If you make music that has any sort of crossover in genre, then this week’s playlist is for you.
They say guitar music is dead but this week’s list proves that is not the case. The use of guitar in modern music has simply evolved and adapted to be used in new and exciting ways.
Now, whether you’re a guitarist or not, there’s a lot to be learned about production and production music from this week’s list.
Remember that understanding why we like things and use certain techniques will always beat how. Having that deeper understanding will help you stand out from the crowd.
These tracks have influenced my life, music, career and conversations. You can find out why down below.
If you still want to listen to last week’s tracks, you can see what was included here.
If you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on the playlist on Spotify and follow along!
Remember – I’ll also happily include your music, so please send links my way!
Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #8: November 18th – November 24th…
- Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Final Days’
My buddy Ramsey sent this one my way. This song has quite a classic overall sound but a modern production feel. It’s very clever. The vocal samples at the start, along with the combination of orchestral and guitar/synth sounds make it very appealing to the ear. It’s a perfect example of how to let each element shine in the mix. The jazz drums and vocals are quite prominent in the mix which help to give the track a fresh sound. The lyrics and vocals themselves are excellent. It’s interesting to note that the bass guitar is used quite sporadically until 1.52 into the song when the chorus hits home. The guitar work at 2.21 reminds me of ‘Black Skinhead’ by Kanye West which is another nod to highly modernised music production. The guitar is used very tastefully throughout this track. As the song progresses, a choir and more backing vocals are introduced but there is an instrumental ending. All in all, it’s a very clever, wonderfully produced piece of music. - FKA twigs – ‘sad day’
I love the melancholic synth sounds at the start. It instantly creates an uneasy atmosphere. The vocals are very up front in this track as well. They’re very heavily compressed, as you can hear from how accentuated the breaths are. The doubling, editing and use of reverb and effects on the vocals is tasteful. A big beat doesn’t enter until the 1.08 mark but when it does, the drums remind of of “All Of The Lights” by Kanye West. Yes, he influences a lot of modern music, whether you like it or not! - Frank Ocean – ‘Nights’
Frank Ocean makes killer original music. It always sounds fresh and new. ‘Nights’ is a few years old now but it’s not going to age any time soon. The guitars in this song are incredible. 3 different tones used mid riff and placed in different locations in the stereo field. It’s such a fresh and interesting idea. Even though this is technically an R&B track, it starts out as psychedelic guitar-based pop music. The guitars are mostly replaced by heavy synths at 1.40 but they still weave in and out. It’s a transition to a different style and almost a completely different song. The guitars “take off” at 2.03 with a wonderful piece of production work and then they’re completely gone. A heavier style of guitar comes in at 3.00 to welcome in another transition and by 3.30, it has become a completely different song. Frank Ocean is a genius and this song can bring up all sorts of different emotions depending on which section you listen to and how you’re feeling. - Sudan Archives – ‘Did You Know’
This is another one from Ramsey. When’s the last time you started a song with a ukelele? The vocals in this track are also heavily compressed and very up front in the mix. They’re notably quite thin until the “Did You Know” hook comes in. That helps to give it a lot more impact. The chorus is highly memorable and singable because it’s a very simple theme. Songwriting doesn’t have to be overly complicated and this song is very clear in that approach by using quite sparse production and heavy use of repetition and hooks. - Apparat – ‘DAWAN’
I really like all things Apparat and Moderat. The choice of sounds/samples and the slow build always appeals to me. As well as the creative use of synths and samples in ‘DAWAN’, there are also some beautiful vocal melodies. The beat and bass guitar don’t really kick in until the 2.30 mark. That’s a whole lot of track time! If you want to learn how to build a song and a production over time, then this song is a perfect example for you. - Magic Sword – ‘Shadow’
This is another example of how to build up a production over time. The same theme is played throughout and evolves slowly throughout the piece. I really like a lot of the atmospheric sounds that have been used to create this track and it feels like a bit of a journey. - Audiomachine – ‘So Say We All’
If you make production music or trailer music, then this is the benchmark. Audiomachine create music for trailers and advertisements of all sorts. Their music has been featured in Avatar, The Chronicles of Narnia films, Iron Man, Venom, Avengers: Endgame and many more. - Ronald Jenkees – ‘Sky Tied’
The intro of this track welcomes you into a new space or environment. I really like the watery synth sounds. The kick drum is big and the snare sound has a LOT of reverb on it. But once again, this is guitar music. The guitar parts are highly unconventional but work perfectly. The “bell-like” synth sounds throughout are very appealing to me but those unconventional guitar parts are the hooks of the whole piece. - Danger – ‘0:59’
Danger is currently writing the music for ‘Haven’ – a video game I’m also involved with. I really love his tracks and especially enjoy his use of sub bass in ‘0:59’. You can actually feel it from about 20 seconds in. The sense of space, the atmosphere and the overall power of this track is very impressive. The kick and bass do a huge amount to keep things driving forward and provide a huge amount of that power. The staggered synth sounds that you hear on the periphery of the mix might as well be guitars with how close they are in timbre. If you’re interested in making soundscapes, production music or music for games, this is probably another one for you. - Tycho – ‘Jetty’
As soon as you hear a Tycho track, it’s pretty obvious. A lot of the sounds and styles have become quite a signature style of his. Yet every track still sounds unique. There is a vintage sound to this song and the guitars that enter at the 3 minute mark really help to keep it moving towards the final build and its conclusion.Click here to listen to the full playlist on Spotify!
(Please note that the link will send you to the playlist of the current week and might not feature the tracks listed above!)
So, that’s week eight of Stephen’s Selects.
Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow along!
If you’d like to have your song featured or have any recommendations, drop me a comment below or email. Let’s talk more about the music we’re listening to and share our ideas!
Now, I’d love to know…
What are you listening to this week? What are you working on? Have anything you’d like to share?
Leave a comment below!FREE GUIDE: Learn how to use the one hack that guarantees a unique,
professional sounding mix every time...
Leave a Reply