It’s time for my first playlist of the new decade!
I’ve decided to change up the format in my breakdown and analysis of each track this week. Instead of providing a narrative, I’ve given you a bulleted list for each track with some recommendations on what I hear and what I think you can take away and apply to your own work.
Obviously, by listening to these tracks and applying your own critique to them, you’ll come up with your own ideas.
That is the beauty of music!
Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #15: January 6th – 12th 2020…
(Please note that the tracks listed above are part of a live playlist and are updated weekly. They might not match the information below!)
- Jon Hopkins – ‘Abandon Window’
– Piano played in a room/environment that encourages your attention
– Deep reverb pad in places
– Nice low rumble of a synth/pad
– A beautiful soundscape with rain, ocean waves, distant fireworks/gunfire/explosions - X Ambassadors – ‘Renegades’
– Is the acoustic guitar slightly out of tune? Is perfection in everything we do essential?
– Top quality Alex da Kid production and Manny Marroquin mixing
– Claps and backing vocals are very nicely done
– Chorus has a lovely “wobble” style bass
– The delay on “pioneers” and “mutineers” in Verse 2 is great and contrasts really well with Verse 1 - Maggie Rogers – ‘Alaska’
– The story behind this song is amazing. Pharrell “discovering” Maggie. It’s worth a watch!
– The song feels like it has its own style and is unique
– The vocal sound design in the intro and verse is really nicely done and it helps to flesh out space
– There is a contrast between verse and chorus with the lighter vocals and much more prominent bass in the chorus - Gotye – ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’
– A huge Number 1 during the 10’s
– Lots of distortion/bit crushing/lo fi sounds. You could reproduce this by sending from the acoustic guitar track which provides a percussive effect
– The drums are panned in an interesting way on the far left and right
– Wide panning all round
– Contrast between verse and chorus with the vocal type and quality
– There’s much more of a sense of space on the female vocals with more noticeable reverb
– Loud, big backing vocals near the end of the track but they don’t overpower the lead vocals
– An unconventional François Tétaz mix in a conventional pop setting! - CHIC – ‘Le Freak’
– This is all about the Nile Rogers chord voicings as the anchor of the song
– Great funk drum beat
– The group/gang vocals are obviously key
– The hi-hat works in such a way as to back up the guitar
– The bass moves in line with the guitar but the root notes hit with the kick. In the chorus, the bass emphasises the words “Freak out”
– Huge reverb on the claps
– Bass is highlighted in the instrumental section at 2:45, which is my favourite part of the song - Mat Kearney – ‘Billion’
– Nice, interesting intro. The bass run is similar to ‘You Can Call Me Al’ by Paul Simon (Bakithi Kumalo on bass)
– The blend of kick, snare and claps is great
– Panning of the guitars is wide and tasteful
– Big pre-chorus build
– Chorus acoustic guitars are very bright, vibrant and rhythmic
– A world class Manny Marroquin pop mix - Fleetwood Mac – ‘Big Love’
– If ever there was an 80s sound…
– Mostly LCR panning which results in quite an “open” mix
– Interesting snare sound
– Stellar guitar work
– Vocal samples and edits at 1.20 are very prominent in the mix with the guitar solo kept quite distant and panned left - Paul McCartney – ‘Fuh You’
– Paul McCartney and Ryan Tedder (my two favourite songwriters) combined and made this
– Mixed by Spike Stent. Listen to something like ‘Pompeii’ by Bastille for more of his pop mixing work
– Really nice use of the harpsichord, which is totally unconventional in pop music
– This song received very bad reviews from music critics. I disagree. What do you think? - Childish Gambino – ‘This Is America’
– Amazing intro with the gospel choir feel
– Very interesting vocal effects on Glover’s vocals in the intro
– Lots of ad-libbed vocals in the background
– Very tight trap beats contrasted with gospel music sections
– Mixed by the super creative and amazing Derek “MixedByAli” Ali of Kendrick Lamar fame - Maribou State – ‘Beginner’s Luck’
– Another very interesting intro
– Piano reverb in the intro is deep and bright
– Guitar riff is super clean and up front in the mix
– Synth sound selection is very interesting
– Rich sound design throughout
– Much wider guitars enter to match the bright reverb sound of the intro piano
– 1.37 features silence in the most incredible and impactful ways. Don’t be afraid to use silence in your music
Take some of these notes away, make your own and implement what you’ve learned when you’re making your own music. I have no doubt that they will help you.
So, that’s week fifteen of Stephen’s Selects.Click here to listen to the full playlist on Spotify!
Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow the playlist!
Now, I’d love to know…
Do you like the new format of the notes on each song? If so, why?I’m thinking about making a version of the list on YouTube each week as well. Would that be helpful?
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