“I was getting fed up of playing the record in every club around the world”: Michael Gray on the explosion of The WeekendSince the age of 10, Michael Gray had dreamt of becoming a professional DJ. By 12, Gray was already putting in the graft, DJing at under 16 discos with a set of turntables he’d gotten as a birthday gift. When he finally made it big, it seemed his prayers had been answered.
But there’s one downside to being a globally acclaimed disc jockey: partying away until dawn can grow tiresome. As Gray discovered, there comes a time when spinning the same tracks can become dull.

READ MORE: Brain injury survivor says learning to DJ has “reawakened his brain”

In a recent interview with DJ Mag, DJ and producer Gray reflects on the making of his international ’00s club hit, The Weekend. “When I was 18, I started getting into clubs,” he explains. “I was megamixing other people’s records… but by 1990 I thought, ‘Right, I’ve achieved what I want to do mixing other people’s records, now I want to make my own records’.”
“I’d had enough of producing and remixing as Full Intention,” he says. “Major labels, would be coming to us and say, “can you do a remix just like the last one?” When someone starts telling you to do it like the last one, you can see your creativity going out the window! You just become a machine.”

Thankfully, Simon Dunmore offered Gray the opportunity to focus on his own tracks. “I went to Simon Dunmore at Defected [Records] and I said, ‘would you have a listen to some of these tunes?’,” Gray recalls. “He offered me an album deal.”
Gray would go on to work outside of house music for a small stint, flexing his creative muscles producing post-punk group Portobello. The venture would allow him to return to his record after a year – and that’s when he would fully craft The Weekend we know and love. “I just put down this idea that I heard from an Oliver Cheatham record, Get Down Saturday Night,” he tells DJ Mag. “Melodically, that song is so strong… Within about two days, everything just fell into place.”
Though Gray wouldn’t hear any feedback from his label for a short while, he was soon given the green light. “They said, “we’re going to do 3000 white labels and we’re going to ship a load out to Ibiza,’” he recalls.
“I remember Friday afternoon when it came in sitting in my office and the version come in and running out to my wife, I said, ‘oh my god, they’ve done it. This is it!!’” he smiles. “I got into the Top 10, at number seven. We had so much competition: Eminem, Kylie, Beyoncé. From a sales point of view, it did really well.”
Despite all of the excitement, Gray was still a young father at the time. “The joke of it was, I actually could wait for the weekend to begin. At the time, I had twin boys who were one, and the oldest son who was three!” he explains. “There was only 18 months between them… there was no partying. I actually stopped DJing for a year and a half.”
The success of the track also became somewhat of a weight on his creativity. “I went through a period about 2012, I was just getting fed up of having to play the record in every club around the world,” he admits. “Promoters always expect you to play commercial records like that, and you’re like “that’s not what I do! I play new records!’”
Despite the frustration, Gray is still proud of his breakout track’s success. “It wasn’t until about 2017, I noticed really big DJs playing it to huge festivals,” he says. “It’s like it had become cool again. I didn’t think it would span so many generations. Now I’m extremely proud of it.”

The post “I was getting fed up of playing the record in every club around the world”: Michael Gray on the explosion of The Weekend appeared first on MusicTech.

Droplets is an innovative sequencer application/plug-in equipped with a built-in synth engine and an unusual interface.
#musicproduction #PluginsNews #Synthesis

AI lets country star Randy Travis sing again in first song released post-strokeThanks to artificial intelligence, country star Randy Travis is finally able to ‘sing’ again. The 65-year-old, who’s known for his hits like Forever and Ever, Amen and I Told You So, suffered a stroke in 2013 which left him largely unable to speak or sing.
Now, with the help of AI, Travis has released his first song in over a decade titled Where That Came From.

READ MORE: Access “royalty-free loops and one-shots” with Tracklib’s new Sounds feature

Backed by Warner Music, the project began with the creation of a proprietary AI model. The result was two models: One with 12 vocal stems, and another with 42 stems collected across Travis’s career, according to Kyle Lehning, Travis’s longtime producer [per AP].
Fellow country singer James Dupree was enlisted to lay down the demo vocals, which were then inputted into the AI model.
“I really wish somebody had been here with a camera because I was the first person to hear it. And it was stunning, to me, how good it was sort of right off the bat. It’s hard to put an equation around it, but it was probably 70, 75 per cent what you hear now,” says Lehning.
From there, areas that were deemed “not authentic” to Travis’s performance were edited with the help of recording engineer Casey Wood. Alterations were then made to things like vibrato speed, or slowing and relaxing phrases so as to capture Travis’s unique vocal quality as far as possible.
“Randy, I remember watching him when he first heard the song after it was completed. It was beautiful because at first, he was surprised, and then he was very pensive, and he was listening and studying,” said Travis’s wife Mary Travis.
“And then he put his head down and his eyes were a little watery. I think he went through every emotion there was, in those three minutes of just hearing his voice again.”
The team also hopes that the project can help educate the public on the tangible good AI can do. Cris Lacy, Co-president of Warner Music Nashville, told CBS Sunday Morning that unlike AI voice cloning sites that don’t “sound real because it’s not”, Warner’s latest use of AI to recreate Travis’s voice – with the approval of the man himself – is an example of the technology being used “for good”.

The post AI lets country star Randy Travis sing again in first song released post-stroke appeared first on MusicTech.

Checking something #3d

Acustica introduce Sand 4 Ultra Sand 4 Ultra comes loaded with compressor, EQ and channel strip plug-ins based on the company’s Hyper technology and new Aria engine. 

Songwriter Profile: Mama BLegacy Work

With over 20 years as an artist and music executive, Jacq Becker—under her moniker Mama B—is releasing a second children’s album, following the success of 2021’s collaboration, Zoology (which amassed 50+ million digital and 14+ million YouTube streams). Having performed as a pop artist at Los Angeles’ Hotel Café, The Mint, Harvelle’s, Room 5, etc., and shows in Sweden, Nashville, and the Caribbean, Becker has placements in major TV and film (including Top 5, Pretty Little Liars and Seven Days in Utopia), and leads prominent songwriter and publishing teams, helping artists develop their creative vision and monetize their work. 

First studying classical music before switching to jazz, then pop, Becker holds a deep love of lyrics and melody, emphasizing her affinity for ‘’timeless songs and energy,” and was drawn to Norah Jones and the idea of audiences sitting quietly and truly listening. First writing as a teen, her focus expanded to business in her 20’s, and she is passionate about helping women improve their music business and publishing education, and exploring options. Says Becker, “I get the pleasure of helping expand their business and shining light on songwriters and producers. I feel very lucky to be doing it.” To have a sustainable career in music, Becker advises a focus on learning about publishing, rights management, monetization, and exploring the organizations that manage it all.

Leading with melody, then tone of voice and production, Becker says that what resonates most in music for her is the collaboration, emphasizing the dramatic difference between the sound that comes out of a collaborative project versus the energy felt from constant ‘session-churning.’ “You can hear that trust in each other,” she says. “I listen for musicianship of the whole song (not just melody and lyrics) [and] how it came together.” In repeat collaborations, she says, “I trust their instincts. It’s [about] bringing the right people together with different skill sets that meld together.” See differences as an enhancement, not a threat, and when entering first-time collaborations, Becker says to be as prepared as possible by bringing a few concepts or lyrical ideas.

Struggling to find children’s music she could listen to when she became a mom, Becker felt she could add something and, inspired by the musings of her children and their friends, worked to make music from their perspective while adding contemporary production. Says Becker, “We’re trying to take everything we know about song composition and structure and not do anything different because it’s for kids and families. Why would the formula change?”

Starting organically with guitar and piano melodies, using live instruments and no corner-cutting, Becker wanted to deliver purpose and meaning. Taking two years to complete, some sessions had starting points (“Princess In A Castle” was a request of her son’s classmate), or incorporated elements she heard her children jamming out to (Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut” inspired “Puffer Fish”). Finding a lightness and joy that was missing in the pursuit of pop affirmation, children’s music reignited her songwriting passion. “There were no restrictions on creativity. The fact that we took so much time with it speaks to the integrity of the project,” says Becker. “Everything about it was pure, honest, and no pressure, which is a good place to be when you're releasing music.” 

Imaginology feels like Reading Rainbow-meets-The Spice Girls: fun, catchy, and equal parts soothing and enjoyable for all ages. Set for release on Mother’s Day.

Contact Jon Bleicher, Prospect PR - jon@prospectpr.com; 

Experience Mama B at instagram.com/mamabsongs

5 mixing tips for modern rap vocals
From applying compression to cleaning up ad-lib tracks, here are five essential mixing tips for modern rap vocals.

Your Livestream Strategy Sucks! K-Pop’s lessons on reaching a global audience Haven't had much success with live streaming lately or given up altogether? If you're going to learn from anyone, look at how live-streaming contributed to K-Pop artist's global success.....
The post Your Livestream Strategy Sucks! K-Pop’s lessons on reaching a global audience  appeared first on Hypebot.

Recently read the terms of a "new" a16z funded #AI generative music startup. And what I saw in the TOS on the website was licensing terms to the tracks you actually generated - you simply own your music only when you pay your subscription and moreover your uploaded material can be used to train the model. Now it's beta and guys say it's free to generate up to 1200 tracks. Come on! Where are we going?! Read the terms at first please. ✌ #MusicTechnology #MusicBusiness

Spectral Plugins ceases operations, plugins are now free to downloadSpectral Plugins has ceased operations, and is now offering its entire plugin portfolio for you to download, completely free of charge.
“After careful consideration and deliberation, we have made the difficult decision to cease our company operations,” Spectral Plugins said in a statement on its website. This decision was not made lightly, but we believe it is the best course of action for the future of our organisation.”

READ MORE: Sequential to discontinue the Prophet X due to “unavailability of several key components”

“However, we are pleased to announce that we will be making our software available for free downloading to our loyal clients and users. We understand the impact that our tools and products have had on your operations, and we want to ensure that you continue to have access to them even after our closure.”
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of our clients for your support, feedback, and loyalty over the years. It has been an honour serving you, and we are proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together.”
Available for download are three plugins: Spacer, Pancz and OCS-45.
Spacer is a versatile modular multi-FX featuring five effects modules that can be linked in any order. It includes three reverbs (algorithmic, convolution, and grain), two delays, and a utility section with additional tone-shaping controls. With 150 global and 200 module presets, Spacer promises a fun and dynamic sound processing experience.

Pancz (pronounced ‘Panch’), meanwhile, is an audio plugin equipped with a powerful multiband transient shaper, clipping tool, and precise waveform analyser. It uses complex audio processing to directly control the shape of the sound. With an intuitive waveform window and a “cut line”, you can visually manipulate the sound to make it look and sound the way you want it to. Additional tone manipulation effects like EQ functionality are also included. Check out our review of Pancz for more information.
Finally, the OCS-45 simulates real life cassette tapes and adds a lo-fi, vintage feel to your sound. Get instant retro vibes by choosing from four authentic cassette types, each one modelled on the major tape types of the golden era of compact cassettes: Ferric Type I, Chrome Type II, Ferrichrome Type III, and Metals Type IV. Add in all the charming imperfections of tape by combining pitch modulation, background noise and dropouts. In addition to being a cassette simulation plugin, OCS-45 is a rich distortion processing unit with five programmed flavours of distortion — perfect for adding extra life and warmth to your sound.
Download them all at Spectral Plugins.
The post Spectral Plugins ceases operations, plugins are now free to download appeared first on MusicTech.

The new ‘SoundCloud era’ is YouTube screen captures of a DAWRemember the early days of SoundCloud? You’d find a sample, make a one-minute loop at midnight, then upload it to show your producer friends; artists would publish tracks with a list of the gear they used before swathes of commenters asked, hoping to find the secret sauce; dance acts would upload bootleg edits of songs DJs could easily download and spin later that night — even if it wasn’t strictly legal. Of course you remember.

READ MORE: No, Daniel Ek, the music industry isn’t like professional football

Well, I’m starting to think YouTube screen captures are the next evolution of that wonderful iteration of SoundCloud.
Maybe I’m late to the party but, for the past few months, my YouTube homepage has been overflowing with videos by Klaus Veen, Virtual Riot, Azali and more. The videos aren’t influencer-style. There’s no presenter, no dialogue, and no high- (or low)-production camerawork. It’s just a screen recording of a DAW playing a new track and — if you’re lucky — some text that describes what’s happening in the project. So simple, so enthralling.

These videos rack up hundreds of thousands of plays, some even more, and the comment sections are nothing short of inspiring. People are actually having interesting discussions about the project in the video. Producers are cracking nerdy jokes about the techniques. Others stumbling upon the video are begging for the work to be put onto streaming services (for better or worse).
And it gets better. When one user, ixer, released their video ‘I think I broke the amen’ — a tracker-style chop of the amen break — other producers tried it out for themselves. Virtual Riot got involved, which inspired hundreds more beatmakers to slice up the break, kickstarting a fun trend that brand community managers could only dream of starting.

Another mesmerising Virtual Riot video, ‘I heard you like polyrhythms’, has over one million views and is almost eight minutes of intrigue. The creation is so masterful that it’s encouraged other producers to try and break down how Virtual Riot did it so that you can do it too. It also started another trend, obviously.

Education lies at the heart of this movement. Everyone loves a YouTube tutorial. Hell, we’ve made hundreds. I don’t think I would’ve passed my music technology degree without YouTube tutorials. But these screen captures are different to your average presenter-style tutorial — they cut the long-winded intro speech and just get into it. They open up their effects chains, show their synth patches, reveal their piano rolls and don’t mess around. You can divulge tons of information from those small acts alone. You might even find yourself asking more questions than you had before, leading you to learn new music production secrets.

It all makes me dream of what kind of social platform we producers could have. Perhaps producers would revel in a social media platform that enables us to share our projects in a browser, giving peers and fans free rein into our production and recording choices. Maybe that’s the new SoundCloud.

The post The new ‘SoundCloud era’ is YouTube screen captures of a DAW appeared first on MusicTech.

Dynamic Range Day 2024 Dynamic Range Day was started by mastering engineer Ian Shepherd, and aims to raise awareness of the negative impact that excessive dynamic processing can have on music.

This ‘secret’ composer is behind 650 fake artists on Spotify. His music has been streamed 15bn times on the platform (report)Revealed in a Dagens Nyheter expose: the musician 'behind the world's most listened to network of fake artists on Spotify'
Source

2024 Home Sweet Home Automation: A Piano-Controlled Smart HomeThere’s a scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where a little flap in the wall flips down to reveal a small organ embedded there. Gene Wilder plays a bit of Rachmaninoff on the organ, and the giant door to the chocolate room slowly creaks open.
Once [Nathan Orick] got this into his head, he couldn’t get it out, and had to give it a go in his own home. Regrettably there’s no chocolate rooms in the house, so he’s using various chords and melodies to do things like control the lights and the TV, as you’ll see in the video after the break. Although this one may have started as a joke of a home automation scheme, [Nathan] thinks it turned out pretty solid, and so do we.
He already had the piano and a Raspberry Pi Zero lying around, so getting this up and running was mostly about connections and code. Speaking of connections, [Nathan] was hard-pressed to find a micro-USB to USB-B cord, so he ended up splicing one together. Simple enough. The harder part was getting Linux to recognize the keyboard, but all it took was touching all the pins with a multimeter, evidently. What’s a project without a little magic?
And not only did it show up, Linux went to the trouble of registering it as a MIDI device all on its own. Once [Nathan] obtained the port number, he had data printing to the console every time he played a note. Then it was mostly a matter of writing code to interact with MIDI data and track the notes as they’re played, and put it all together with Home Assistant. Be sure to check out the brief demo after the break.

CMajor Releases FREE Pro-54 Browser-Based Synthesizer
Developer CMajor has released the Pro-54 Synthesizer, a faithful port of the classic Native Instruments Pro-53 synth. Surprisingly, it’s not a VST plugin. Instead of your DAW, it operates in a browser window. I didn’t get into music production during the early days of VST plugins and music software. However, I have a deep respect [...]
View post: CMajor Releases FREE Pro-54 Browser-Based Synthesizer