E.P Evaluation

What is your E.P called?

My E.P is called Voyage.

What styles of music are on the E.P?

They styles of music on my E.P is RnB, Ambient, Hip Hop.

What genre would you categorise the E.P as? It can be more than one.

I would say my E.P's genres are more RnB and Ambient because some of the songs have pad chord progressions and some of them have a slow tempo.

Musically - How well does your E.P fit into the genre you work in? Compare your work to your favourite artists.

My E.P does fit into these genres and I know this by comparing my music to RnB artists like PARTYNEXTDOOR & Jhene Aiko. When I listen to PARTYNEXTDOOR's music the sounds that are used in some of his songs are very ambient and mellow and when I listen to Jhene Aiko's music some of the sounds used are ambient as well but some songs are not always ambient and mostly have a slow tempo. The instruments used to make the rhythm in her songs fits in well with the sounds used because the instruments are not harsh sounding like hip hop or trap snares and hats and they have a subtle and smooth tone.

In terms of technical standard (recording/mixing) - are you happy with the E.P? Tell me about the strengths and weaknesses of your music.

I am happy with the recording of my E.P because I used very top quality mics such as the Rode NTK. The NTK brought clarity to the vocals I recorded and I wanted the best vocal recordings for my E.P because in this project I thought about what I wanted this final product to sound like and I was focused on making sure the vocals have clarity and presence. However, I did use the SE Titan to record Imani B because I didn't know the golden rule of the NTK at the time.

Mixing wise, I would say the tracks can be improved more. I would improve them by listening to the drums and making sure their frequencies are well balanced and by this I mean not too much or too little lo end for the kick and making sure the hi end instruments are not harsh sounding. I would also make sure everything is well balanced in volume making sure one instrument is not overpowering another instrument. I would make decisions on what should be the loudest instruments or sound in the mix and I would decide what instruments and sound need to be less loud.

Technically - How well does your E.P fit into the genre? Compare your work to your favourite artists.

I have compared 'Imani B - I'm In Love With You' to PARTYNEXTDOOR's song 'East Liberty'. I would say my song has a thinner sound than 'East Liberty'. When I listen to the kick, sub bass and snare of that song I listen to how fat, strong and punchy those instruments are whereas my song has a thin sounding snare, no sub bass but strong kick. So I would say this song, technically, doesn't fit in well as much into the genre. I have compared also 'Camilla x King Reginald - Don't Forget' to 'East Liberty' as well and I'd say this song fits in well with the genre because this song has a fatter kick, layered snare drums, bass and sub bass but I would say the mixing of the song can be improved and I'd improve it by making the vocals less loud, making the clap less loud and making sure there isn't too much lo end in the bass and sub bass.

Did you collaborate with other musicians/artists on your E.P?

Yes I did. I have collaborated with people in level 3 music yr 1 and yr 2. I have collaborated with Imani B, Camilla & Reggie.

Who did you work with in the studio? What roles did they fill? How did this help you complete your E.P? 

I worked with the same people in the list above and the roles they for filled were singer-songwriter and they helped me complete my E.P by writing the lyrics for the instrumentals I gave to them, rehearsed them and recorded them as soon as they were ready, plus they also recorded ad libs, harmonies and backing vocals around the lead vocals.

Which role are you most comfortable in? Why?

The role I am comfortable in is the producer role. This is because I am very focused on composing chord progressions, melodies, rhythm and basslines and I am very focused on structuring the ideas I've composed and I don't have any difficulty with getting the ideas down into whichever daw I am using.

What was the most important piece of equipment you used when making your E.P? How did you use it? Why was it most important? 

The most important piece of equipment I used was the Rode NTK mic. I used this mic to record all the vocals required for my E.P. This piece of equipment was very important to me because I wanted to bring the best out of the vocals. I didn't want to use a mic that doesn't bring the best sound for the vocals and the NTK was a brilliant mic to use in my E.P because I knew this mic is a valve condenser mic. For me, vocals are a key thing in a song that people like listening to and this is why it was important for me to make sure the vocals have clarity and presence. So this is why Rode NTK mic was such an important piece of equipment in my E.P.

Give me an example of a studio session that went really well. What was good about that session? Why?

I had two studio sessions with Imani B back in January and these two sessions went very well. They went very well because in the first session we managed to record all the vocals for the chorus sections. We recorded one chorus and I copied those recordings onto the other chorus sections so that we could save ourselves some time and not record them again. In the second session we managed to record all the vocals for the verses and bridge in one session and altogether, it only took two sessions to record the full song. Another reason why these sessions went well is because Imani didn't waste any time with getting his vocals recorded and he made sure to perform his vocals as if he were performing live.

What is your favourite track on your E.P? Why is it your favourite?

My favourite track from my E.P is 'Imani B - I'm In Love With You'. The reason why it's my favourite track is because I really like Imani's harmonies and backing vocals. These sets of vocals add a warmer and gentle sound around the music and other sets of vocals, plus, these sets of vocals are well layered with the lead vocals and this makes the track itself not sound empty and alone. Another reason why this track is my favourite is the track's mix. The drums are cutting through and so are the vocals and this is exactly how I wanted the drums and vocals to sound like in this track.

What are you going to do with your completed E.P? Send to labels? Post online for free? What are your plans for the future?

When my E.P is finished and ready for release I will upload it online and make it a free download. I will make my E.P a free download because this E.P will show the talent and experience I have and this is a good way of getting heard more. My future plans is to promote myself more, make contacts with singer-songwriters and session players for future projects, getting aired on radio and making contacts with events management for E.P or album launches.

What is the most important thing you have learnt when creating your E.P?

The most important thing I learned is parallel compression. Since I have learnt parallel compression I have been able to make most of my drums and vocals cut though the mix and make them louder. Another thing I have learned is getting the balance of the vocals right by pulling the faders down on the mixing desk and listening to the vocals carefully and making sure they are not too loud or too distant in the mix. Another thing I have also learned is compressing vocals hard without making them sound over-compressed and making them louder using the make up gain.

What is your most recent music purchase?

I haven't been purchasing music recently.

How much money do you spend on music every month?

I spend £1.98 on music every month.

How much money do you spend on going to gigs/clubs?

The gigs I have attended were a free entry and I don't go to clubs very much.

How do you plan to make a career in the music industry? What are your future plans?

To make a career in the music industry I will have to be very active in making contacts with music managers because they will be the ones who will get into contact with record label A&Rs and they will help me earn a place in whichever label. I also must make contacts with singer-songwriters and session players because they will be useful people for future projects and making contacts with events management is beneficial too because they will help me with hosting and promoting E.P or album launches and this will help develop my fanbase. Another thing I must do is join PRS so that I earn royalties every time my music gets aired on the radio.