Jules' blog

Example in task3:Dm-Am7,E flat-Gm7,F-Cmaj7

I change the melody to fit the chords and in this lesson I learnt to change pitch with Flex Pitch.and I learnt that you need to be voice leading when filling out chords.

I have learnt a lot through this semester’s ‘Introduction to music production’course. Through the songs of the RZA, I have found that film and video sampling can be very organic to the current context of the black community, while MoorMother’s approach to music production challenges traditional songwriting conventions by using sound as a means of emotional and social expression, allowing producers to experiment with non-traditional techniques. Rather than striving for catchiness or commercial appeal, this approach encourages the creation of work that is raw, imperfect, and tied to a personal or cultural narrative. For producers,

this approach opens up new creative avenues for the expression of complex ideas and emotions, often utilising the soundscape itself as a vehicle for storytelling; Rashad Becker’s approach, which breaks away from traditional compositions to use sound as its own medium, rather than just a vehicle for musical ideas. At the same time, by focusing on ambience and sound design, it can make music that is not overtly melodic more immersive and emotionally resonant, thus allowing music makers to create more immersive and emotionally resonant music.

In my future studies, I would like to learn more about the basics of music composition, such as learning music theory to write better chrods, understanding the frameworks of various styles and basic orchestration, and how to write more appropriate melodies and other knowledge, and I would also like to have more hands-on opportunities to collaborate with other people, participate in the teacher’s projects or participate in the learning of outside companies.

I found a book at the library called ‘Fashion Brand Management. ’ “Alison Lowe ’ s  Fashion Brand  Management explores the  complexities  of managing  fashion brands  in a   competitive ,  globalized market.

Fashion Brand Management is the definitive textbook written by Lowe to provide comprehensive guidance for entrepreneurs and practitioners in the fashion industry. Alison Lowe is an expert in fashion brand development and management , having taught at the London College of Fashion and the University of East London , as well as founding the fashion incubator Start Your Fashion Label and providing consultancy services to brands around the world.

The  main  idea revolves  around  the  strategies ,  challenges ,  and  methodologies   companies use to build and sustain strong fashion brands. Lowe emphasizes the importance   of well-defined brand identity , positioning , and consistent messaging. She argues that   successful fashion brands go beyond selling products; they create emotional connections   with consumers. These brands are not just about aesthetics , but also about cultural values , lifestyle aspirations , and consumer experiences. Therefore , brand management involves not   only  the visual  representation  of  a  fashion  brand  but  also  its  narrative  and  how  it   resonates with  its target  audience.

This book discusses various  dimensions  of  brand management , including brand  strategy ,   customer   engagement ,  and  digital transformation. It  highlights how technological advancements , especially social media , and e -commerce , have reshaped how fashion  brands  communicate  and  sell  to  their  customers.  Lowe also addressed  the challenge of maintaining brand integrity while navigating the pressures of fast fashion , sustainability concerns , and ever -changing consumer trends. Another key aspect of this book is the role of innovation in fashion brand management. Lowe argued that brands must constantly adapt to shifting trends , market demands , and technological advancements. This requires a balance between remaining true to the brand ’s heritage and embracing new  opportunities.

Overall ,  Fashion  Brand  Management  combines  theoretical  depth  and  practical guidance. It not only provides readers with a comprehensive view of the fashion industry but also helps them find a path to success in the complex fashion market through practical examples and operational guidelines. Drawing on her extensive industry experience , Alison Lowe  combines  complex  business theories with  practical  exercises to  provide  invaluable guidance for fashion  entrepreneurs  and practitioners  alike.

For this analysis I will focus on Aphex Twin’s “Xtal” from his 1992 album Selected Ambient Works 85-92. Unlike the coarse sample production of RZA, the confrontational noise experiments of Moor Mother, or the abstract soundscapes of Rashad Becker, Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) builds a delicate and ethereal atmosphere on this track. Focusing on texture and emotional resonance, I will analyze how Aphex Twin uses minimal elements to evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and serenity.

“Xtal” opens with a layer of soft, shimmering synth tones that instantly create a dreamlike quality. The warmth of this tone is intertwined with a sense of distance, as if it were a fading memory. On top of this, a gently rhythmic drum beat slowly spreads out, processed to sound like it’s being flooded with water, fuzzy and low. The contrast between the clear synthesized tones and the lo-fi drums creates an almost tactile sensory experience that pulls the listener into a meditative-like state.

The emotional core of the track lies in the vocal sample – a faint, wordless melody that looms large in the mix. Although fragmented and repetitive, the sample carries an ineffable weight that evokes a deep sense of longing or introspection, and Aphex Twin is unique in its ability to convey deep emotional resonance with such a simple element. The structure of the tracks is deliberately ambiguous, eschewing traditional patterns of progression in favor of a cyclical format that resembles the ebb and flow of memory.

On “Xtal”, texture and emotion are inextricably linked, with clear and fuzzy sounds intertwined and ghostly vocal samples creating a world of sound that is both intimate and infinite. The interplay of clear and fuzzy sounds, along with ghostly vocal samples, creates a sound world that is both intimate and infinite, and Aphex Twin’s precise minimalist approach shows how to evoke the deepest emotions with the least amount of elements, making “Xtal” a timeless ambient classic. Xtal” is a timeless ambient music classic.

To  explore  Rashad Becker ’s works ,  I first  delved  into  his musical  style  and     compositional philosophy. Becker ‘s work is known for its finely sculpted sounds , complex synthesized timbres ,  and conceptual musical  structures.  I paid particular attention to how he constructed fictional musical worlds through sound and incorporated social and historical themes  into his  musical  compositions.

To  better  understand his  approach ,  I  analyzed  his  album ,  Traditional  Music  of Notional Species Vol. I study its timbre design , rhythmic arrangement , and creation of a  sense  of  space. During my practice ,  I  attempted  to  imitate  Becker ‘s  production techniques.  I  collected  many  natural  ambient  sounds ,  historical recording  clips ,  and     electronic synthesized sounds and tried to construct a unique musical scene using these materials. I also learned how he enhanced layering and the dynamic range of music through mastering.  In  addition ,  I  experimented  with  software  synthesizers  and the  effects  of stretching , distorting , and spatializing sounds to create an aural experience similar to that  of Becker ‘s work , which  is both familiar  and unfamiliar.

First , I used a synthesizer on Ableton to design some unusual sounds , and then I recorded some sounds from life through field recordings , such as banging on a tabletop or hot oil , and then I put them into a simpler way to pick out what I wanted , and then I transformed them.  I found  that  I was only  able to create  some unusual sounds , but I  could not put them  together well  enough to  make  a track , let  alone  a  song.

This kind of production approach , inspired by Becker ‘s work , is deeply inspiring to me and provides new ideas for music producers. First , it encourages producers to break the constraints of traditional musical styles and boldly experiment with the fusion of different sound elements and musical styles. Becker ‘s work demonstrates how a unique musical language can be created through deconstruction and reconstruction of sound. This experimental approach can help producers keep an open mind and explore more possibilities for their creation. Second , Becker ‘s music emphasizes conceptualization and narrative , a way of working that pushes producers to think about the meaning and story behind music. By incorporating social , historical , or personal experiences into music , the work is not only aurally appealing but also provokes empathy and reflection in the listener. This depth and substance are an integral part of modern music production. Finally , this method  also  enhances  the  producer ‘s  skills  in sound design  and  technical  processing. 

Becker ‘s extreme attention to sonic detail and mastering skills set a high standard for producers.  By learning their  methods , producers  can better master the  dynamics ,spatiality , and layering of sound , thereby enhancing the overall quality of their work.

Rashad Becker ’s musical compositions are known for their unique conceptualization , extreme  control  of  sonic  detail ,  and  innovative  explorations  of  synthesized music.Rashad  Becker ‘s  tunes  embody  the  experimental  and  avant-garde  nature  of contemporary  electronic  music : The  compositions  are  characterized  by fragmented ,abstract sounds that are not easily categorized , incorporating elements of field recordings , synthetic textures , and digital manipulation. The timbre of the  sounds in the piece is   crucial , from harsh distorted noise to soft grainy tones. These timbral variations have   created  an  evolving  soundscape.

Rashad Becker ’s ’ Themes I ‘ is featured on his album ‘Traditional Music of Notional   Species Vol. I ‘. This track is a bold innovation in electronic music , showcasing Becker ‘s   mastery of sound design. Sound is stretched and distorted to create a texture that is   both familiar and unfamiliar. The complex structure of the track , divided into “Themes ” and    “Dances , ”  guides listeners through Becker ‘s  musical world.

Becker ‘s work is closely linked to the concept of    “signification , ” through sound , he creates a unique system of symbols that are both referential and open -ended. In Themes I , various sound elements can be interpreted by the listener as different symbols , thus triggering  individualized  associations  and  meaning  constructions.  For  example ,  certain   sounds may be interpreted as elements of the natural environment , such as underwater grunts , rolling of waves , or intonations and cues of human conversation. This openness allows the listener to assign specific meanings to these sounds based on their experiences and  emotions , thus transforming  abstract  sounds  into  personalized  symbols.  Becker

intentionally  avoids  explicitly  interpreting these  sounds ,  instead using titles  such  as  “Dances I-IV ” and   “Themes I-IV ” to illustrate the meaning of these sounds.   “Themes I-IV ”  encourages the listener to explore and interpret freely. This approach not only enriches music but also reflects the semiotics of the dynamic process of symbol generation and  interpretation.

Becker ‘s work reflects the fluidity  of meaning ,  as his voice  does not follow a fixed or stable meaning. This fluidity encourages listeners to think about and question whether meaning  in  music  is  always  necessary.  Becker ‘s  method  reflects  the  trend  of  contemporary  experimental music , which often attempts to  separate  sound from fixed cultural  or  symbolic  connections ,  allowing  it to  exist  in  its way.

References

Chion, M. (2009) Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. New York: Columbia University Press.

Exploring a production process inspired by the work of Moor Mother led me to

experiment with a more abstract, emotionally-driven approach to music-making. Moor Mother is known for her genre-defying work that blends experimental sound, spoken word, and social commentary, often drawing on themes of history, identity, and resistance. Her music often defies traditional song structures, focusing instead on texture, mood, and raw expression.

 To explore this approach, I first immersed myself in the music of Moor Mother, particularly her album Fetish Bones, which blends dissonant soundscapes, fractured rhythms and poetic monologues. I was fascinated by her ability to breakout of conventional structures and create music that was visceral and unfettered.Inspired by this, I set out to create a track that eschewed the typical song form.Instead of basing it on a simple melody or standard beat, I focused one experimentation. I used field-recorded ambient sounds as a basis, such as city noises and nature sounds. I also processed these recordings using distortion to create a chaotic, fragmented atmosphere. Throughout the process, I did not find spoken word clips that provided a sense of reflection of individual and collective struggles. Even though my TRACK only did something with the ambient sounds, it also gave me a new inspiration to create music in the future, where the focus of the music can be on texture, dissonance, and tension, not smooth musicality or harmonic resolution. 

Moor Mother’s approach to music production offers a liberating perspective for any producer. By focusing on sound as a means of emotional and social expression, it challenges the conventions of traditional songwriting and allows a producer to experiment with unconventional techniques. Rather than aiming for catchy hooks or commercial appeal, this method encourages creating work that is raw, imperfect, and deeply tied to personal or cultural narratives. For producers, this approach opens up new creative avenues for expressing complex ideas and emotions, often using the sonic landscape itself as a vehicle for storytelling. Working in this way encourages risk-taking, invites unpredictability, and pushes the boundaries of what music can communicate. It’s a reminder that music doesn’t have to be linear or polished to be impactful; it can be fragmented, chaotic, and still powerfully resonant.

Moor Mother , the experimental musician , poet , and activist , often blends elements of  industrial , noise , hip -hop ,  and free jazz  to  create music that  is politically

charged  and  socially  conscious.A key track that illustrates her unique sound and political engagement is  “Deadly Path ” from her 2021 album Black Encyclopedia of the Air. This track encapsulates her approach to combining sonic experimentation with social commentary , challenging both listeners and society.

1. Track Description :“Deadly  Road” opens with a  slow ,  ominous  buzz  that gradually builds tension through the layers of disturbing electronics. Deep , rumbling bass   reverberates through the mix and set the track on an unsettling footing. The sparse but   intensely  chaotic , almost harsh beats  of the percussion  elements cut through the mix   like  an assault  on the  senses.Moor  Mother ‘s voice  is an  essential part  of the track ‘s   intense groove , a blend of spoken words and chanting conveying a sense of urgency and   anger. Her voice ebbs and flows between monotonous recitations and impassioned outbursts , emphasizing the  song ‘s  themes of struggle  and defiance.  The lyrics  themselves  are fragmented but evoke a sense of personal and collective trauma. Lines such as  ‘the road is deadly ’ and ‘we are the storm ’ hint at the harsh realities faced by marginalised groups , particularly  black Americans ,  in the face of systemic violence ,  and historical trauma. The track uses a combination of jazz and dissonant soundscapes to create overall feelings of anxiety and instability.

(B)  Political  Engagement: Moor  Mother ’s music  consistently  engages with political themes ,particularly focusing on issues related to race , identity , and social injustice.  In “Deadly Path , ” the sense of foreboding and discord in the production mirrors   the volatile conditions that Black people face in the United States. The fragmented   structure of the track and the dissonant textures reflect the fractured reality   of living under systemic oppression , where peace and stability are often elusive.  Moor Mother ’s work also reflects a critical engagement with contemporary Black identity , rooted in the legacies of slavery , segregation , and police violence. The combination of political themes with experimental sounds forces a confrontation with the realities of racialized oppression , making her music not just an artistic   expression , but a call to action. Moor Mother has stated that her musical style   of “black girl blues ”and “coffee  shop riot gurl songs ”  is an expression  of   the position of the black woman in society and that her lyrics focus on class warfare , resistance to  violence ,  and  everyday  oppression ,  all  of  which  directly  address socio -political issues. Her lyrics focus on class warfare , resistance to violence ,  and everyday oppression , all of which point directly to sociopolitical issues , making   her  music a  political  statement  and vehicle for social action.

References

Chang, J. (2020) Moor Mother and the Sonic Protest: A New Kind of Rage.https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/18/moor-mother-and -the-sonic-protest [ 24 November 2024].