Timbaland: Forever Relevant

Independent Research Entry : Timbaland

Let’s talk about Tim Mosely, more famously known as Timbaland. He has been relevant producer of R&B and Hip-Hop music for the past 20 years. He has worked on artist from Alliyah to Missy Elliot to Rick Ross and Jay-Z and continues to be highly sought after. He is known for being the first to have his unique electronic beats being used in R&B and Hip Hop and for manually creating his drum patterns, never using sampled drums.


 Although, it doesn’t make the music he produces something you are able to dance to, it is full of energy and differs from the smooth relaxing and laid back instrumentals that everyone was used to in the mid 90’s. Another characteristic that sticks out is that he has the ability to create all of his drum sounds and patterns and programs them into a key bank so that they are easily accessible when he needs to make a quick beat it is already laid out for him on the keyboard. Because he makes his own drum sounds the minute you hear a song come on a radio you can tell that he produced it.


 As a listener, I can easily say that Timbaland is one of the producers that inspires me and reminds me that I love music and being able to create these kind of instrumentals, while not being limited by the type of music I create, is something I need to do. As an industry professional, it is same. The best that I can take with me, is that I have to work hard. If I want to be relevant in the next five years, I have to get extremely serious with the music that I create and the tools that I use. I can’t allow myself to just sit idle or slack off and I have to use most, if not all, of my free time focusing on my craft.

What's Going On - A Podcast

What's Going On?!?!

Before the famously known song “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, Marvin was in a couple of groups similar to The Temptations and Smokey and the Robinsons, as those groups were very popular back then. His image was clean cut and gave off a welcoming presence. Eventually, as time passed, he decided to do what was best for him, musically. Looking at how everyone was treating each other out in the streets, how war vets were being treated when they came home, and realizing that this is not the freedom that people fought so hard for, Gaye let out his emotions in a song. That song is “What’s Going On”.

During the 60’s and into the 70’s, the music of Motown was about romance, whether it be found or lost. Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” took a whole new direction. Talking about social decline, social unrest and sending out a message to make people think about what is actually going on, Motown’s head brass didn’t like it at all. He worked very hard at recording, everyone that recorded it with him felt it was a hit but Barry Gordy, “founder and president of Motown records would not let it be played or made in mass for anyone to hear.  That was just one song. The rest of the album also titled “What’s Going On” were filled with soulful songs that talked about how the streets were, telling stories to hopefully open up the eyes of those doing wrong or sitting by and letting wrong happen.

The first thing that is noticed on What’s Going On is the vibe that it has. It’s first title track seems to lead in to the second song and by the end of the first song, you would have been mesmerized by the message that is being given to not just the African American communities but as a whole.

The Velvet Underground is like an acid trip

Velvet Underground is like an acid trip. A variety of different sounds and music combined actually work well together giving us a psychedelic sound.  Lou Reed and John Cale wanted to do something different within the music industry and combine different forms of music to create not just something to listen to but something to experience.

When Velvet Underground was supported, promoted, and, for a little while, produced by the one and only Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol is a renowned artist who was known for his extreme uniqueness. With Andy Warhol being behind Velvet Underground and openly supporting their music, Velvet Underground gained more fans and were able to perform at more places. One of the ways Warhol was able to help Velvet Underground rise up was by including them in a multimedia road show called Exploding Plastic Inevitable.

Something that sets Velvet Underground apart from a lot of other bands that were out around that time are their use of instruments. The drummer, Mo Tucker, didn’t have any drum training and she never played the drums traditionally. In the book,” The Velvet Underground and Nico” by Joe Harvard, it says that she once played on garbage cans when her bass drum was stolen.  Her play style feels like it is something that you can’t really imitate but appreciate, take note of and probably learn something about being free into the rhythm without the typical constraints of placed drum fills to signify a change.

My first impression of Velvet Underground was and still is a mixed feeling. There were a couple of songs that caught my attention right from the beginning and then there were some songs that I wished would end. It’s like my instructor, Paul Harland, said, it is something that has to grow on you. I haven’t heard any other album other than the “Velvet Underground and Nico”. I could probably find a couple of other songs that I enjoy if I listened to more of them.

Pet Sounds - Beach Boys

Before the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" was recorded, the Beach Boys were considered more like a barbershop quartet with a more up tempo and youth sound utilizing harmonized vocals and fun lyrics. Pet Sounds changed a lot of that image, putting a more serious feel into the Beach Boys signature sound
This change was mostly because of Brian Wilson, who wrote, composed, mixed and produced the songs that were created by the Beach Boys. Two characteristics that drive the Beach Boy sound are the many track layers that are recorded and mixed in together with the harmonized vocals and music giving it a more thick and full sound and the range and harmonization of the vocals that are used by the Beach Boys.

My impressions of Pet Sounds is that its not like the songs that I have gotten accustomed to hearing from the Beach Boys. The songs that are featured in movies and commercials are the ones that I grew up with in combination with the previous mentioned mediums. Pet Shop may appear to be similar but the lyrics are much deeper. I believe if it wasbt for Brian Wilson's love for what he was doing, the Beach Boys wouldn't be as relevant as they are now.

Welcome

Hello,

My name is Richard Kidd and I am currently studying Music Production at Full Sail University. Music has always had a special place and part of my life and in my soul. Although I didn't realize it at first, I feel the music industry is where I need to be. My main goal is to create soundtracks for motion pictures and video games. There is something about the emotion that is created behind a light string movement really gets me excited. Here I will be blogging about various music events and artists and news. Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy what is here.