Have you ever wondered what influenced your musical idol, what the process was behind the creation of you favourite record, or what made two random artists conspire and create your favourite collaborative project? The following lectures and podcasts provide insight on all these questions, and more!
Red Bull Music Academy
The Red Bull Music Academy is a global music institution that began in 1998. They host music workshops and festivals all around the world. The academy will also host an artist, and the artist will spill the beans on their creative history, their approach to their craft, and much more. If you’re interested in finding out why D’Angelo’s Black Messiah record took over 10 years to create, how Madlib’s experience in London inspired him to experiment with the Broken Beat style, and how Questlove was inspired to play the drums; then check out the library of Red Bull Music Academy lectures here; which are also totally free to access! Other featured guests include: Kaytranada, Brian Eno, ASAP Rocky and Erykah Badu.
Song Exploder
Song Exploder features a wide range of artists who break down one of their songs, in order to disclose information on the song’s background, composition, arrangement and recording. If you’re interested in hearing how Bonobo produced his track ‘Break Apart’ (feat. Rhye), how film composer Nicholas Britell wrote ‘Chiron’s Theme’ for the Moonlight soundtrack, or how Solange wrote ‘Cranes In The Sky’ from her critically acclaimed album A Seat At The Table, then make sure you indulge in this free podcast series!
Are We Live?
Are We Live? is a podcast comprised of London based producer/guitarist Tom Misch, rapper Barney Artist, pianist/producer Alfa Mist and Australian ex-pat singer/producer Jordan Rakei. Each episode usually starts with an update from each artist, as they reflect on the development and challenges of their current projects, or comment on their experiences at the most recent gig. This tends to lead the conversation into more specific topics, such as the issues of ghostwriting, dealing with writers block, or the influence of J Dilla. Each episode will traditionally end with each host playing a particular track from an artist that they have recently discovered or admire. After each song has been played, Tom, Barney, Alfa and Jordan discuss their thoughts on the track. For those of you who are interested in production, or who even have a fascination with the current resurgence of jazz, 90’s hip hop and neo-soul; then Are We Live? is a perfect way to provide insight and commentary from some top notch producers.
