This is week 21 of Stephen’s Selects!
We’ve got a Bond theme, famous features, returning giants and some friends of mine!
So, here we go…
I hope you enjoy this week’s playlist.
Here’s the YouTube version:
Here’s the Spotify version:
(Please note that the tracks listed above are part of a live Spotify playlist and are updated weekly. They might not match the information below!)
Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #21: February 17th – 24th…
- Sleepy Fish – ‘i wish it would never stop snowing’
– I’ve been listening to a lot of chilled out music like this in my down time.
– The guitar parts and melodies are really lovely.
– I like the slow repetitive pattern of the drums and the samples used. They’re very clear and well-treated.
– The balance between the bass/kick and bass/guitars provides a particular sense of cohesion to the overall production.
– The tonal balance and mixing of the track adds to the style and the feeling you get from listening to it. - Rone – ‘Human’
– Great intro! It’s a very atmospheric, wistful sound. The organ helps to provide a sense of space, while the synth “riff” reminds me a lot of some of the more melancholic scenes in ‘Stranger Things’.
– Despite there being a lot of elements that intertwine and intermingle in this song, the sense of space is always preserved.
– The song is essentially split in half at the 3 minute mark. The themes remain the same but the melodies are passed over to a small “choir” to introduce a new section.
– I like how the vocals start out so bare and raw but build up over time with more elements introduced to support them. By the 6 minute mark, things have changed again and the piece is winding down towards its conclusion. - Izzy Bizu – ‘Someone That Loves You ’19’
– That synth at the start! The panning, width and the glide in the polyphonic synth make it very appealing to the ear.
– The vocal balancing and processing in this track is very interesting. Listen to the difference between the intro and verse vocals, for example. The use of reverb and pre-delay in the verse make the vocals sound upfront but still keeps a sense of space in the mix.
– Verse 2 features Chris Martin of Coldplay. He suits the song well.
– There is a lot of kick drum in this production. It’s not that it’s huge and overpowering but the kick drum pattern itself features a lot of action and multiple samples at various velocities. If you listen to verse 2, it’s very busy but at 2:28 it becomes quite sparse again. It picks up again at 2:47 – a good contrasting production technique.
– The vocal layering – male, female and multiple stacks and harmonies from 2:47 onwards, is really nice. It’s easy to mess up multiple layers in a mix.
– Despite it being very ear-catching and interesting, the intro synth is never overused but it is the last thing we hear in the song. - Electric Youth – ‘ARAWA’
– This is a great sound!
– The mix is very wet with a lot of reverb.
– Can you hear how much low end is in that snare drum?
– The pre-chorus features an interesting white noise riser that feels like it’s constantly moving up before being released in the chorus.
– There is a blend of real and synthesized bass sounds that works really nicely in the production.
– Similarly to the Izzy Bizu track, the vocals are kept in the centre (with less layers) and the synths fold in around them. - Skrillex, BEAM – ‘Mumbai Power’
– Once a Skrillex track starts, you’re always looking for the drop!
– The sounds used from the intro to the first drop are quite beautiful and atmospheric. Notice that there isn’t a huge amount of low end used until the first drop.
– The synth used in the drops is quite heavily distorted and a lot of the samples sound like they’re about to come out of the speakers. It’s very clever.
– There truly is never a dull moment in any of Skrillex’s productions and there’s much you can learn from his choice of samples and placement of sounds in a mix.
– If you do want to learn more, the music video is a breakdown of Skrillex at work on the track! - Flux Pavilion, Nevve – ‘Lion’s Cage – Heyz Remix’
– It’s hard to hear whether that’s a synth at the start, or a guitar picking single notes. Perhaps it’s a blend of both?
– I love how the vocal melodies blend with the synths.
– By 0:40 there’s no question that there is guitar in the mix with the heavier notes played in with the synth arpeggiator running in the background.
– Another big drop at 1:28. I find it very interesting that former dubstep artists like Skrillex and Flux Pavilion have evolved over time.
– This style of music production can teach you a lot about contrast.
– It can also teach you a huge amount about tension and release that can be applied to a pre-chorus in any style of music. - Major Lazer, Nyla, Fuse ODG – ‘Light It Up’
– The previous two tracks reminded me to listen to some Major Lazer! This track is quite a bit older and has a much stronger pop vibe but I’m a fan for sure.
– The reverse reverb leading into Nyla’s vocals at 0:06 is something you can create and adapt in your own productions.
– There is a drop at 0:44 but notice how it’s much different to the previous two tracks? This one is all about the trumpet and it’s much less aggressive but still huge.
– If you ever want to learn how a snare can help you build a pre-chorus or a drop, then 1:20 is the section for you.
– It’s rare that sampled brass is used effectively and tastefully. ‘Light It Up’ does just that. - Billie Eilish – ‘No Time To Die’
– Billie Eilish is singing a Bond theme song. How do you feel about that? I’m really interested to know.
– This is a classic bond theme and features many elements of previous classics.
– Hans Zimmer provided the orchestration and Johnny Marr plays guitar on it. Check out their performance together at the BRIT Awards.
– If Billie Eilish is just a “bedroom singer” or a flash in the pan, then why are such icons working with her? Why, also, is she able to adapt to writing such excellent music in a different style?
– This is a great ballad and I’m a big fan. What’s your take? - Green Day – ‘Meet Me on the Roof’
– Green Day are back!
– This is a lovely, high energy pop song that draws on many influences, including The Beatles, The Beach Boys and every 2000s band, including themselves!
– Despite being crystal clear, the vocals are all quite heavily distorted.
– The ‘C section’ at 1:40 is particularly nice. There’s an instrumental section before a complete change of lyrics and melody that leaves you craving the chorus once more.
– How many adverts do you think you’ll hear this track in? - JD Kelleher – ‘Jump’
– This track comes from my friend, JD Kelleher.
– I got to master this track but you’ll notice straight away that it’s nowhere near as loud as some of the other tracks in this list. Why do you think that is?
– I can’t really review this one as I had some involvement in its production, so I’ll leave that to you.
– If you like the song, make sure to show JD some love!
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.
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…
What did you like about this week’s playlist? What have you learned?
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