Kel P: “I love producing Afrobeat so much. I guess it was unique enough that when the world heard it, they loved it too”Grammy-winning Nigerian producer, Udoma Peter Kelvin Amba, otherwise known as Kel-P to Afrobeats fans, is shifting from behind the desk to the front of the stage. The producer has worked with the likes of Burna Boy to Wizkid, generating billions of streams, and is now making a name for himself as a solo artist.

READ MORE: Clive From Accounts: “Give me a phone and I’ll happily make you tunes all day”

His latest record, Best of Both Worlds, which was released in collaboration with fellow Afrobeats bigwig Wande Coal, is hoped to make a change in which collaboration becomes more commonplace in the genre.
He talks to MusicTech about how his producing background has shaped his approach to vocal work, and his remote studio that allows him to write, record and produce beats while on the go.
Image: Press
You’ve recently stepped into the spotlight as a solo artist, building your career as a producer. How has your time behind the desk informed your approach to being in front of the microphone, and vice versa?
Being a solo artist is great. However, I find it a little bit hard to do certain things in terms of creating content, but when it comes to making the music as an artist, that is always amazing – I love the process way more than making the music as a producer.
Being a producer from the beginning helped me in shaping my sound — it allowed me to develop my music, taught me and gave me direction on how to actually make my own music. So I’m loving it, loving how I approach it, and finally being in front of the mic while also still producing.
You’ve said in previous interviews that becoming a producer was a happenstance. What was the process of learning how to become a producer? How long did it take to develop your signature style?
The process was an interesting one. I was inside of the studio for two years just making beats nonstop, trying new things and creating new beats every day. Doing that just helped me become better, faster and quicker. Right now, I could make a beat in ten minutes because I’ve been doing this for a long time.
I put in the work, and I found my own sound because I love producing Afrobeat so much and as such, I decided to stick to that and develop that as a producer for myself. I guess it was different and unique enough that when the world heard it, they loved it too.
Image: Press
Tell us a bit about your studio.
I just have a mobile setup at the moment. I travel around the world, and so I set up anywhere I am in the world. I don’t have to be in a proper recording studio to actually make music – that’s how I work. However, when I want to have the vocals cut properly, I go to a proper studio.
What’s your latest gear or plugin purchase?
The last thing I purchased was the new FL Studio plugins. It’s crazy, you could just throw in a song, and it pulls out the stems for you to use. I also bought the Waves V9 plugins, which are very good for vocals. It is super worth the mone,y and I love using them.
What’s the best free plugin you own?
I don’t think I own any free plug-ins currently; however, at the early stage of my career, I used to use Purity, Nexus and some of the internal VST plug-ins that come with FL Studio, such as GMA, FL Keys, to create beats. I also used to use the Internal and vocal plug-ins that come with Cubase, such as compressors, the de-esser, and EQ.
Image: Press
What’s been the biggest investment in your career/studio? Was it worth it? Why?
The biggest investment in my career is actually investing in myself as an artist and investing in myself to become a super-producer!
You seem to be constantly on the move, producing in different cities and locations all around the world. What does your setup look like when you’re away from home?
I travel a lot so I just have this mobile studio, which are my LAN monitors, a laptop, an SSL2+ interface and a Neumann mic. It’s nothing crazy and it means I can set up anywhere.
Sometimes I actually go to a proper recording studio and record things properly, but 80% of the time it’s just this mobile studio setup.

One of your biggest hits, One More Night, uses a sample from Dilemma, by Nelly and Kelly Rowland. Where do you find sampling inspiration? How do you make them fit into your style of music?
I grew up listening to early 2000s RnB, so I told myself that I’m going to sample pretty much every one of my favourite songs. Hopefully I get to clear everything – sometimes clearing is so difficult – but I really love that record so much.
How do you see your sound and studio evolving in the next two years?
My sound has already evolved so much over the last few years, and I can’t even explain this until my unreleased music comes out!
When it comes to studios, I’m not too crazy about building one because I’m in different countries, in different places, so I have my mobile equipment and wherever I am. I could always work in any studio in any country, so I’m not worried about building a studio.
However, I may want to change my gear soon, such as a new interface, a new microphone, buy new VST plug-ins, get new programmes, even.
Image: Press
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt from your career?
One of the biggest things I’ve learnt in life is you’ve got to grow. You can’t stay in one place — growth is necessary. It’s compulsory.
Another lesson is that you gotta put in the work, and once you’re successful, stay humble but don’t be stupid. And also, sometimes you gotta say ‘No’! You don’t have to say ‘Yes’ to everything.
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Moog Messenger: Everything you need to know on features, pricing, and availabilityMoog has launched a new compact and “performance-ready” synth that promises to “deliver the iconic Moog sound through a modern lens”.
The new product, Messenger, is a monophonic analogue synth suited to both beginners and seasoned pros. It mixes analogue warmth with innovative functionality, and it has an intuitive hands-on interface suited to players of all levels. The synth was shortly teased by the brand earlier this month (6 May), with more details landing just in time for Superbooth.

READ MORE: The Bob Moog Foundation is hosting a raffle for a Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D – here’s how to enter

According to Moog, Messenger seamlessly integrates into any studio, live performance setup, or modular rig. On the whole, it seems the iconic brand is keen to push that this new launch represents a “significant evolution” in its synth lineage, introducing “new sonic possibilities and enhanced playability”  so, let’s get into some of the features that make this possible.
Key features
Messenger has the DNA of other iconic Moog monosynths, such as the Minimoog Model D, Voyager, Grandmother, and Subsequent 37. It has two continuously variable-shape voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) with unique hybrid wavefolders, sync, and frequency modulation capabilities. There’s also a sub-oscillator with a continuously variable waveshape to further add “deep, powerful low-end”.
The famed Moog transistor ladder filter has also been reimagined for the Messenger, with a unique pole-mixing design offering four-pole low-pass, two-pole low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass responses. A resonance bass compensation (RES BASS) switch is also on board to preserve low-end power at high resonance settings. The classic response is also available.
Further features include:

32 semi-weighted, full-size keys with expressive control, plus 256 presets
Knob-per-function control scheme
64-step sequencer with probability-based generative behaviour and parameter recording
“Versatile” arpeggiator offering multiple pattern modes and rhythmic programming
Two loopable ADSR envelopes with velocity responsiveness and multi-trigger capabilities, along with two LFOs (one variable shape with sync and reset, and one triangle-wave tied to the modulation wheel) to provide “extensive modulation options for creative sound design”
Six analogue control voltage (CV) patch points, an external audio input to the filter, expression and sustain pedal inputs, and MIDI In/Out via both five-pin DIN and USB-C, ensuring compatibility with DAWs, modular systems, and other hardware synths

Pricing and availability
Messenger will be available at select retailers globally from 2 June 2025, and will be priced at $799 USD. If you’re heading to Superbooth this May, you can find Moog at booth 0245 to catch an early glimpse.
Image: Moog
What does Moog have to say?
“With Messenger, we aim to honour Moog’s rich heritage while embracing the future of analogue synthesis,” says Joe Richardson, Moog Music President and inMusic EVP, Chief Commercial Officer. “This instrument is crafted for musicians and producers seeking a portable, powerful monosynth that delivers the iconic Moog sound, enhanced with modern features and intuitive controls.”
Erik Norlander, Director of Keyboard Product Development at inMusic, adds: “Messenger embodies our commitment to advancing analogue synthesis while staying true to the Moog legacy and innovative spirit of Dr. Robert Moog. Our goal was to create a synthesiser that invites immediate exploration – welcoming first-time Moog players and offering the depth and expressiveness that experienced musicians expect. With wavefolding oscillators, a dynamic shape sub-oscillator, a next-generation ladder filter, and comprehensive connectivity options, Messenger is as inspiring as it is accessible.”
Head over to Moog to find out more about Messenger, or view the full list of exhibitors at this year’s Superbooth event.
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Robinhood plans blockchain for US asset trading in Europe — ReportBrokerage fintech Robinhood is reportedly developing a blockchain network that will enable retail investors in Europe to trade US securities.According to a May 7 Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter, the move seeks to expand the company's local presence by offering trading of tokenized securities, such as stocks. Two crypto firms, Arbitrum and the Solana Foundation, are reportedly vying to become partners in the project. Tokenization is the process of turning real-world assets, like stocks, real estate, or commodities, into digital tokens that can be traded on a blockchain.Tokenizing securities instead of providing direct exposure can offer several advantages: reduced costs by eliminating traditional financial infrastructure, enhanced accessibility, faster settlement times, and quicker transactions. More brokerages and investment firms are exploring asset tokenization.Robinhood has been preparing to enter the European market. In April 2025, it acquired a brokerage license in Lithuania that allows the firm to offer investment services throughout the European Union. Robinhood has also inked a deal in 2024 to purchase crypto exchange Bitstamp.“You can sit down in front of some software, create a coin and have it be trading in 5 minutes [...] That’s a scary thing,” Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev said in a recent interview. “It’s also an incredibly powerful thing if you juxtapose it with how cumbersome the IPO process is.”Robinhood shares rose 2.7% on the Nasdaq on May 7, according to Google Finance. The company’s revenue fell 8.6% in the first quarter of 2025, though it still beat Wall Street’s estimates.Robinhood’s daily stock price. Source: Google FinanceBloomberg reports that no agreement has been finalized between the brokerage and either Arbitrum or Solana regarding the project, with all three parties declining to comment.More traditional financial firms are exploring blockchain-based solutions. In May 2018, Banco Santander became the first company to use a blockchain for investor voting, while US giant JP Morgan has created its blockchain platform called Onyx.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race

NatLife Sounds Boss RV-500 Custom Presets18 Custom Presets for the Boss RV-500 Crafted for depth, motion, and stunning reverb textures. This pack includes 18 custom presets that transform the reverb pedal Boss RV-500 into a powerful ambient and spatial tool. Every preset focuses on clarity, beauty, and creative flexibility: Ping-Pong Delay with Character. You'll hear rhythmic, stereo-panning delays that move naturally and blend with the reverb. These effects add motion and space to your sound. Lush, Long Reverb Tails. These patches offer rich and extended decay. They work beautifully for ambient textures, emotional solos, and cinematic moments. Beautiful, Musical Hall Reverbs. From warm and vintage to clean and spacious, these halls feel alive. Each one adds character without overwhelming your tone. All presets respond well to expression and dynamics. Whether you're playing live or producing in the studio, this collection gives your RV-500 a new creative edge. These custom presets were built over many long hours of deep, hands-on tweaking — not just assembling effects, but crafting spaces I personally wanted to feel. One of the highlights is the unique Ping-Pong delay, which I managed to achieve on the RV-500 — something I haven't seen anywhere else. It's subtle, musical, and reacts like a true part of your playing. Every sound here was made not for trends, but with care — as if I were making them for myself. Note: each preset is programmed with both Reverb and Delay at the same time. https://youtu.be/nIkyRLZexNg?si=ZLbVmjIMK-hoxAGK Read More

Fastino trains AI models on cheap gaming GPUs and just raised $17.5M led by KhoslaTech giants like to boast about trillion-parameter AI models that require massive and expensive GPU clusters. But Fastino is taking a different approach. The Palo Alto-based startup says it’s invented a new kind of AI model architecture that’s intentionally small and task-specific. The models are so small they’re trained with low-end gaming GPUs worth less […]

Rights Management is Crowded—So Why Does UniteSync Stand Out?From the Music Connection inbox -- UniteSync: How a Producer Merged Information Science and Artistic Passion to Find Songwriters and Musicians’ Unpaid RoyaltiesCarlos Palop should have been living the dream. A producer and electronic artist, Palop was seeing real traction with some of his lofi tracks. Streams were picking up--and yet the more he looked at his royalty statements, the more discrepancies and oddities he noticed.He set out to fix this. With a parallel life in library and information sciences, Palop knew the importance of organizing data. He went deep into how information was organized in the music industry, all the struggles of publishing, metadata, and rights administration. He decided to create software to automate some of the processes he found he needed as a composer and artist.What Palop built for himself, he has now brought to the world as UniteSync, a music rights administration platform that allows independent artists and small labels to collect more money faster. UniteSync can provide lightning-fast audits, procedures that once took weeks or months, finding millions in unclaimed digital royalties.Though the company is just becoming widely available to the public, UniteSync has audited nearly 1m artists and 1.2m albums--and discovered $40-100m in unclaimed US mechanicals alone. Once found, these royalties are collected by UniteSync thanks to its close relationships with 53 paying sources in 117 territories worldwide, powered by its highly efficient tech built for the industry.“Discrepancies can be big. Sometimes, songs simply don’t get registered properly, or matching systems don’t work. The whole industry talks about this. It’s hard to give really good service to this many artists but artists deserve it,” Palop reflects. “We are seeing that AI and better tech makes this possible or at least easier. We are digital from the beginning, and that’s helping us help artists.”UniteSync’s approach is straightforward, though the devil is in the details. Once a composer signs on, the platform pulls up all her tracks. After she verifies her splits for each composition, UniteSync’s algorithms can determine what has yet to be properly registered and how much money she is due for these unregistered tracks. The system uses IPI data, along with other metadata, to determine all the aliases and name versions for each composer, simplifying matters. Once royalties are found, UniteSync can collect them for a percentage fee.In addition to publishing administration, UniteSync can manage a composer or artist’s neighboring rights and sync licensing. The platform is expanding into enhanced analytics, as well as helpful aids such as AI agents that will guide artists and songwriters through this often complex and potentially confusing realm. For Palop, however, the technology is always in service to the artist and to music, the main driving force that led him to build UniteSync. As he puts it, “I always pushed the limit as a composer and as an entrepreneur. But I knew no matter what I did it always had to be connected to music.” And what better way to connect than to uncover hidden revenue and create a stable, sustainable foundation for all.Visit unitesync.com for more info.The post Rights Management is Crowded—So Why Does UniteSync Stand Out? first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Liquid Silicone 3D Printing Is No JokeThey might call it Levity, but there’s nothing funny about Rapid Liquid Print’s new silicone 3D printer. It has to be seen to be believed, and luckily [3D Printing Nerd] gives us lots of beauty shots in this short video, embedded below.
Smooth, and fast. This bladder took 51 minutes according to the RLP website.
Printing a liquid, even a somewhat-viscous one like platinum-cure silicone, presents certain obvious challenges. The Levity solves them with buoyancy: the prints are deposited not onto a bed, but into a gel, meaning they are fully supported as the silicone cures. The fact that the liquid doesn’t cure instantly has a side benefit: the layers bleed into one another, which means this technique should (in theory) be much less isotropic in strength than FDM printing. We have no data to back that up, but what you can see for yourself that the layer-blending creates a very smooth appearance in the finished prints.
If you watch the video, it really looks like magic, the way prints appear in the gel. The gel is apparently a commercially-available hydrogel, which is good since the build volume looks to need about 500 L of the stuff. The two-part silicone is also industry-standard and off-the-shelf, though no doubt the exact ratios and are tweaked for purpose. There’s no magic, just a really neat technology.
If you want one, you can sign up for the waiting list at Rapid Liquid Print’s website, but be prepared to wait; units ship next year, and there’s already a list.
Alternatively, since there is no magic here, we’d love to see someone take it on themselves, the way once equally exotic SLS printers have entered the DIY world. There was a time when resin printers were new and exotic and hobbyists had to roll their own, too. None of this is to say we don’t respect the dickens out of the Rapid Liquid Print team and their achievement–it’s just that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

How to write a song: Make a song in 7 steps
Learn how to write a song in seven steps—from lyrics to arrangement, we cover the full songwriting process in this in-depth, beginner-friendly guide.

US Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission launch public inquiry into live music businessAgencies launch public inquiry under President Trump’s executive order
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Erica Synths’ upcoming HEXDRUMS drum machine is injected with Hexinverter DNAErica Synths has offered the first glimpse of its HEXDRUMS drum machine, which is due to launch later this year.
HEXDRUMS is an analogue drum machine made in collaboration with Canadian Eurorack module manufacturer, Hexinverter. In 2022, the company announced its closure, and Erica Synths later took over its catalogue. The brand has since re-released a number of its products, namely its drum modules.

READ MORE: Reason Studios’ Arpeggio Lab is a pattern-generating “cure for creative block”

HEXDRUMS utilises the “DNA of Hexinverter’s Mutant circuits”, and Erica Synths says it is “forged out of deep respect for traditional designs with innovative improvements and the combined spellwork of its makers.”
It has a hands-on layout, and offers 10 sound sources mostly based on the Hexinverter Mutant series of percussion modules. Users will be able to experiment with two kick drums – a BD9 and Bass drum – an optimised Mutant Machine, Snare drum, Clap, Rimshot and HiHats. Additionally, Erica Synths’ own Cymbals are added, featuring 10 sets of crash and ride cymbal samples.
All drums have individual outputs and for the master section they are panned in the stereo field before being sent into the Compressor and Master Drive, which is derived from the Hexinverter Mutant Glue. A  kick drum-controlled sidechain is also described as a “special feature” that can be used to animate drum patterns on the beat.
Hear how it sounds in the teaser below:

“Our plan was always to use the Mutant Drum DNA to create a next-level desktop drum machine,” Comments Stacy Gaudreau of Hexinverter Électronique. “We began early work on one before the pandemic. I’m so glad that the Erica Synths crew was able to carry out the vision and finish the dream!”
HEXDRUMS will arrive later this year, but no official release date or pricing information have yet been revealed. In the meantime, you can check out more products from Erica Synths.
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Superbooth 2025: the latest news from the German synth and music tech extravaganzaThough far from the same scale as the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Berlin’s Superbooth is a big date in the calendar of any synth nerd or music technology obsessive. 
Hosted over three days – this year 8-10 May – at the German capital’s FEZ centre, Superbooth sees exhibitors in the form of some of the industry’s biggest players – many of which earmark the event to showcase exciting new products.
Which brands will be at Superbooth 2025?
Superbooth is one of the biggest events in the music tech calendar, and as such, you can expect a presence from some of the industry’s top brands.
This year’s event will see booths hosted by Akai Professional, Korg, Novation, Moog, Arturia, Elektron, Native Instruments and many more, as well as a number of smaller brands, too. There’ll be quite literally hundreds of brands at the show, so visitors will have to plan accordingly to fit in those they particularly want to see.
Which brings us to our next point…
Superbooth 2025: Can anyone attend?
Yep – Superbooth is open to the public, so anyone can attend. One-day tickets are priced at €41 – the same for any chosen day – while you can also purchase a three-day ticket covering the entire event for €100.
The show starts tomorrow (8 May), but tickets are still available over at the Superbooth website.
What else can I expect?
Alongside major new product announcements from some of the biggest brands in music tech, Superbooth 2025 will also see a range of performances from DJs and artists including JakoJako, Surgeon and Italo Brutalo, as well as workshops for attendees to get truly hands-on with new synths, controllers, modular gear and more.
The team here at MusicTech will be updating this article throughout the event with all the latest news and product announcements you need to know about, so stay tuned…

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iZotope unveil Velvet smart de-esser Following on from the introduction of Aurora and Plasma, iZotope have announced the launch of the latest addition to their popular Catalyst series.

Dreamtonics announces Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro vocal synthesis software ($99)
Dreamtonics has unveiled Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro, the next-generation update of its AI-powered vocal synthesis software for Windows and macOS. The software and all version 2 voice banks are available for pre-order now and will officially launch on March 21, 2025. Synthesizer V Studio has already earned a reputation as one of the most [...]
View post: Dreamtonics announces Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro vocal synthesis software ($99)

G Herbo: No Spotify, just 13M direct to fan streams via MySeatIndie rapper G Herbo is bypassing streaming-first releases to bring his music directly to fans with impressive results.
The post G Herbo: No Spotify, just 13M direct to fan streams via MySeat appeared first on Hypebot.

Importance Of Going Global: Rethinking Artist DevelopmentBreaking an artist isn’t just about going viral, it’s about building real fans across the globe. With fewer resources and more challenges than ever, it is essential that we begin rethinking artist development, writes Will Shanahan.
The post Importance Of Going Global: Rethinking Artist Development appeared first on Hypebot.