BLOG 14 – HOUSE/DANCE SONG – LYRICS & MELODIES
Now that the track idea has been created in terms of instrumentation and structure, we decided to work on some lyrics together. It was also important to form a melody together at this point, however, as I have more experience with creating melodies and because my vocal will be used for this track, it was important that I was able to create something catchy.
Below demonstrates the various takes for the introduction, verse and pre-chorus. Because this is a starting point, some parts will need to be re-recorded. For example, during the start of the pre-chorus there are some slight clipping and distortion . We will also use double tracking and harmonies as a technique to create more thickness and layer to the vocal, and as suggested by Dowsett (2015, p.501), by doing these methods it ‘can be given extra depth by the layering of extra vocal textures’.
Vocal Editing Research:
Because this is a House/EDM track, it is important that me and Connor work together to create the vocal to be edited in a way that fits within the genre. In order to do this, we believe that it is important to create some vocal chops throughout the piece. Below is an example of a remix song from Alan Walker ft. Ava Max by RetroVision titled ‘Alone’. Showing in particular how a variety of vocal chops have been used throughout. This will also form as a ‘AKUA remix’ as Connor will be able to remix the piece and my vocals in his own way using Ableton. This is something that many DJ/producers are doing today and also giving Connor an opportunity to experiment with my vocals.
The video below also shows a house tune produced by Diplo and Skrillex created in Ableton, giving an example of the construction of the track in terms of instrumentation and vocal edits that make the piece stand out.
‘The catchy, hyper-synthetic dance pop is representative of the increasing collaboration between prominent DJs and pop vocalists’ (Hepworth-Sawyer et al, 2019)
What Next?
- Work with Connor to edit the vocals fitting with the music
- Create interesting vocal chops/edits
- Further work on the others songs
Reference List:
Dowsett, P. (2015). Audio Production Tips: Getting the Sound Right at the Source. New York: CRC Press.
Hepworth-Sawyer, R., Hodgson, J. Marrington, M. (2019). Producing Music. New York: Routledge.
RetroVision. (2020). Online Video. Alan Walker & Ava Max – Alone, Pt. II (RetroVision Remix). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LoF1WccXe8 [Accessed 17th March, 2020].
The New York Times. (2015). Online Video. Where Are U Now’: Bieber, Diplo and Skrillex Make a Hit | Diary of a Song. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mY5FNRh0h4 [Accessed 17th March, 2020].
GEORGIA PAPANICOLA 