What Games Can Teach You About Music
What Games Can Teach You About Music Games and music have always been intricately intertwined. Red Brick highlights how music completes the video game experience through sound symbolism as well as movement. It would be difficult to separate the ominous setting of Dark Souls from its soundtrack. Or to experience the speed of Super Mario Odyssey without the melody that follows in the background. The 8-bit era of games is a rabbit hole worthy of exploring. These original game sounds were some of the first to be synthesized using computer chips as opposed to samples of audio recordings imported into the game. These sounds have become iconic and have weaved their way through pop culture for decades. With nostalgia for 8-Bit era aesthetics and sounds at an all-time high, we are seeing musicians draw inspiration from these vintage games and sounds in new and innovative ways. The genres …
Read More
Student Spotlight – Nolo Grace | Debut Single “Wake Up” – feat. Sean Kingston
Nolo Grace shares inside her process to create her debut single “Wake Up” feat. Sean Kingston, creating during lockdown, and leaving the corporate world behind. su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ Watch our full Interview Watch our full interview with Nolo Grace discussing her debut single “Wake Up” – feat. Sean Kingston Listen to “Wake Up” here on Spotify. su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ About Nolo Grace Nolo Grace is a Korean-American singer/songwriter/producer making her debut with “Wake Up,” featuring pop artist Sean Kingston ( known for his Billboard Hot 100 song “Beautiful Girls” and other hit songs like “Fire Burning” and “Eenie Meanie.”) Nolo Grace charted an unconventional path into music. After building a business career as a successful corporate executive in New York City, she decided to leave that behind and traveled the world as a digital nomad before moving to Los Angeles in 2017. As she discovered a path of her …
Read More
Non-Fungible Tokens – Hype, Flaws, and Innovation
(Cover Image derived from Consensual Hallucinations by crypto artist Serwah Attafuah) A digital certificate for intellectual property is sweeping the music world. Known as a Non-Fungible Token, or an NFT, these cryptographically verified digital collectibles allow artists to store unchangeable versions of their music/art on the blockchain. This article explores the hype, the flaws, and the innovation of this new technology and what it means for you as a producer, artist, or musician. su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ What is Blockchain technology? At this point, we have all heard about Bitcoin. But what many don’t know is that it is the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that holds the power and potential to revolutionize all aspects of our digital exchanges. su_quote cite=”Shermin Voshmgir (Author of Token Economy)”If we assume that the WWW has revolutionized information and the Web 2 revolutionizes interactions, then Web3 has the potential to revolutionize agreements and value …
Read More
All About Max for Live Packs | PitchLoop 89
All About Max for Live Packs | PitchLoop 89 Created in collaboration with Robert Henke, this Ableton 11 Max for Live device is based on an early digital effects processor. The outcome is jittery glitch effects, delayed digital shimmers, and outlandish vibrato. Watch guest host Lillian Frances breakdown this unique device for sound design and beat making. Video Tutorial su_youtube_advanced url=”https://youtu.be/CeLxElsRTPc” width=”400″ height=”200″ autohide=”yes” rel=”no” fs=”no” modestbranding=”yes” For more on Max for Live Packs check out our All About Max for Live Packs Playlist. Subscribe for more awesome tutorials! divider style=”clear” About Lillian Frances Lillian Frances is a sonic collager hailing from Sacramento, CA. Frances attended Beat Lab in 2015 and 2019 and has since taught Ableton courses at The Library of MusicLandria in Sacramento. Her unique alt-pop style has been compared to Lorde, Sylvan Esso, and Billie Eilish. Her 2018 EP, Timeism, was praised by NPR’s Heavy …
Read More
Student Spotlight – Interview with Beat Lab Alumna Madame Gandhi
Student Spotlight – Interview with Beat Lab Alumna Madame Gandhi This month, we had the honor of sitting down with talented musician, drummer, and producer Kiran Gandhi, aka Madame Gandhi. Gandhi has toured with acts such as M.I.A., Thievery Company, and Kehlani and even accompanied Oprah last year on her 2020 Vision tour. Known for her work as an activist as well as an artist, Gandhi uses her music and advocacy to focus on fourth-wave feminism, or the empowerment, inclusion, and representation of marginalized genders in business, politics, and culture. We loved hearing her thoughts on the role of music in culture, the power of rhythm, and her sage advice to the next generation of femme producers. Kiran began with our Foundations of Music Production course and has since graduated from our Ableton Push Master Course. su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ How old were you when you first started making …
Read More
Beat Lab Fresh Tracks January 2021
Fresh Tracks of the Month – January 2021 We are bringing in 2021 with a showcase of our favorite Alumni releases from the past month. From ambient waterfalls to wompy bass lines, these tracks offer a playful range of musical talent and vibe that are as fresh as the powder snow on Mountain High today. So sit back, relax, and get down! su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ AllieyXO feat Britt Lari – Deseos Alliey XO crafts a beautiful winter bop with the singer and Beat Lab alumn Britt Lari. XO’s production builds a cool-toned background for Lari’s yearning Latin vocal performance while airy synth plucks push the melodic power of this track into another realm. The track is driven forward by a pulsing kick that culminates in a liberating final drop. Reminiscent of cool nights near so-cal beaches, this song is indie-pop meets deep house in a beautiful Latin winter spell …
Read MoreFeatured Masterclass
