GEORGIA PAPANICOLA

BLOG 20 – GREEK POP SONG CONTINUED

Because we have both decided to go down the root of creating a Greek Pop track, below are some song examples that we will use as track references and that I will be able to show to Connor who is not familiar with Greek pop music.

Connor’s Online Feedback/Help

Mixing and mastering was definitely needed for this track, mainly due to the muddiness that the bass and drums was causing. This was resolved with some EQ as well as compression. Below are some points Connor provided me beforehand and guidance into how to edit the track.

• The bass note on the third chord sounds a little dissonant,
• Bring those claps out more, a bit of eq and a touch of reverb and compression will make it pop and fill out the mix more
• Layer them too with another snare that’s a bit punchier and has more weight/body to it – something a bit more EDM-like, but only subtly there just as a bit of presence; I would personally do this for the build up and drop, the clap itself sits quite nicely throughout the verses
• I would also pan any instruments appropriately, especially if theres 2 melodies going at the same time, it just creates a bit of space around the centre for the bass and anything chordal like the strings, to which you should add a touch of stereo imaging to make it sound wider
• You should use more risers to enhance the transition, a few breaks in musical elements will help add impact to the chorus
• Bring those shakers out too theyr’e really nice – just start with the kick at 0 and turn everything else down, then just slowly bring everything in so it sits properly
• In the chorus, the bass notes should be every beat and not be swung but that’s just my opinion – if u like it keep it,
• Also sidechain that kick to the bass itself so it kinda pumps along with the kick

AFTER EDITING:

Because I did struggle with the editing process and my understanding of technical words, I decided it was best to bounce down each track line and send to Connor via WeTransfer where he was able to apply correct EQ and compression. I am really pleased with the outcome of Connors mix for this track! The sound sound less muddy and more refined. Connor has also arranged the chorus’ to be of better quality in terms of creating more of a build up.

• Reverb and compression added
• Panning alongside EQ
• Layered chorus clap with verse clap – brighter in the top end, EQd the high end out with some negative gain on high shelf

What Next?

This track still needs to be worked on it terms of the overall sound but we will mainly need to start creating the melody and lyrics as soon as possible. This will also help to continue to mix the vocals with the track. I also need to:

1. Continue the other tracks – Pop and Reggaeton mainly, finishing the lyrics and melodies!
2. Start to mix and master those as well

Reference List:

Cobalt Music. (2018). Μαλού – Άτακτο Παιδί | Official Video Clip. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzG2AtvWf5Q [Accessed March 1st, 2020].

PanikRecordsTube. (2018). (Online Video). Josephine – Μάγια | Magia – Official 4K Music Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1BaPp_zkC0&feature=emb_title [Accessed March 31st, 2020].

PanikRecordsTube. (2018). (Online Video). Ήβη Αδάμου feat Stavento – Δικό Μου – Official Music Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwgFtUYBrSc [Accessed May 5th, 2020].

Helena Paparizou. (2017). (Online Video). Helena Paparizou – Έτσι Κι Έτσι (Official Music Video). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGIl9N6JwhY [Accessed March 31st, 2020].

BLOG 19 – POP SONG CONTINUED

Now that me and Connor have formed the basic structure of the pop track in terms of instrumentation, it is now about forming the lyrics and vocal melody. Below is the starting point of lyrics that have been put together and can be heard in the track below as a draft.

LYRICS AND MELODIES:

Above are the starting lyrics that we have come up with. Although these lyrics are very simple, and are very typical in a sense, they do fit with the melody really well! We will now continue to create the melody and lyrics for the verse and the bridge. This hopefully shouldn’t take too long, which will then allow me to record the vocals and then have them sent to Connor for his thoughts and advice.

When writing these lyrics, it was rather difficult to come up with something interesting that would fit the melody. Fosbraey et al .(2018, p.x) state that ‘the song lyric has come be such a strong part of art and culture, being ephemeral, throwaway, unforgettable and memorable all at the same time, it is like no other art form’. I found this really interesting, however, because most pop songs are mostly about love, this was the easiest route to go down. As highlighted by Austin et al. (2020), there are a few points to follow when song writing:

1. Find a message/story to write about – ‘a sure bet is anything about love’
2. Simple melody
3. Chord changes

When creating this song however, we did create the melody first before the lyrics. This may be something that needs to be done differently next time as this has made putting lyrics to fit in the melody very challenging for us both. This was also something we did mention at the beginning where we will experiment with lyrics or melody first, in this sense, this has proven that inserting instrumentation and creating the melodies/chords into the DAW first makes it difficult to form the lyrics after.

What Next?

My next aims for this particular song are to mainly

1. Write the rest of the lyrics and melody
2. Start to think about mixing and mastering, the instrumentation, etc with Connor
3. Continue to work on the other songs

Reference List:

Austin, D., Austin, L.C., Peterik, J. (2020). Songwriting For Dummies. Hoboken: John & Wiley Sons.

Fosbraey, G., Melrose, A. (2018). Writing Song Lyrics: A Creative and Critical Approach. London: Macmillan International Higher Education.

BLOG 18 – NEO-SOUL OR GREEK POP

Now that we have created 3 tracks in the styles of House, Reggaeton and Pop, we wanted to further experiment with two other genres, Neo-Soul and Greek Pop. Although this was different to our original plan in blog 6, we now have expanded our thoughts and ideas! Below shows a video of a more R&B style that we started creating before the COVID-19 outbreak. In this video, we firstly created the chords and the lyrics as shown below:

Lyrics:

After deciding that we were not going to be using an R&B song, we then explored and experimented with Neo-Soul and Greek Pop.

It is now a choice as to which one we feel will best this suit EP. However, I feel that the Greek song would be more appropriate to me as an artist and would also fit with the Greek elements of the EP cover that me and Alex formed! Below shows each song and the ideas that me and Connor have put together through online communication!

NEO-SOUL – ELEMENTS

GREEK POP

Because of the EP cover does show some elements of Greek (border) as aforementioned, me and Connor both thought it would be better to form a Greek song, which is great for me to explore another genre of interest. Below is a playlist that I have put together so that Connor gains an understanding of the sounds and production elements that are used in Greek Pop songs.

What Next?

Our next aims are to:

1. Create a Greek song
2. Then create melody and lyrics and see which one works/sounds best out of both genres
3. Continue to research look at other similar songs

BLOG 17 – POP SONG: [LOGIC] IDEAS

Now that we have the first initial ideas for the house track, we now wanted to move on and begin the main ideas for the pop track. To start off, we firstly looked at some pop songs that are currently popular or have been in the charts in the past 2 years. This will start us off in the right direction!

POP SONG RESEARCH:

POP SONG STRUCTURE:

Below shows one of the most typical pop song structures suggested by Day et al. (2014, p.345). This is something that I could follow for the piece, but I have made my own version with a pre-chorus, mainly to form something with more of a build up.

Figure 17.0. – Pop Song Structure

Source: Day et al., 2014, p.345

Figure 17.1. – Structure for Pop Track

Below is the first ideas that we have come up with for this track! The chord sequence are simple and follow as (see figure 17.1.)

For this track we created firstly created the chords and input the structure and instrumentation into the DAW first before creating the lyrics and chords (mentioned in blog 6). But because Logic does have more sounds available than on Connors Ableton Software, we have created this track in Logic Pro X, something that we both decided would be easier, especially as we were able to plug in the piano (USB) and input the chords quickly easily.

What Next?

The next steps with this track are to:

1. Start to produce lyrics and melodies
2. Think about what we can do with the overall mix

As well as this track, it is now important to move on and start thinking about the final track and begin to form it.

Reference List:

Billie Eilish. (2019). (Online Video). Billie Eilish – everything i wanted (Audio). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCTMq7xvdXU [Accessed May 6th, 2020].

Camila Cabello. (2019). (Online Video). Camila Cabello – Used to This (Audio). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RFZpNzNjJ8 [Accessed May 6th, 2020].

Day, H., Kovarsky, J., Neely, B., Pearl, D., Pilhofer, M. (2014). Piano and Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

BLOG 16 – COLLABORATION PLAN CHANGE

Due to the issues with COVID-19, me and Connor will not be able to work or meet together in person. Although this may be an issue with the collaborative side of things, to resolve this, we will now be working online through social media (Facebook and Soundcloud) to communicate and send each other our ideas. Connor will also be able to advise me on the production/editing allowing us to continue to work on the rest of the tracks where I will send him an updated version of the tracks each week.

Below shows the timeline and progress of my project. It is also important that during this time, I am able to still follow my timeline plan, however, some alterations have been made due to the issue with the Corona Virus:

• FEBRUARY 1st – 10th – PROJECT PLAN IDEAS

  Plan and create a plan of ideas – who will I collaborate with? What project will I create?

• FEBRUARY – COLLABORATOR FOUND

  Now that I have found a music producer, where do I start?

• FEBRUARY 17th – COLLABORATOR 2 FOUND

  Begin and plan EP cover with Alex

• FEBRUARY 20th-28th – EP RESEARCH

  Research inspiration – look at other covers

• MARCH 2nd – EP TRACKS BEGUN

  Begin track one planning

• MARCH 5th- EP COVER BEGUN

  Create mock up and discussion

• MARCH 12th – EP COVER FINISHED

  Completed cover

• APRIL – 4 TRACKS FINISHED (STRUCTURE)

  Finish structure and instrumentation

• APRIL – VOCALS RECORDED

  Finish lyrics and melodies – Record main vocal and harmonies

• APRIL – MIXING & MASTERING

  Work with Connor online to mix, master and any other editing

• MAY 6th – SOUNDCLOUD REALISATION

  Post tracks to SoundCloud (realisation) and other platforms

COLLABORATING – MOVING ONLINE:

Working virtually may now impact both the administrative or creative elements of this project of creating an EP. However, it is possible that this EP track project will still be successful, as experienced with Alex to create the EP cover through social media. Below shows the pros and cons of collaboration online when creating tracks and highlighted in red are the points that apply to me and Connor in this project.

Figure 16.0. – Pros & Cons of Collaborating Online

Adapted from source: Pejrolo, n.d.

Although there may be many challenges when finishing the tracks, particularly in terms of album production, mixing/mastering, lyrics and melodies, this project realisation will still have a positive outcome, although may not sound the same if we were to continue working in person.

Reference List:

Pejrolo, A. (n.d.). Remote Collaboration. Long‑distance Recording Projects. SOUND ON SOUND. Available at: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/remote-collaboration [Accessed March 27th 2020].

BLOG 15 – WORK-IN-PROGRESS PRESENTATION

Presentation Script

INTRODUCTION – SLIDE ONE:

Hi everyone and welcome to my work-in-progress collaborative and contextual presentation!

PROJECT OVERVIEW – SLIDE TWO:

For this module, I will collaborate with a music producer to create an EP of 4 tracks, working to create songs in a variety of styles. I will also work with an artist/illustrator to create a unique EP cover that will be related to the image and music I would like to present of myself.

The final project will then be made available on social media platforms through SoundCloud (Georgia George), Facebook, Twitter (@GeorgiaGeorge) and Instagram (@GeorgiaGeorgeMusic). This will all be evident and demonstrated in my blog showing the progress and developments of each track and each draft/preview of the EP cover!

AIMS & OBJECTIVES – SLIDE THREE:

The main important aims of this project, is to:

1. Gain experience and new skills in album production methodologies
2. To find my own individual sound of music
3. To gain skills and understanding of collaborative and teamwork skills
4. And finally how the music industry works.

This will be achieved by working closely with both individuals, learning new skills from both areas of expertise, creating music through experimentation of varying genres, research through contextual practice and researching into how the music industry works for artists.

COLLABORATOR – SLIDE FOUR, FIVE & SIX:

The first collaborator I will be working with called Connor, is a graduate from dBs music with a 2.1 degree in Electronic Music Production. I have actually worked with Connor in the past to provide vocals for his own EP module at dBs, so I already have some experience with Connor and believe that the quality of his work is fantastic and he is also very reliable. Connor is also creates new music and posts them on his personal Soundcloud called AKUA. Although Connor has mainly created music in genres of hip-hop and dubstep, I think this will be a great opportunity for him and myself to explore other varying genres that are current in the charts.

COLLABORATOR – SLIDE SEVEN & EIGHT:

The second person I will be collaborating with, my cousin, Alex or goes by the name of ‘ScribbleStache’, is an award-winning, Freelance Animator, Illustrator & Graphic Designer. He has worked extensively creating animation/illustration for clients and projects like charities, posters/advertisements for varying projects and has even created a music video for a talented comedic songwriter! (You can check this out on YouTube!)

COLLABORATOR – SLIDE NINE:

So, for this project, I will be working with a range of different people that can provide their expertise towards this musical project. For the musicians idea, I am hoping to work with a guitarist and also another singer/vocalist for one of the tracks.

PROJECT CONTEXT/RESEARCH (EP TRACKS)– SLIDE TEN & ELEVEN:

I have also taken the time to research into various techniques in terms of album production methodologies as well as techniques when using Logic Pro X and Abelton. I am also looking into songs that are current in the charts or examples in specific genres. For example, as you can see, me and Connor have worked together to create a spotify playlist, something we can both access and add a new song each week to share our ideas!

PROJECT CONTEXT/RESEARCH (EP COVER)– SLIDE TWELVE:

For the EP cover, I have also researched into similar covers/ideas which will be used as a reference for both myself and Alex as a guide to form a creative cover using illustration/art.

CURRENT PROCESS (EP TRACKS)– SLIDE THIRTEEN:

The process of the EP track is going really well. We have 4/5 track ideas which are in a variety of genres – House/Dance, Pop, Reggaeton/Pop, Neo-Soul and even a potential Greek track! Now that these ideas are in place, we are now getting the vocals, melodies and lyrics down!

CURRENT PROCESS (EP COVER)– SLIDE FOURTEEN:

The EP cover is now nearly complete. Here you can see that Alex has been successful in illustrating a photograph of myself. This will be further experimented with in the process, working with colour, text/font and other creative approaches.

TIMELINE – SLIDE FIFTEEN

Here demonstrates the timeline of my project and the end date that I am hoping to have everything done by! At the moment, the progress is going really well, and we are aiming to have everything done by the end of April/start of May.

BIBLIOGRAPHY & OUTRO – SLIDE SIXTEEN

Thank you for listening 🙂

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’.

https://soundcloud.com/georgiageorge/house-vocals-draft-1/s-4boxV

https://soundcloud.com/georgiageorge/house-vocals-idea/s-sOYCmVnpNrf

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?

1. Work with Connor to edit the vocals fitting with the music
2. Create interesting vocal chops/edits
3. 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].

BLOG 13 – EP COVER CONTINUED

Now that we have our main ideas for the EP cover, we have further created various previews/drafts. Below also demonstrates further research that we have both taken into consideration for my EP cover.

Further Album Cover Research:

I have further research into relevant album covers. For example, Helena Paparizou, a Greek pop singer who has used illustrated flowers on her album cover, a reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee who has an animated image of himself and Beyonce a pop singer where I am particularly interested by the font that she has used – simple yet effective.

1) Flowers added + Font changed

For this draft, the flower idea was added behind the illustration. The flowers have a slight fade so that they do not overpower the illustration. We chose a deeper, more vivid purple, rather than the original “blues” that was created in the brief.

2) Colour Experiment

For this preview, Alex shaded in the hair. However, I believe that the illustration outline is more intriguing than with the shaded element. This is also because sometimes less is more!

3) Font and Border Change

We wanted it to stand out, but still look calm and colourful like my musical vibe and what would suit with the songs that me and Connor have created so far. We tried the border in black but Alex felt that it took away from the centre illustration. Alex created some previews to let me decide. In my opinion, I prefer the black border version mainly as it is a nice contrast and I think it’s pretty attention grabbing.

4) Flower Fades

Above shows the previews that Alex has created with various fades of the flowers. For this, we both decided the the second image of the faded flowers was just right! Not too faded and not too much flowers showing!

5) Final Touches

For the illustration, I noticed that it wasn’t shown in black and asked Alex as to whether he would be able to change this. He let me know that he actually drew it in black, however, the colour from the background was pouring through making it more purple. He also added a cloudy water colour like texture to the background!

FINAL CHOSEN EP COVER: BEFORE AND AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

FINAL COLLABORATION THOUGHTS:

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the outcome of this artwork! Alex has done a fantastic job and being able to collaborate with him has allowed me to learn new skills in a different sector of the music and art industry! This will now allow me to further work on the other songs and use this cover as an inspiration for the development of the songs being worked on with Connor.

What Next?

1. Save piece and have it ready to upload to Soundcloud once tracks are complete
2. Continue working on the other tracks with Connor

Reference List:

Cos. (n.d.). Check Out: Beyoncé – “Till The End Of Time”. Available at: https://consequenceofsound.net/2011/05/check-out-beyonce-till-the-end-of-time/ [Accessed May 4th, 2020].

Discogs. (n.d.). Daddy Yankee. Available at: https://www.discogs.com/Daddy-Yankee-Feat-Snow-Con-Calma/release/13228759 [Accessed May 4th, 2020].

Amazon. (n.d.). Helena Paparizou – Iparhi Logos. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Iparhi-Logos-Helena-Paparizou/dp/B019VIBP3M [Accessed May 4th, 2020].

BLOG 12 – REGGAETON/POP: LOGIC

For the pop song of this EP, we have decided to create it in Logic instead of Ableton. This is mainly due to the more extensive sounds (e.g. strings) that Logic provides. However, the pop song that we have started to create shows some exploration and influence of Reggaeton style, something that is popular in the current charts. Reggaeton can be described as a fusion of genres such as Latin rhythms, dancehall, hip hop and rap (Hohman, 2018). Below is a playlist which I have created for myself and Connor to listen to of tracks that can be used as reference for this song.

REGGAETON DEMBOW RHYTHM – ‘BOOM-CH-BOOM-CH’

One particular distinctive feature of Reggaeton music, is the rhythm and can be identified as the ‘Dembow’ (see fig 12.0. and fig 12.1.). When first creating this track, me and Connor formed together this rhythm without even realising it was Reggaeton, most probably due to hearing it extensively in the current chart!

Figure 12.0. – Reggaeton Dembow Rhythm

Source: Hanna, 2016, p.26

Figure 12.1. – Reggaeton Dembow Rhythm

Source: Teach Rock, n.d., p.1

Below demonstrates the beginning progress of the track where we have formed together a simple chord progression with the Dembow rhythm. Instead of using a snare for the rhythm, as suggested by Teach Rock who states: ‘the “Dem Bow” rhythm is built between a snare drum and bass drum sound’, we wanted to use a clap instead to create a more pop and organic feel.

We then started to further this experimentation by forming an intro to make something sound more intriguing or unique. This was created by using the ES1 Synthesiser and a Wave Rhythm.

For the next part of the track, it was important to form some kind of chorus to the track. By doing this, we took the synthesiser from the intro and used the Arpeggio pluggin to form an interesting chorus effect to these chords, which worked perfectly! We also added a simple bass sequence, a shaker and also experimented with a vocal chop on the chorus to create something more exciting.

VOCAL IDEAS

Because most Reggaeton tracks are sung in Spanish or Portuguese, I am hoping to collaborate with a singer who is Brazilian who can provide some Spanish or Portuguese lyrics throughout the track! This would work perfectly with this track, especially as this person can provide me with ideas as Reggaeton is big in Brazil! This is also influenced by the track ‘Paradinha’ by the Brazilian singer Anitta (see video/track below).

However, as I would also like English lyrics and vocals in this track, I will also use the Reggaeton song by CNCO, featuring Little Mix who have collaborated together using both English and Spanish in order to reach worldwide audiences (see video below).

Reference List:

Hanna, W. (2016). The Children’s Music Studio: A Reggio-Inspired Approach. Oxford University Press.

Hohman, H. (2018). The rise of reggaeton. Available at: https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/04/27/the-rise-of-reggaeton/ [Accessed 16th March 2020].

Teach Rock. (n.d.) Handout 1: Select Latin American Genres. Reggaeton. Available at: https://teachrock.org/wp-content/uploads/Handout-1_updated.pdf?x52355 [Accessed March 17th, 2020]

Anitta. (2017). Paradinha. (Online video). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjnWcxTPIA [Accessed: March 17th, 2020].

Little Mix. (2017). CNCO, Little Mix – Reggaetón Lento (Remix) [Official Video]. (Online Video). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UONnRMuuDps [Accessed: March 17th, 2020].

BLOG 11 – EP COVER CONTINUED

This is the first preview/draft that Alex has created with the illustration, Greek border, colour and font. We have chosen the colour purple, mainly because it fits really well with the border, plus purple is my favourite colour. We have also explored Greek and English letters for this preview, however, although this would look really great on the cover, as I am able to read Greek, it reads in Greek as ‘Gsfrgfl Gsfrgs’.

This is also something that many artists have done. For example, Beyonce did this for her ‘Homecoming’ film on Netflix, however, when reading this it says ‘Hfmscfming’.

FONT

Below demonstrates the varying fonts that we have experimented with, however, because I want to create something and because the border demonstrates a Greek element, I prefer go for the last font due to its simplicity. However, Alex did say there is not a lot of open source Greek fonts.

What Needs To Be Improved?

The mains areas that need to be improved here, is mainly the font as well as adding other features to make it stand out more. So far I am really impressed with this illustration that Alex has created! He has made it very easy to communicate with him, especially as he is very understandable with the ideas that I have in mind (see image below).

What Next?

Now that we have come up with this draft these elements together, I believe our next steps are to:

1. Add the remaining elements
2. Experiment with the other fonts
3. Continue to work on overall colour

Referece List:

Ali, A. (2019). Spoiler Alert: These Are the Best Moments From Beyoncé’s New Documentary. Available at: https://www.savoirflair.com/fashion/442270/beyonce-netflix-homecoming-documentary-best-moments [Accessed May 5th, 2020].

Cos. (2019). Beyoncé’s new Coachella documentary Homecoming premieres on Netflix: Watch. Available at: https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/04/beyonce-homecoming-netflix/ [Accessed May 5th, 2020].