Free Public Lecture - Robin Millar on Producing Vocals

The artofrecordproduction.com are holding a free public lecture by Robin Millar (Google him - seriously!). Read on for details........

The London College of Music Research Centre presents...

Making Records Lecture Series

Robin Millar talks about Producing Vocals

Thursday October 28th at 6.30p.m. in TC102
London College of Music, TVU.
St. Mary’s Road. Ealing W5 5RF

Recording a singer is often the toughest part of making a record. Grammy and Brit Award winning producer Robin Millar has over 150 platinum, gold and silver records to his name and has recorded 44 number one hits including Sade’s Diamond Life album. In this free public lecture Robin talks about his strategies and techniques for getting the right performance from a singer and the best ways to record it. Drawing on his huge experience from an extraordinary career, Robin will use examples from his own productions to deliver a lecture that will be invaluable to aspiring producers, sound recordists and performers alike.

Entry Is Free, Just Come Along…

How to get there.
(Part of the Faculty of the Arts’ Creative Practice Research Project)



"Free Public Lecture - Robin Millar on Producing Vocals" > read the full post

Live Beat Series Europe tour

After several successful events in the USA earlier this year and an appearance at the Midsummer Music Conference in Portugal, Ableton & Novation are bringing their Live Beats series to Europe this September, with 14 events across 8 countries........read on.

The Live Beats events are designed for musicians and producers of all skill levels to learn more about using Ableton Live and Novation hardware. They provide an opportunity to receive training from demonstrator Thavius Beck, who will mainly focus on the hands-on music making potential of Live and Launchpad, but will also be showing off other Novation hardware and demonstrating how Automap - the control software that comes with Novation's controllers - can be used to take your Ableton Live sessions to the next level.

At each event, Thavius and local Ableton & Novation demonstrators will be on hand to answer questions, as well as offer tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your software and hardware. There will also be a chance to win a Novation Launchpad and Ableton Live 8 at each event.

Dates & times for Live Beats events:

• Tuesday 7th September, Production Room, Leeds, UK, 18:30
• Thursday 9th September, Digital Village Clapham, London, UK, 18:30
• Saturday 11th September, Teach Music, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 19:00
• Monday 13th September, Just Studio Kulturbrauerei, Berlin, Germany, 18:30
• Tuesday 14th September, Just Music, Hamburg, Germany, 19:15
• Wednesday 15th September, Hard Rock Cafe, Cologne, Germany, 19:00
• Saturday 18th September, Just Music, Munich, Germany, 16:00
• Monday 20th September, microFusa, Madrid, Spain, 19:00
• Tuesday 21st September, microFusa, Barcelona, Spain, 19:00
• Thursday 23rd September, SAE Institute, Milan, Italy, 18:00
• Friday 24th September, Percorsi Audio, Acquapendente (VT), Italy, 18:00
• Monday 27th September, Rytmus Aula, Stockholm, Sweden, 18:30
• Wednesday 29th September, ProLyd AS, Oslo, Norway, Time TBC

"Live Beat Series Europe tour" > read the full post

DJ Premier of Gang Starr Plays London

It's a month since the passing of Guru who was most recognized as one half of the famed Hip-Hop duo Gang Starr. Now Guru's long term musical side-kick and half of the duo is here in London to commemorate his friends legacy and remind us of what made the DJ Premier Boom Bap and Scratch the signature sound that it is in rap music production today.

Set for a date on the 17th of May at the famous London Jazz Cafe it promises to be a night of mixes from infectious classics that will include many from the duos illustrious back catalogue to the countless chart topping singles produced by himself for as many famous names in the music business.

So knowing all of this presents you with the opportunity to hit London's Camden Town and don your Adidas Gazelles and Baseball hats to the back in show of support of pioneering DJ skills from one of the best from the Big apple.

"DJ Premier of Gang Starr Plays London" > read the full post

Record Store Day - Support The Independants!!

To fight the good fight against the evil empires of HMV and Amazon et al, Record Store Day has been created to raise awareness about the little record shops everyone knows and loves....read on




Originally set up as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, Record Store Day has since spread internationally. In the States all sorts of events will be run with prizes and barbecues, I am not sure if UK stores can be arsed with all this Yankee hoopla (or are even aware of it) but either way it's a good excuse to wander down to your favourite vinyl emporium and buy an armful of over priced, scratched copies of records you already own on CD anyway. Support the little guy!!!!

We covered our favourite record stores in a previous blog entry by Maningrey and we have a few recommendations on the LSS website as well.

However there are three great places we forgot to include that are worth checking out:

Intoxica on Portobello, vinyl only kitsch cavern of psych and 60's surf music.

Flashback in Islington, a friendly local store (for local people) that has a varied and every changing stock.

People's Sound Records on All Saints Road, this is the HARDCORE place for rare reggae, another bonus is you will probably run into Paul "did you know I am a painter now" Simonon there.

Happy hunting!

maningrey



"Record Store Day - Support The Independants!!" > read the full post

Free Production Masterclass from Apple

A Grammy winning producer will be giving a free talk at the Regent Street Apple Store....read on




An Apple Made-On-A-Mac Masterclass with Grammy-award winning producer Kipper & producer/musician Phil Taylor will be running at the Apple Store on Regents Street.

Kipper will take attendees through an entertaining journey explaining how he works creatively with Logic Pro to create music for artists such as Sting and James Morrison.

The masterclass opens with a performance of the Sting track '1000 Years', co-written and produced by Kipper, with the creative journey explained using the original recordings and including never-heard content discarded in the creative process (including a recording by the London Symphony Orchestra).

Other topics covered include composing for film making in Logic, internet recording, remixing and backup.

The class is highly revealing and entertaining, with live performances by Kipper and Phil including a track especially written for the class. Along the way you will learn how award-winning producers work both creatively and technically with invaluable advice and tips for any aspiring or established producer, musician or recording engineer.

The event will run on Tuesday 27th April, 3 - 5pm and entry is FREE.









"Free Production Masterclass from Apple" > read the full post

We're Jamming....

The Friday night jam session at the London School of Sound studios is starting to become the "in" place for virtuoso musicians...and the LSS students...




Check out the links below for clips of our last sessions chaotic free-for-all. Maningrey briefly joined in before heading to the pub, suitably chastened by his inability to play more than three chords while jazz fusion mayhem and poly-rhythmic world beat surged around him...

Our producer, Str8face himself gets all jiggy as the more tcehnicaly adept members of LSS run the voodoo down:



Groovy tabla and conga rhythms spoilt by your friends hamfisted slap bass which drowns out everything good being played by the others, including the singers lovely voice...



Here's hoping for more happy sessions in a room full of sweaty men and fragrant women...

maningrey




"We're Jamming...." > read the full post

Rock's Greatest Photographs - free exhibition

I have been alerted to an upcoming free exhibition of some of rock's most memorable images that will running at the new Maiden Gray gallery in Soho this April. I have selected a few of the most famous photos in rock history as a taster....read on



1) Iggy Pop by Mick Rock

The aptly named Rock caught all the primordial fury of The Stooges at their peak in this image of Iggy Pop. His untamed, almost bestial stage presence is vividly portrayed. From the famous gig at the Scala in 1972 where he covered himself in silver glitter, cut his chest with broken glass and then vomited onstage.



2) Jim Morrison by Ethan Russell

A classic study of the leather clad lizard king himself, Jim Morrision. All the brooding drama of rock's premier poet before the drugs and booze reduced his feline beauty to a bloated Kraken.



3) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards by David Bailey

Their rivalry and also their creative closeness is intimately portrayed in this black and white study. The contrasting personalities of the Stones creative team are searingly apparent, Mick open and showbiz, Keith, troubled and in the shadows.



4) Elton John by James Fortune

Big glasses, big platforms and lots of glam! Fortune covered Elton in full flow during his first tour of the States, wowing the teeny boppers with his outrageous flamboyance. Here however is the calm after the storm as Elton recovers from a show, a brief moment of reflection in his whirlwind career.



5) Paul and Linda McCartney by Henry Diltz

Committed vegetarians Paul and Linda share an intimate moment. Taken in the garden of their opulent mansion in Surrey, the love and support each gave the other after the difficult period following the split of The Beatles, is clear to see in this striking portrait.



6) Bruce Springsteen by Ron Pownall

No collection of rock's most memorably moments would be complete without a photo of the Boss rocking the house. Bruce's reputation was built on his incendiary live shows which Pownall records in all its sweaty, exuberant glory.



All these images are featured in the new show so check this link to Maiden Gray galleries for more information. See you there!

maningrey




"Rock's Greatest Photographs - free exhibition" > read the full post

Classical Music Event - Student Discount

The historic 100 Club has a new night for the classically minded among us...read on.



The good people at Limelight are bringing classical concerts to the spit n beer atmosphere of the 100 Club in an effort to "attract a younger crowd, to prove that classical music is not the preserve of the white-haired stalwarts", heartening news unless you are a "white haired stalwart" of course...But anyhow they are offering a 2 for 1 discount for students from music schools so check this link and follow the instructions.



If you can't make this night they have more excellent young musicians playing over the next few months:

Upcoming headliners:

* Tuesday, Oct 13th: saxophonist Amy Dickson

* Tuesday, Nov 10th: violinist Daniel Hope

* Tuesday, Dec 8th: pianist Joanna MacGregor




"Classical Music Event - Student Discount" > read the full post

Butch Vig will record your band! - eBay auction

Butch Vig (producer of Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana, as well as being the drummer in Garbage) will record your band.....

He's auctioning a 1 day, 10 hour session at Dangerbird Studios in LA, for the Pablove Foundation. Bidding's currently at $790, but with 5 days to go, don't expect it to stay that low for long!

Check out the auction site here.

"Butch Vig will record your band! - eBay auction" > read the full post

Gig Opportunites for Young Musicians

Promoters of the up n' coming music night Go West are looking for ambitious, young and exciting acts for support slots, are you all this and more? If so (or even if you are old and fat) read on...




Michelle Cooney from Go West (hopefully named after the Village People's disco classic rather than the awful 80's soul band) confidently told me that her night at the atmospheric ex strip club Madam JoJos is regularly riddled with Patrick Batemanesque music industry professionals looking to snap up (and exploit) young bands. Bloc Party, The Horrors, Noah and the Whale and The Kills have all graced JoJos stage so it looks like a great opportunity to get noticed. If you are interested give Michelle a shout at the contact details below or even better pop down to the night in person, see the randy flyer, and give her a CD...But make sure your hair is suitably wonky!!

michelle@lambands.co.uk
07803 663 731



maningrey supports live music and delinquency


"Gig Opportunites for Young Musicians" > read the full post

Jazz, Soul, Funk, Blues and Latin - Live music bonaza!

A new live music showcase run by Shades of Soul promises a spicy cocktail of......



....Jazz, Soul, Funk, Blues n Latin! Sounds like it could be worth the treck if the slick suit n southpaw Les Paul action on the flyer below is anything to go by!





"Jazz, Soul, Funk, Blues and Latin - Live music bonaza!" > read the full post

Jeff Beck FREE tickets

If anyone fancies seeing the mighty Jeff Beck, legendary be-mulleted guitar mangler, for FREE read on...



A nice lady at indigO2 at The O2 rang to tell me she has some free tickets to see Beck on Monday 21st September, you just need to contact me at the details below and I will email her your details for the freebee.

Frank
info@londonschoolofsound.co.uk
0207 720 6183



"Jeff Beck FREE tickets" > read the full post

Learn DJ Techniques

An exciting event billed as "learn DJ techniques from the turntable masters" caught my eye....read on





Hospital Records are hosting an event at the British Music Experience that should get all aspiring or expert DJs excited. Hosted by BBC radio's Nerm, three artists from Hospital Records; High Contrast, London Elektricity and Logistics, will be discussing how they go about making their trade mark sounds.

The event will run on Friday 4th September from 7.30pm-9.30pm at the British Music Experience, The O2, North Greenwich SE10 0DX


"Learn DJ Techniques" > read the full post