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Showing posts from March, 2013

About The New Beatmaker

Hi!  I'm Lee.  Welcome to my blog.  Here we talk music: news, reviews, interviews, tips, tutorials and more.  I'm also working on the upcoming podcast  Influenced  as a guest, writer and researcher alongside music aficionado Mark Williams and friends.  Watch this space! I have been a lover of music for as long as I can remember, an amateur lyricist for 25 years, a music writer for 15 years and a hobbyist musician and blogger for almost 10 years. My tastes range from jazz to house to hip hop and I love helping artists from all genres develop their sound. My music, videos, reviews and interviews have been featured in a variety of magazines and websites, including: B-Boy Tech Report Gimme That Beat Humanhuman Audio Skills Dream House Beats Where Did the Road Go Beat Tape Co-Op Push Power Promo Drum Magazine You can find my music on Bandcamp: Monkey Mind Sounds AKA LeeTNB And you can find me on Facebook: The New Beatmaker page Lee's personal page

Showcase Your Music, 'Your Beats': Lewes Btsmfn 'Signature Φ Resonance : An iNstrumental iNtroduction (vol. I)'

The latest offering to 'Your Beats'  is a beautiful spiritual journey, courtesy of UK producer Lewes Btsmfn (formerly known as Metaþhφnix).  The project, 'Signature Φ Resonance : An iNstrumental iNtroduction (vol. I)' , is filled with head-nodding beats, rich bass lines, well-chosen, often jazzy, samples and spacey synths.  Each track has been lovingly put together, the album sequencing is spot-on and, by mixing hip hop, jazz and ambient, 'Signature Φ Resonance : An iNstrumental iNtroduction (vol. I)' is likely to appeal to a wide range of listeners. Whilst each cut is of very high quality, 'Nice One Dilla (an Ode to a Pioneer) Thank U Jay Dee' deserves special mention.   There's a tension to the drums, the backwards piano snatches and the spacey synths which float throughout the ether, whilst big bass stabs glue it all together.   What makes this track really special though, is the ingenious low-passed sample.  All throughout the track, this my

Lanzo Interview: Bringing Something Different to the Table

Regular readers know that I'm partial to Lanzo's trippy cocktail of jazzy samples, rugged drums, warm bass lines and quirky humour.  His 2012 debut EP 'Suspension of Consciousness' is a favourite of mine. A major part of Chicago's beat scene, Lanzo works at a prodigious rate: knocking out solo tracks and collaborations with pals including Norman and his Young Ho Collective brethren.  With his latest EP 'Burn Better Trunks' due April 20, The New Beat Maker caught up with the man himself to talk influences and the creative process .  TNBM: When and how did you get into beatmaking? Who were your early influences? Lanzo: I’ve been into hip hop since middle school.  I listened to a lot of Eminem, Mobb Deep, & J Dilla.  I started engineering for other people, then eventually one of my homies convinced me to jump on the mic.  From then on I balanced skating, Playstation & music.  The instrumentals started coming in 2007.  (Solomon Vaughn aka Boonie Mayfi

Central Parks Interview: bboytechreport.com Guest Post

Hot off the press and just in time for Easter weekend is my interview with one of the best new beatmakers out there, Central Parks: bboytechreport.com   I first heard Park's music about six months ago and instantly became a fan .  Parks perfectly mixes both 90's and 00's influences, making his music instantly appealing to both younger and older generations of hip hop heads. Here's just a few of my favourite Central Parks productions: J Dilla meets prog-rock in this eerie beast of a banger: I can just imagine Nas, AZ or Roc Marciano spitting ill paragraphs over this smooth-ass winner of a beat: Dripping in drama, swimming in soul, another beat for you favourite street poet to paint vivid lyrical pictures to: Check out the exclusive interview here:   bboytechreport.com/2013/03/29/central-parks-interview-for-the-love-of-music/ For more Central Parks: soundcloud.com/bradparks  Credit: Image: soundcloud.com/bradparks 

Van Hunt Interview: The Man Hunt (From the Archives)

I've been playing the hell out of Van Hunt's excellent 2004 debut recently.  So I thought I'd share with you a feature that I was lucky enough to do roughly a year after the album's release.  This was originally published as 'The Man Hunt' in DRUM Magazine in 2005.         It’s Van Hunt’s birthday today. Dressed in a white short sleeved shirt, glossy black pants, butterscotch gator shoes and mandatory headwear - this time a cream flat cap pulled down to one side mischievously - he’s in jovial mood, offering me sandwiches in his West London hotel room hours before his gig at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire.  His buoyancy is apt, besides his birthday, the burgeoning superstar from Ohio has been described as ‘the new Prince’.  With so much love being thrown his way, I’m eager to find out which UK cats he likes: “Franz Ferdinand – everyone’s naming them now, so it’s not cool to say! (laughter), Keane; they get slated in the press, which is unfortunate. Graham Coxon, too.

Lapalux and Bonobo Reviews: theneedledrop.com

I'm really looking forward to checking out the latest albums from two very talented artists, Lapalux and Bonobo.  I've liked Bonobo for several years and, whilst shamefully late to the Lapalux party, really loved listening to him last year . Lapalux released 'Nostalchic' on Brainfeeder this week, whilst Bonobo dropped 'The North Borders' on Ninja Tune the week before.  Both albums come with a great sense of anticipation.  Here, the internet's busiest music nerd, Anthony Fantano of theneedledrop.com shares his opinions.    I really like Fantano's reviewing style. The Needle Drop is a great place to hear very well informed and articulated views on both brand new albums and releases from years gone by. I have meant to do a post on theneedledrop.com for a while now. Fantano doesn't call himself the internet's biggest music nerd for nothing, and he doesn't discriminate when it comes to what music is featured. I usually visit his youtube channel

Make Hip Hop Beats: 'Reclaiming the Remix' w / Maschine: DR Period and Rsonist

Somehow this Dubspot series went by unnoticed until now. Dubspot is proud to present Reclaiming the Remix w/ Maschine--a new video series in which Dubspot instructor Shareef Islam invites noted producers and remixers to revisit some of their classic productions using Native Instruments' Maschine and create custom setups for performance in a live setting. Up top is the latest episode with DR Period.  One of hip hop's most slept-on producers, DR has made bangers for some of rap's A list.  With the possible exception of Smooth da Hustler / Trigga tha Gambler, it's fellow Brownsville, Brooklynites MOP that Period shares the most creative synergy with.  With that in mind, it's only right that Islam and Period reverse engineer the Mash Out Posse's 'Ante Up'. The guest for the earlier episode is one of the men most responsible for that hugely popular Dipset sound, Rsonist of The Heatmakerz duo. Here, the pair break down 'Dipset Anthem'. One thing I

Proh Mic 'Prohmita' Review: bboytechreport.com Guest Post

Last month I brought you news of my guest post for bboytechreport.com .  The 'intersection where hip hop and technology meet' posted an exclusive feature / review of Ackryte's excellent 'Lifted Transmissions' EP.  This was both an honour and a pleasure for me, as I'm a big fan of the site.  This week, bboytechreport.com posted my exclusive feature / review on the 'Prohmita' album by Seattle producer and lyricist Proh Mic. Proh Mic has worked with, amongst others, X Clan, Cap D and I Self Devine.  Without giving too much away, 'Prohmita' is a clever, funky electro / instrumental hip hop concept album.  It's a real honour to have another post on the site and was a great introduction to the work of an artist that I've ashamedly slept on in the past. Check out my bboytechreport.com guest post: Proh Mic 'Prohmita' Here Credit Image: prohmic.bandcamp.com        

Computer Music Magazine: '150 Plugins' Special

In our recent catch up with saintjoe, he told us just how valuable Computer Music magazine was to the new beatmaker / musician.   If you haven't picked up a copy of their 150 plugins special yet, what are you waiting for? Included on the cover disc are long-established favourites like Camel Audio's Alchemy player (also a favourite of our most recent interviewee ), Flux's Bittersweet II transient design plugin and Vember Audio's Shortcircuit multisampler.  In addition are dozens of equally well known, not so well known and CM exclusive plugins: from EQ, reverb and delay and compression plugins, to guitar effects.  From synthesizers and drum sequencers, to vocoders, multisamplers and more.  It is a must, folks. ( N ote: amount of samples with CM Special may differ to video) Credits Video: youtube.com/user/CamelAudio Image: myfavouritemagazines.co.uk  

Make Hip Hop Beats: Marley Marl Breaks Down 'The Bridge' on dupspot.com

So, all these years later, I get to learn where THAT noise comes from! Marley Marl breaks down the making of one of hip hop's greatest songs of all time: MC Shan's 'The Bridge' as part of his 'Classic Recipes' series for dubspot.com .  Rest in peace to Mr Magic. Credits Image: wikipedia.com Video: dubspot.com Related post: Amir Said (BeatTips.com, The BeatTips Manual) discusses the huge influence of Marley Marl.

'I Dream of Wires' Documentary Trailer

This looks like a must-see. From the guys themselves: ''I Dream of Wires '' ( IDOW ) is an upcoming, independent documentary film about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer — exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine. Written and directed by Robert Fantinatto with Jason Amm ( Ghostly International recording artist Solvent ) serving as producer and co-writer, IDOW is set to premiere spring 2013. Inventors, musicians, and enthusiasts are interviewed about their relationship with the modular synthesizer — for many, it's an all-consuming passion. Established musicians such as Trent Reznor ( Nine Inch Nails ), Carl Craig and John Foxx show off their systems and explain why they opt to use this volatile but ultimately rewarding technology. Meanwhile, a new generation of dance and electronica artists including Clark , James Holden and Factory Floo

Showcase Your Music, 'Your Beats': Dr.Goom 'Beat Tape 2012'

The Chicago love ju st keeps on coming.   In the words of DJ and producer Dr.Goom: 'Beat Tape 2012 is a compilation of my favorite random beats found sitting in my computer over the last year. hope you enjoy!' As evident by the artwork and his blogger page (which is where I sourced the 'cats making music' images from) Dr.Goom doesn't take himself too seriously.  This charismatic sense of fun and experimentalism is carried over to much of the tape.  'Whisper' is jolly, reggae - inspired, electronic pop.  'Us' is an uptempo hip hop beat. As is to be expected with a collection crafted from random beats sat on the hard drive, there's a schizophrenic feel to the project: many of the beats hint at ideas not fully seen through to the end. With that being said, there's a palpable sense of promise on tracks like my favourite, 'Standing in the Sand', which is a more fully-realized idea with a surprisingly melancholy, sensual feel.          Be

Showcase Your Music, 'Your Beats': Evil Alex 'Hate' EP

The New Beat Maker likes to show nuttin' but love: word to the late, great Heavy D.   However, in this edition of 'Your Beats', we're going to share a little bit of hate with you. 'Hate', the latest EP from Chicago's Evil Alex , is full of funk and jazz snippets manipulated into hypnotic, unsettling beats .  With it's constant air of menace, 'Hate' sounds like the soundtrack to a film-noir thriller or disturbing art exhibition.  I can imagine El-P and Ill Bill painting apocalyptic pictures over the top of tracks like 'Billion Dollar Bill' and 'Evilongoria'.   If you're in the mood for some uneasy listening, you'll love 'Hate'.       Hate by Evil Alex For more, visit: evilalex49@bandcamp.com   Credits: Music and image: evilalex49@bandcamp.com  

The Recording Revolution: '5 Minutes To A Better Mix' is Back!

I'm a big fan of Graham Cochrane's excellent therecordingrevolution.com , so I'm really happy to see he's brought back the hugely popular and very informative ' 5 Minutes To A Better Mix' series this month. '5 Minutes To A Better Mix' is the perfect way for musicians, beatmakers and mix engineers to get a lot of practical advice in a really short time.  Graham cuts right to the chase in clear and concise language and I always come away from these addictive, bite-sized videos feeling more knowledgeable and inspired. Here's a couple of recent videos:   'The 24 Track Mindset' Graham explains why, in the age of 'all you can eat' multi-tracking capability, less is still often more: 'One Stereo Track' It may seem counter-intuitive to restrict yourself to one stereo track in order to make your mix sound bigger.  However, this is a great tutorial explaining why and how the 'One Stereo Track' method works:  'Keep it si

Shadow Child (dirtybird) Logic Pro Masterclass: Point Blank Music School

After checking out the highlights from Shadow Child b/k/a Dave Spoon's visit to the Point Blank studios last month I'm going to put some time aside to watch the whole session sometime this week. The highlights touch on drum layering, creating the  'String Thing' bassline and recreating that 808 sound.   Credits   Image: youtube.com Videos: youtube.com/user/pointblankonline 

Rob Papen EDM and Urban Synth Bundle: A Double-Dose of 'Inspiration Software' for Producers of Dance and Dubstep, DnB, Garage and Grime Genres

Wow.  The software excitement just keeps on coming.  The New Beatmaker favourite Rob Papen dropped not one, but two synth bundles this week: The aptly-named EDM Synth Bundle is a highly-flexible, Herculean offering, with masses of diverse sounds for EDM (electronic dance music) producers and DJs alike. As such, it comprises Predator — a ‘phat’- sounding killer soft synth that combines inspiring presets and first-class features to create the perfect ‘go-to’ synth for contemporary music production; Punch — a speaker-rattling, body-shaking software instrument that delivers synthesized drums in the finest audio quality with breathtaking features for the contemporary music producer; and Blade — a cutting-edge additive synthesis powerhouse with a human touch that all adds up to an amazingly flexible and useful virtual instrument with an able arpeggiator and an array of pitch, modulation, and effects parameters. Likewise, Urban Synth Bundle has been especially created to cater to the thumpin

Make Music on your iPad: Arturia iMini App

Just days ago the legendary saintjoe told us that his iPad was the one piece of hardware that he couldn't live without.  Well, fresh off the back of that revelation and recent releases including this and this , h ere's further proof - if any was needed - that the iPad is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to making music: Arturia's take on the iconic Minimoog.   Arturia's Mike Hosker shows us what it can do: From the guys themselves: ...iMini is based on the TAE® (True Analog Emulation) synthesis technology found in Arturia’s award-winning Mini V soft synth, meticulously modelling the distinctive tones and analogue nuances of the legendary Seventies-vintage Minimoog Model D monosynth. Moog changed the musical world with the Minimoog and Arturia helped change the music software world with the Mini V. Arturia now brings the still-sought-after classic Minimoog sound to the musical masses, transforming any iPad mini, iPad 2, or iPad with Retina display into the ul

Ackryte 'Lifted Transmissions' Review: bboytechreport.com Guest Post

I'm a big fan of both bboytechreport.com and Ackryte , so it was an honour and a pleasure to write a guest post for the former about the latter's 'Lifted Transmissions' EP.   The post is an exclusive, original feature on Ackryte and his latest project.  Bboytechreport provides a fresh, mature hip hop perspective to industry news.  It's one of my go-to sites.  Many thanks to Corry Banks for giving me the opportunity to guest post.   I hope to provide more exclusive posts to bboytechreport.com in the new future, while bringing you even more content here at The New Beat Maker. Visit my bboytechreport post here