it become to be one of the most iconic and timeless songs of the 20th century.

The instrumentation of “Think” is designed to create a dynamic and energetic sound that complements the song’s message of independence and empowerment. Additionally, the catchy and danceable groove adds to its appeal.

The standout feature of the song is Aretha Franklin’s impressive vocals, which captivate listeners and convey an empowering message. The gospel-inspired background vocals add to the song’s appeal and reflect Franklin’s roots in gospel music. The call-and-response style of the background vocals creates a sense of community. The brass section, consisting of trumpets, saxophones, and trombones, is crucial to the arrangement and complements Franklin’s vocals, adding to the celebratory and empowering message. The drums, bassline, piano, and electric guitar create a groovy and playful atmosphere, encouraging listeners to dance. Each instrument adds its own rhythmic embellishments, contributing to the song’s improvisational yet effortless feel.

The arrangement of “Think” is meticulously designed to make each element have a strong effect. The song starts with a catchy piano riff that sets the mood. Franklin’s powerful vocals instantly grab the listener’s attention. The arrangement gradually becomes more intense with each section, culminating in a powerful chorus.

Overall, “Think” effectively conveys a strong message through its music and arrangement. Each instrument is given a chance to stand out, contributing to the song’s lasting relevance and ability to inspire multiple generations.

Franklin, A. (1968) ‘Think’, Aretha Now [Spotify]. United States, Warner Music. Available at : https://open.spotify.com/track/4yQw7FR9lcvL6RHtegbJBh (Accessed: 26 November 2023).

Hamilton, J. (2018) Aretha Franklin was the defining voice of the 20th century, Slate Magazine. Available at: https://slate.com/culture/2018/08/aretha-franklin-dead-the-singer-was-the-defining-voice-of-the-20th-century.html (Accessed: 01 December 2023).

For this blog entry, I was asked to pick a song and talk about its structure/form. “212” by Azealia Banks is her debut single that came out in 2012. The song can be categorised under the dance/electronic and hiphop/rap genres. It follows an interesting but familiar structure, since Banks puts a twist on the typical song format : intro, verse 1, pre-chorus, chorus, verse 2, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus, outro.
(Stern, 2017)
The song starts with an intro, with the drum loop that flows all throughout the song. Then we have the first verse, as she starts to rap. There is a sort of pre-chorus as the last line of the verse is repeated over and over again, which eventually brings us to the chorus (hook A). The song transitions into the bridge, where Azealia sings for the first time. It builds up and then drops into a new chorus (hook B). It then transitions into the old chorus again (hook A), and finally transitions back to the 2nd chorus (hook B).

To sum up, according to my analysis, 212 follows this song structure : intro, verse 1, pre-chorus, chorus A, bridge, chorus B, chorus A, chorus B.

Banks, A. (2014) ‘212’, Broke with Expensive Taste [Spotify]. United States, Prospect Park. Available at : https://open.spotify.com/track/6no1mklq4BJBg7KJ6Dly7N (Accessed: 26 November 2023).

Stern, M. (2017) Azealia Banks opens up about her journey from stripping to rap stardom, The Daily Beast. Available at: https://www.thedailybeast.com/azealia-banks-opens-up-about-her-journey-from-stripping-to-rap-stardom (Accessed: 01 December 2023).

For my first blog post, we will delve into the nature of music production and what the role of music producer entails. This may sound redundant since music production seems quite simple to define, but as will see, there are different approaches to producing music. 

Generally music production can be divided into the different tasks and steps one must take to create a record, such as songwriting, composing, arranging, mixing and mastering. The music producers will be involved in this process to bring to life an idea to the final version of the track.

Some producers, better know as “beatmakers” will primarily focus on the rhythm and instrumentation of the track, and might not be involved in the songwriting or in the mix and mastering stages. Some of these so-called “beatmakers”, might release tracks to be used as a foundation for other musicians to use as they please. 

While in other instances, some musicians might be credited as a producer, because they added new elements or rearranged some parts, in the goal of enhancing the sonic experience of the record.
Rick Rubin’s approach as a producer is quite controversial, since he knows very little about music theory and the technical aspects of music production. Nevertheless, he’s been celebrated as an incredible artist and mentor, since his involvement and the organic environment he creates, usually helps artists express themselves authentically, resulting in boundary-pushing and timeless music.

All in all, the nature of a music producer is quite ambiguous. It seems as though a music producer is someone that is involved, in one way or another, in the creation of a record, from the initial idea to the final product.  

Welcome to myblog.arts. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!