This just in (Chicago): Sasha Frere Jones recently declared Hip Hop dead just as I suggest a studio project to focus on one of the core influences Hip Hop has had on modern music OR to borrow the ebay musical instrument effects pedal subcategory label:
The goal is to produce music via performance that is captured and then referenced and layered with another performance that is captured and so on; these sampled performances are then available for manipulation as if they themselves are merely instruments. This should all occur in a seamless real-time environment.
The goal is to produce music via performance that is capturedand then referenced and layered with another performance that is captured and so on; these sampled performances are then available for manipulation as if they themselves are merely instruments. This should all occur in a seamless real-time environment.
In the studio on our first attempt, we took an approach that was readily available. We used Cubase to capture the performances and to create a loop which was based on the pattern set out in the first performance.
This process worked fairly well however it was not the real-time environment I’m striving for. For starters, while I played the starter piece, I was not the one to record it (I’m not sure yet if there should be a master sampler or if each performer should be responsible for the editing…I lean towards the latter for now) and it took us a while sitting at the studio console to set up the loop. Once the loop was set though it was fairly easy to plug in the other performances.
To speed along our collective climbing of the learning curve, I’ve asked a digital studio team to let us behind their curtain. This duo, Heavy Cloud, syncs two laptops and creates the pieces they upload here. One crucial difference to Heavy Cloud’s approach that I want to master is the addition of acoustical instruments. HC is all digital –actually I hear they’re adding trumpet.
Attached to this post is the modest piece we recorded from this exercise. What I like especially is the middle part which exemplifies a frequent studio phenomenon.
When a team is immersed in a project, at some point they meld in a way that is beyond words. Something is then born of the process that is almost a by-product though also fully related. In this particular case, we were playing around with the idea of adding BFD (Bad Ass F*ing –I think that’s what it stands for) drums to the piece. My studio mates were still fooling around with the instruments they had just sampled and set into the loop and I was trying to figure out a midi controller linked to a BFD kit. Without any discussion we recorded a little bit and, I don’t know, it sounds like more was discussed than ever was…not to mention us full of a vile (never to be re-introduced) liquid known far too glamorously as Vodka and Red Bull.
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I like this idea, it would be interested to have the description of each piece in terms of what is involved, like a root tree or something. for example, performance by X on drums and tape of performance by Y on keys and tape of performance by Z on bass and tape. Does that make sense? Outside of having the thing experienced live or via some kind of video this seems like a good way to convey some of what is going on. it would also be cool to sort of do this live in some sort of back and forth between the players.
Yes the idea is to do this live. This is real work I tell you. Reading up on manuals, understanding midi and different looping technology and interfaces. Researching necessary additions. We’re looking at getting Digitech jamman or some Boss equivalent. Those run in the two to three hundred range. Boss has some kind of mothership looper that goes for 400 or so.
I can imagine, just thinking of all those knobs and buttons and cables is enough for me to A. be impressed and B. not wanting to get near it (except as an audience member).