My Mission

My goal for this academic year is to really learn the ropes of what it means to be a producer, before starting this class I’ve been using a free software on my phone to make my work. By the end of my time here I wish to improve my creative ability, my knowledge on mixing/mastering, upgrade my workflow to something more industry-standard. I look to confidently consider myself a producer by the end of this academic year.

This portfolio contains three artefacts in which I have hand selected to represent different aspects of what I feel is important in a producer. “Conflict at Zero” is a DAW track I made that displays my skills as a producer well as it shows my knowledge in music theory, mixing and mastering in the one package. My second artefact “SUPERHOT AFMM Project” demonstrates an intricate understanding of mixing as the game clip I re-added the sound for heavily involves time warping, which generally takes a number of effects, audio warping and automation if you want it to sound accurate. My third artefact is the cover of “Knockin’ on Heavens Door” My group worked on for most of the academic year. This is the first group project I have underwent in a professional setting and it displays a level of DAW knowledge, teamwork and mixing that you’d expect to find in someone considered a producer.

Role Description

To progress as a music producer, you generally start off by choosing your DAW of choice and sharpening your skills via personal or assigned projects to gain the know-how. Once proficient in the skill the next best thing to do generally is to make connections with artists who can vouch for you to bigger and bigger names which can lead you into more professional environments for higher paying work. There’s no good in being the best producer in the world if you have no platform to display your masterpieces.

Here are some high-profile examples of people working in this field:

1. Daft Punk (1993-2021) – One of the most influential electronic bands in all time, infamous for their futuristic looking helmets, released their first album “Homework” in 1997, this is what kickstarted their journey into the spotlight. Following this in 2001 is what many fans would consider their magnum opus, “Discovery”, this album is well known for the complex sampling techniques present in it, a prime example would be the song “Face to face” featuring a bucketload of chopped up samples from many different songs. Later on, they released their album “Human After All” in 2005, this album didn’t gather as much fame as its previously mentioned older brother, though it has still aged like fine wine 20 years later. Their final album, “Random Access Memories” stands as their most well-known album as this was made by a Daft Punk that had proved themselves in the industry and went on to collaborate with some heavy hitters such as Pharrell Williams on “Get Lucky” + “Lose Yourself to Dance” along with Julian Casablancas on “Instant Crush”.

2. Justice (2003-Present) – The first band I properly got into, these guys were heavily influenced by Daft Punk, and are often talked about in relation to them and vice versa, their first album “Cross” released in 2007 and immediately became a hit for its iconic sound. This album was the first of 4 released by them (so far, hopefully) to feature the bands iconic angled cross symbol derived from Christianity, though neither Xavier de Rosnay or Gaspard Auge have publicly identified as religious. Their second album “Audio, Video, Disco” took on a different approach to its sound (this becomes a theme), taking on more rock-inspired sound, as well as cover art, and featured their 17-minute-long titan of a song “Planisphere”, considered by many fans their best work. Their third album “Woman” featured the cross with liquid-metal looking solution flowing around it. This album took on the sound of disco/funk and is what I’d consider their most underrated work. Their fourth album “Hyperdrama” can be likened to Daft Punk’s RAM in terms of popularity and features, the most notable of which being Tame Impala on “One Night/All Night” and “Neverender” featured their signature symbol made out of glass with a glowing ribcage inside of it. The sound could be described as a blend of “Cross” and “Woman” with a mix of pop, though there are some callbacks to their original sound such as in the appropriately named “Muscle Memory”.

3. Pharrell Williams – Pharrell is a producer that primarily works in hip-hop, R&B and pop. He has become an industry titan and is well-known for his versatility when it comes to working with artists of different genres. His most notable collaborators include the previously mentioned Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Robin Thicke and Ariana Grande. He has also contributed to the film industry with his work on the Despicable Me franchise as well as the 2015 movie SpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water.

Artefacts for Inclusion

For my first artefact I chose my song “Conflict at Zero” as I feel it does a good job at showing how my skills have developed with Ableton Live since first using it at the start of the academic year. This is the most clear-cut example of the work I want to pursue within my chosen role as a producer.

For my second artefact I chose my project completed in my Audio for Multimedia course “SUPERHOT AFMM Project” as its completion has given me transferable skills that will help me succeed as a producer in the future. My work put into this project does a good job at demonstrating my growth of knowledge on Live’s audio effects and how they work, which is an invaluable trait to bring to the table when mixing or mastering a track.

My third chosen artefact is my cover of “Knockin’ on Heavens Door” by Bob Dylan. The completion of this project is proof in of itself that I am capable of working in a studio environment with professionals to complete a task. Along with my newfound proficiency in Pro Tools, making a song cover requires a degree of knowledge on how said song is structured and the recording decisions made for the original. Making my own mix and master of this track also serves as an accomplishment directly correlated with the line of work I will get into.