Peer Comments – Week 4 – Marisa Vertz – Electronic Music Innovations

Hello Ms. Vertz,

 

You gave great examples with the music that Swedish House Mafia has provided to electronic music with the singles Save The World, One (Your Name) and Miami 2 Ibiza. Those songs were great examples for mainstream of music. You showed the band’s innovation very well with their relief efforts to a disastrous event by using the music they created to create awareness. Your best example was when you wrote that they influenced you to produce house music.

 

I like the setup of your blog it is well organized. I like how you have it laid out. The look of your other posts matches the structure of your blog. I could only think of one area you could improve on which is your references. Wikipedia references could take away from your professionalism. You have some good writing and that should match your references.

 

Great blog and good post,

 

Gilbert Benally

 

http://marisavertz.wordpress.com

Fantasy Band

I chose, for the rhythm section, the Funk Brothers Richard ‘Pistol Allen (Drums), James Jamerson (Bass) and Joe Messina (Guitar). The main performers are Jimi Hendrix (Guitar, Vocals), Daft Punk (Synths), Suzanne Vega (Vocals) and Deborah Harry (Vocals), singer from Blondie.

 

The Funk Brothers and Daft Punk would work together to create a mesh of electronic beats and Motown soul type of groove. A mix of the Funk Brothers work on Earl Van Dykes Runaway Child Running Wild and Daft Punks electronic beats from Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. Jimi Hendrix would add his areas of psychedelic guitar playing like in the song All Along The Watchtower. Deborah Harry singing Heart of Glass with Suzanne Vega’s vocals from Tom’s Diner. These musical mixtures would create a psychedelic, pop, rock, and electronic soul rhythm groove sound from the combined musicians.

 

They would create an original song, one that would have Vega and Harry as a Duet in the chorus. Hendrix and Daft Punk come in on the verses with a call and response from Hendrix’s guitar and Daft Punk’s beats. The Funk Brothers holding most of the groove throughout most of the song except on Hendrix’s solo. The song would lean mostly on electronica and psychedelic with pop and rock in the works of the song. In the pre-chorus, all the main performers come together vocally like a choir.

 

As a producer, I would definitely want each performer to have a specific moment to showcase each performers musical talent. Daft Punk and the Funk Brothers would work together on the rhythm of the groove that would be danceable. The main vocals would be Harry and Vega switching it up on the album as well as in the songs. I would find moments for Hendrix’s guitar style and his voice more as a feature or background vocals.

 

I would get Daft Punk to work with Hendrix’s guitar to create a unified sound that feed off of each other that amplify each other’s qualities. The Funk Brothers, I would consider the backbone to giving the emotion and fell of the direction for each song on the album. I would plan on a two-to-five pattern where I would showcase two of the five elements of this group. Like Hendrix’s guitar and Harry’s singing, producing them I would ensure the pairs would mix well creating simple units into a unified complex structure.

 

I’d name the group Effusion which means the act of pouring out. In this case, music and emotion. Like were not holding back and letting everything out into these songs and album. Fusion plays on the word of combining different artists from varying musical styles. I believe this really gives the idea we all come from somewhere but here it comes together.

 

The marketing tools I would incorporate are a website to promote the band linked to social sites like Facebook and Twitter. They would provide updates on touring dates and surprise events that would interact with fans as well as post video feeds from the studio or live events in real time. Sharing photos of the creative process allowing people to get closer to the music.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

References

 

Huey, S. (n.d.). AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-funk-brothers-mn0000070175/biography. AllMusic. Retrieved July 30, 2014, from http://www.allmusic.com/

 

Huey, S. (n.d.). AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews http://www.allmusic.com/artist/suzanne-vega-mn0000754251/biography. AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2014, from http://www.allmusic.com/

 

Ruhlmann, W. (n.d.). AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews http://www.allmusic.com/artist/blondie-mn0000044764/biography. AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2014, from http://www.allmusic.com/

 

Cooper, S. (n.d.). AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews http://www.allmusic.com/artist/daft-punk-mn0000667669/biography. AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2014, from http://www.allmusic.com/

 

Unterberger, R. (n.d.). AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-hendrix-mn0000354105/biography. AllMusic. Retrieved August 2, 2014, from http://www.allmusic.com/

 

Electric Lady Studios

John Storyk answers an ad in the Village Voice seeking carpenters to work for free on an experimental club. Storyk would become lead builder and he would do it all for free, the club was called Cerebrum. The club was a success that Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jeffrey, Jimi’s manager, attended. Jimi liked what he saw and wanted to get in touch with the designer. Meant to design a club, Jim Marron and Eddie Kramer, would convince Hendrix to venture for a studio instead. Kramer also added that Hendrix could use some privacy due to his fame. His studio sessions attracted many unwanted guests.

 

Eddie Kramer, hired as principal studio consultant, was pushing for tall, bright rooms like Olympia where Abbey Road and A&R and Phil Spector did their greatest works. The reason for the tall rooms was Kramer believed drums needed big rooms. Storyk would accommodate Kramer by digging for footing due to access being on the ground floor.

 

Jimi Hendrix wanted theatrical lighting and as many curved surfaces as possible. The design would step from the usual studio model with multicolored lights, mood lighting and sci-fi erotica murals that were meant to add to the creative process. Hendrix wanted a place with good acoustics where musicians wanted to play. Another change in studio design would to enlarge the control room where artist and engineer could work closely together.

 

Two of Electric Lady Studios characteristics: one being designing a studio with instruments, musicians and creative process in mind of its creation. Second, a studio design meant to add space while giving privacy plus bringing artist and engineer together. All this would add to its popularity in the coming of artists who would record at Electric Lady.

 

Artists like Jay-Z would echo the Electric Lady model with his Roc the Mic studio as would others, tailored studios to a specific clienteles needs. Electric Lady has provided for Eric Clapton, The Strokes, Sheryl Crow, Rihanna and Coldplay, mixed parts for Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy in 1972, AC/DC’s “Back in Black” in 1980, Patti Smith’s Horses (the first great American new wave/punk album), Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book with immortal tunes like “Superstition.”

 

Eddie Kramer describes Electric Lady’s success as “In a word: vibe.”

 

Listening, I hear why artists would go with Electric Lady to get their music to their listeners. I really liked how it’s mixed and has a drive to its sound with crisp, clarity in the music they made. Professionally, I would love to give that element to the people I work with to their music. Giving artists the creativity and energy to want, to be creative and inspiring.

 

I sort of already separated myself with my own creative process. I tried to get someone to write when they had difficulty. I did my part, which then they immediately started writing about three songs and some riffs. I surprised myself. I like to get creative and I do work well with others but only when were at least on the same page. Advancing my career, I would like to work with newcomers to get started by helping them, which in return helps me. To take the professional view of using what I have, creating my own sound, and advancing my career and me as an artist by gaining notability in my industry.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

References

 

Wsdg.com. (n.d.). WSDG – Acoustics and Audio/Video Design Firm fg. http://www.wsdg.com/portfolio.asp?id=ELECTRICLADY

WSDG – Acoustics and Audio/Video Design Firm.

Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://www.wsdg.com/

 

Sisario, B. (2010, August 25). A Hendrix Castle Where Musicians Still Kiss The Sky http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/arts/music/26hendrix.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1407045686-5pmbWjFXNDWriVpaHsLA0Q. Music. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/

 

Weiss, D. (2013, October 1). Today’s Headlines http://mixonline.com/recording/facility_profiles/electric_lady_studios/. Mix Magazine. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://www.mixonline.com/

 

Verna, P. (1997, November 1). Electric Lady’s early mystique gains ’90s edge. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=77f7a741-8fcd-47a2-a98e-69f01fd877e7%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=9710310086. http://www.ebscohost.com/. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://www.ebscohost.com/

 

Grammy Producers Project – Gilbert Benally

http://prezi.com/smietgg_ehuf/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Grammy Producers Project

 

Peer Comments – Week 3 – Doug McCool – Kraftwerk

Dear Mr. McCool,

 

Your post has a very professional feel to it and the way it reads like it was really done with thought. The visuals really heighten your post and how you word the post really holds the interest of the reader. I enjoyed how you connected Pink Floyd’s work with the work of Kraftwerk. Both bands used the implication of a concept album, using the same instruments on their albums and putting a comparison of each other’s songs. Showing their influence by the use of themes as being robots and how todays artists like Daft Punk have followed suit. I enjoyed listening to some of their songs, just the ideas and process they put into their work is amazing.

 

Great post.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

http://douglasmccool.wordpress.com

Steinberg – Cubase

Karl “Charlie” Steinberg, both a musician and studio engineer, and Manfred Rurup, a keyboard player, would build one of the most innovated and sophisticated digital audio workstation or DAW by the name of Cubase. Both Steinberg and Rurup were early adopters to the new MIDI protocol and viewing its capability for computer sequencing. This would lead to the creation of Cubit later changed to Cubase for legal reasons.

 

The first version of Cubase would contain MROS (MIDI Real-Time Operating System), which allowed the Atari 520ST to multi-task and transfer musical data between programs. This would be the beginning for the ever-popular construction of ReWire by Steinberg and Propellerhead. Cubase’s innovations would make it one of the prime digital audio workstations to own in the future to come.

 

One of its greatest innovations for Cubase in 1996 and its creators would be the creation of VST short for Virtual Studio Technology. VST allowed plug-ins for the first time to be used for audio applications. This also allowed manipulation of audio in real time from the native processor of the host computer instead of using external hardware processing. A new protocol introduced in version 2.0 allowed MIDI to control plug-ins with VSTi or Virtual Studio Technology instruments.

 

Still, Cubase is creating new direction by creating connections through interactivity. One of the two programs is VST Connect Pro and VST Connect Performer, which give a user greater collaboration capability. It allows recording of a real live piano in Russia while you’re at home or give access to the studio from New York to one in Los Angeles, even sending MIDI data to be played on a device across the seas. Cubase iC Air works by using hand gestures to control your DAW by adjusting settings or working the transport.

 

There are many artists who use Cubase like: Grammy winner Zedd, World-renowned DJ Tiesto, Ladytron, New Order and Kraftwerk. One of its most prolific users is Hans Zimmer who has used Cubase on some of his greatest works in both film and games. Zimmers work range from Sherlock Holmes, Inception, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and The Dark Knight to name a few and those are just film. Cubase has shown its impact through films and games and giving artists the ability to create music and sharing it in multiple ways.

 

From a professional standpoint, it is nice to see companies like Steinberg connecting artists. Especially for those with so many limitations or hindrances, giving them the ability to build music, gives you positivity for your industry. Listening to Hans Zimmer’s work on the movies stated above, I would like to have that ability with a DAW to bring what’s in the back of my mind to the front of so many listeners.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

References

 

Future Music. (2011, May 24). http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/a-brief-history-of-steinberg-cubase-406132. Music Gear, Equipment, Tuition & Reviews. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.musicradar.com/

 

Steinberg.net. (n.d.). http://www.steinberg.net/en/artists/steinbergartists.html. http://www.steinberg.net/. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.steinberg.net/

 

Steinberg.net. (n.d.). http://www.steinberg.net/en/artists/community_stories/hans_zimmer.html. http://www.steinberg.net/. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.steinberg.net/

 

Steinberg.net. (n.d.). http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/accessories/cubase_ic_air.html. http://www.steinberg.net/. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from

http://www.steinberg.net/

 

Steinberg.net. (n.d.). http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vst/vst_connect/start.html. http://www.steinberg.net/. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.steinberg.net/

 

Kraftwerk – Musikarbeiter “Musical Worker”

In the early stages of Kraftwerk before the album Autobahn in 1974, their previous albums were more artistic, conceptual and pop-oriented. While at the time Krautrock bands were stepping away from Germany’s old model and stepping into new idylls as they washed themselves of the past. Autobahn would take a different step from fellow Krautrockers and the expected Schlager music, this would mark Kraftwerk’s image and sound.

 

Autobahn would be Kraftwerks “year zero.” Unlike prior albums, this one had a subject matter. Looking into the past with the song Autobahn with the German achievement of building of a highway and enjoying their creation despite its origin. The song renewed the embrace of the past which gave a new image to the German visage. Kraftwerk would bring humor, irony, electronic experimentation and a mixture of both past and future, while recreating the German depiction with their new albums.

Their next album, Radio-Activity in 1975, would also take up a concept like Autobahn. The songs would move away from lengthy songs towards a more short proto pop sound. Kraftwerk would also move towards more electronic instrumentation with Radio-Activity and be more commercial.

 

The Trans-Europe Express album in 1977 brought the visual connection of Europeans through its transportation system, uniting Europe again but under a more positive appearance while renewing the German image. Kraftwerk records the album in more than one language giving the world a more international German electro bot feel.

 

In 1978, The Man-Machine album would be more commercial, less conceptual and take Kraftwerks sound into shorter songs. They would also change the image of Kraftwerk and be seen more as a band. The Man-Machine would prove successful but at the same time would divide its fans by being more pop. Still the album would open the way for an electronic music scene.

 

Kraftwerk would step back and take up a more conceptual texture with the album Computer World in 1981. This follow-up album would become more successful than their previous album and their last successful concept album, moving away from the public eye.

 

The influence they have given to electronic music in all its forms is numerous. Multiple artists in different genres around the world have sampled their music, used their melodies and taken influence from their images. Many artists such as Madonna, David Bowie, Missy Elliot, R.E.M, Daft Punk, Kanye West, Coldplay and Jay-Z. New Order with Blue Monday would take a sample from Uranium and integrate that into their work. Coldplay would take a Kraftwerk melody from Computer World and turn it into a rock riff for the song “Talk”.

 

Listening, their sound is very hypnotic, interesting, exotic and full of flavors making you curious about how they brought that all together. Professionally using music to create unity under both image and sound was just incredible. The use of concepts and themes to create a sort of awareness that went beyond just music. It’s a great example of what you want your music to do.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

References

 

VideoJunkieInc. (2013, July 9). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4JhwDa2Wvc&feature=youtu.be. YouTube. Retrieved July 26, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/

 

Rogers, J. (2013, January 26). http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/27/kraftwerk-most-influential-electronic-band-tate. theguardian.com. Retrieved July 25, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/

 

Djmixsound. (2011, November 8). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PzPiQ3VF74. YouTube. Retrieved July 26, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/

 

Peer Comments – Peter Shoneye

Dear Mr. Shoneye,

 

I agree the jump from Rubber Soul to Revolver was quite a jump from previous projects taken by The Beatles. I like how you worded it in your first paragraph of your post. You relate your work pretty well with the part on grass and LSD. Giving examples to how the illicit material inspired the album and what specific songs those were.

 

I also listened to Eleanor Rigby repeatedly hearing those strings as a rhythm section was inspiring and a step away from tradition. You gave clear insight at the innovations that made Revolver possible in and out of the studio. The structure of your writing was done well nothing felt scattered and stuck to the matter on hand.

 

Nice post,

 

Gilbert Benally

 

http://petershoneye.wordpress.com

 

Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On”

Marvin Gaye’s background in music stems as early as three years old by going with his father to church services. Where he learned to sing, perform and play instruments at a later age he would join doo-wop groups which include: D.C. Tones, The Marquees and The Marquees (who join Harvey Fuqua to become The Moonglows).

 

Before the recording of What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye stood within candy-striped walls that were Motown. His role was to provide and sing love songs with the tried-and-true sound of Motown to teenagers across America. With songs like Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).

 

Harsh actions by police against peaceful protesters caught the attention Renaldo “Obie” Benson. He raised questions like why are we sending children overseas away from their families? Why are they attacking their kids in the streets? Benson worked with Al Cleveland on the lyrics that would bring these concerns to a conscious state.

 

Benson would later meet with Gaye who shared his same concerns on the nations state of affairs. A realization at the horrors of Vietnam through his brother Frankie, Gaye saw the treatment of his fellow man. The shootings of Martin Luther King Jr, Bobby Kennedy and violence in the streets of Detroit created questions of what was going on? A man walks on the moon while poverty stricken areas within two miles of Gaye’s home were depressing. What was going on?

 

These concerns of both Benson and Gaye would be brought to the album What’s Going On. Berry Gordy, who didn’t like this direction, saw it as a career-ending move on Gaye’s part. Arranger Van DePitte didn’t have much positivity for this radical direction as well. After completion of the album, it was denied release by both Berry Gordy and Quality Control.

 

Due to pressure for a new Marvin Gaye release and Gaye’s denial of working for Motown until the release of What’s Going On, it forced Barney Ales hand to release the album being the only Gaye album on hand without permission from Berry Gordy. It sold multiple copies the first day and already had reorders for the album.

 

What’s Going On brought untouched territory for Motown being that it raised awareness and political issues. Apart from previous Motown album releases that were targeted at love and dance themes, this would be at the opposite end. A multi-layered vocal of Gaye that was an accident was kept and used throughout the album as creative strategy of an unintentional duet.

 

Reading how mistakes can be the thing to make an album work show a blessing in disguise from a professional. Push for new directions, even if that direction is against the flow. Listening, I like how the positive feel of the music and the negative subjects just work.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

 Edmonds, B. (2001, December 7). http://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/08/extract. theguardian. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/

 

Edmonds, B. (2001, December 7).

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/dec/08/extract1. theguardian. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/

 

Explore PBS. (2008, May 7). http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/marvin-gaye/career-timeline/74/ PBS. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/

 

Non-Musician Brian Eno

Brian Eno’s influences range from a multitude of styles and genres that will lead to him becoming an influential entity himself. One being The Ray Conniff Singers, a 40’s big band jazz group whom he took a liking to in his young age. A sound he would call “lush, soft, silky quality” that he would emulate in his albums like Music For Airports.

 

 John Cage’s proclamation that “everything we do is music,” back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, especially with his performance with Water Walk. Other artists like Terry Riley and La Monte Young called “minimalists,” would go against a standard structure of music that Eno would bring into his own work and works of other various artists.

 

Eno understood the work of minimalism as a creative operation towards listening; an essay by Warren McCulloch called “What The Frog’s Eye Tells The Frog’s Brain,” would be a prime example of musics next direction. A frog fixates on a scene and locks that image while ignoring the static seeking movement, which causes it to react. These movements would stand out more in contrast than the static scene. This is a revelation he would take to his music. An example to this would be Steve Reich’s It’s Gonna Rain.

 

U2’s The Unforgettable Fire and David Bowie’s Low are albums that would receive Brian Eno’s treatment of sound experimentation. Both albums contain Eno’s sound design which cause the listener to pay attention and think about what they heard. A technique he learned from the frogs eye on which he causes the listener to react. David Bowie’s Low would yield more of Eno’s depth than U2’s The Unforgettable Fire where Eno would be more present to the sides and background.

 

Brian Eno And David Byrne would release My Life in the Bush of Ghosts withits cross pollination of exotic rhythms and ethnic sounds. This would open new paths for artists such as Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and so many others. Eno’s audio collage of sound snippets would be pre-existing to the hip-hop craze of sampling used by artists such as: Ice Cube and Public Enemy, who were brought together by The Bomb Squad’s Hank Shocklee.

 

Professionally, Eno’s work shows music isn’t just for musicians and that we are enveloped by it everyday. Shows experimentation and manipulation have unique endless possibilities that can be brought to the studio. Listening, I understand how he removes repetition and creates a listening experience. I caught myself becoming engaged from time to time, listening to the songs and hitting repeat.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Gilbert Benally

 

Howard, D. N. (2004). Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp..

 

Tamm, E. (1989). Brian Eno: his music and the vertical color of sound. Boston: Faber and Faber.