Stealing Grooves but not Stealing Grooves
It occurs to me that I need to start working on the finer details when making music.
I spent the weekend really listening to drums and grooves, and I think there are some simple changes I can make to figure out how to program better grooves. And it will take a lot of work, as I've always just gotten by with drums. And, doing electronic music—even retro-inspired music like I do—if you go straight ’80s, the drums are going to sound hokey.
What I think needs to happen is that those chubby, warm, fuzzy hip-hop drums somehow need to mix with the more period drums, which is what flows naturally for me.
I spent all last month making tracks. This month has been a little lighter on that front, but I’ve been retooling some things and building my next-generation setup, especially considering the upcoming DJ gigs and the use of the SP-404 in those sets.
Research is heavy. Finding sample packs takes a lot of time. What I’ve found, though, is that classes and YouTube videos are far less useful than just trying to make—or remake—something you like.
Take an iPad. I can screen-record a YouTube video, then use the five-dollar Koala app to remove the drums or isolate them. I can slow that down, listen to what’s happening, and then try to make it my own—not steal the drums. Then speed it back up -- voilà.
In an era where “teach yourself” really means just watching YouTube videos, I’d say it’s never been easier to find something and do it yourself. I think the drum-stemming feature in Koala is an add-on, but I may be only fifteen bucks into the whole thing. It’s every bit as useful as an SP-404, and it even integrates somehow, so I’ve got to figure all that out.
Not during gig week, though, because we’ve already gone over what gig week is about: practicing, listening, and getting familiar with the new rig. I don’t want a last-minute bailout where I go back to the old setup, which is actually going to be harder.
I wish Denon would work on their streaming integration. More importantly, Algoriddim djay just has better warping, and at this point I don’t have time to do anything except sync these huge playlists.
I’ve got a massive amount of music to pick through this week, which I’m actually well ahead on. But this is about eliminating friction and keeping the whole thing moving.
So, typical Tuesday over here.