The Red Bull Music Academy in London is just starting its second week of lectures, so let’s recap some of the key lessons from week one. Here are a few things we’ve heard and underlined three times in red in our exercise books…
Make music nobody buys
Matmos explained how sometimes a tiny spark can lead to a huge explosion: “We made a couple of thousand copies of our album. Nothing sold, but we sent 10 copies to the Rough Trade shop in London. They sold a few, including one to Björk. She loved it, called us”. Next thing, the duo were arranging her live show and dancing in polar bear costumes in front of 60.000 people at Roskilde.
Try a new style
DJ Zinc used to be one of the busiest DJs in the Drum ’n' Bass circuit. After a creative break, he is back and has produced Wile Out. He calls it crack house, others might call it Funky. But with Miss Dynamite (pictured) on the mic and Zinc's killer beats it turns every dancefloor upside-down. The tune is already turning into this year’s official Red Bull Music Academy anthem (and has just entered the UK Top 40).
Less (cost) is more
Gabriel Roth, studio engineer for Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, sat down at the controls of Red Bull Music Academy’s recording studio for some serious drum-recording discussions. Bending the airwaves and the rules, he sent the same kick drum through the basic equalizer on the mixing desk and a high-end Neve EQ. The result? Our ears preferred the cheap one!
KISS-Factor
Funky-wunderkind Roska keeps it pretty short when it comes to how he composes his tracks: K.I.S.S: keep it simple and stupid. Dancefloors prove: Roska rocks!
Dischord over Henrik’s harmonies
German deep-house producer Henrik Schwarz (below) loves jamming on the laptop with his jazz-collaborator Bugge Wesseltoft. To make sure he always hits the right key, he developed a small plugin that plays the right note, even if he hits the wrong one – no formal musical education required. What was the reaction? Some say it’s the end of musicianship, others say it’s a great tool.
Even if you're not in London, there’s lots of ways to keep up with this year's Red Bull Music Academy: you can download the Daily Note, tune in to Red Bull Music Academy Radio or follow the Academy blog, the Twitter feed or connect via Facebook.
You can watch highlights from the Red Bull Music Academy lectures on the YouTube channel
richiehopson.com/Red Bull Photofiles
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