Doing Music

Ableton
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Doing Music

Doing Music is a podcast that explores the techniques and strategies behind musical ideas. In each episode, Craig Schuftan looks into the myth of spontaneous creation and talks to artists about their hands-on approaches for sparking something new. Doing Music is for anyone interested in the act of making music – because often the most exciting results happen when we stop musing and start doing. This podcast is brought to you by Ableton and hosted by Craig Schuftan. Craig is a music producer and the author of three books on music and popular culture.

  1. Reveling in absurdity with MGMT

    31 OCT

    Reveling in absurdity with MGMT

    How hard is it to retain the irreverent spark that started a musical partnership nearly 20 years ago? In this episode of Doing Music, MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser talk to Craig Schuftan and Christa Belle about their instinct for the absurd throughout the course of their career. We learn about their roots in musical academia and their love of strange, disgusting music, and their learned experience that the weirdest sound you make might be the best one. From relishing the plasticity of early virtual-analog synths to avoiding over-thinking the creative process, Andrew and Ben take us into what makes MGMT such a psychedelic force in the field of pop-rock.  Explore further: Alvin Lucier Anthony Braxton  Situationist International Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves Royal Trux - Accelerator Seeburg 1000   Keep up with MGMT on their website, Instagram and YouTube. Their latest album, Loss Of Life, is out now.    Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    1 hr
  2. Making sonic collages with L'Rain

    17 OCT

    Making sonic collages with L'Rain

    When does self-doubt overtake the creative process? On this episode of Doing Music, L'Rain's Taja Cheek tells Craig Schuftan and co-host Christa Belle about the doubt she faces down when committing her musical ideas to a recording, especially when she’s working with others. A New York-based multi-instrumentalist with a mercurial twist on electronic soul, Cheek tells us about the various stages of her music making, from quick-fire voice notes and being alone in busy places to her love of lo-fi sound. It's a fascinating insight into the inner workings of a musician who prizes the patient art of the album to convey her ideas more deeply.  Explore further: National Sawdust Artists in Residence Program Terry Riley - Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band Everybody Shut Up by DJ Pacman   Keep up with L’Rain on Instagram and via her website — and check out her music on Bandcamp.   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    1h 12m
  3. Crossover sweet spots with Malibu Babie

    2 OCT

    Crossover sweet spots with Malibu Babie

    When you flip a sample for a Hot 100 hit, are you trading on nostalgia or breaking an iconic sound to the next generation? In this episode of Doing Music, Malibu Babie tells Craig Schuftan how she approached the big samples that turned into big hits for artists like Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion. As a producer toying with the space between pop, rap and club music, she explains the exciting results that come from crossing over styles and shopping them out to unlikely artists, and the ways she'll try to get a collaborator in the right headspace before getting into the beats. Explore further: I’ll Never Write My Memoirs by Grace Jones and Paul Morley Elizabeth Gilbert - Big Magic and her Ted Talk Lil Jon feat. E-40 and Sean Paul - Snap Yo Fingers  WhoSampled: Missy Elliott feat. Ciara and Fatman Scoop - Lose Control   Keep up with Malibu Babie on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    56 min
  4. Re-sample yourself with Lukid

    19 SEPT

    Re-sample yourself with Lukid

    For Lukid, bouncing out unfinished sketches is an essential part of the music-making process. In this episode of Doing Music, host Craig Shuftan finds out how Luke Blair drew on a well-stocked archive of ideas to revive a past project after a 10-year hiatus. Along with his untrained melodic process and many-sided approach to sampling, Blair opens up about the existential dread that pushed him towards finishing new music, the art of forgetting and the strange allure of working within constraints.  Explore further: Philip Guston - Paint What I Want to See The KLF - The Manual    Keep up with Lukid on Twitter, Instagram and Bandcamp — and check out his latest album TILT.   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    48 min
  5. Teaching Blacktronika with King Britt

    5 SEPT

    Teaching Blacktronika with King Britt

    How do you go about teaching a history of electronic music which fairly credits Black innovators? In this episode of Doing Music, King Britt talks to Craig Schuftan and Christa Belle about his groundbreaking Blacktronika course at University of California San Diego. In the process of educating students about seminal music movements pioneered by Black communities—from funk and disco through Chicago house and Detroit techno on to drum & bass and beyond—the acclaimed US producer reveals the positive impact being an educator and instigator has had on his own music making. Learn about the importance of nurturing community and hear illuminating stories from a lifelong devotee to the culture.  Explore further: Blacktronika on Instagram Lynnée Denise Juan Atkins Alvin Toffler - Future Shock Kodwo Eshun - More Brilliant than The Sun DeForrest Brown Jr. - Assembling A Black Counter Culture Bob Gluck - You’ll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and the Mwandishi Band   Keep up with King Britt on Instagram, Twitter and via his website.   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    1h 28m
  6. Realizing Fantasy with Zora Jones

    22 AUG

    Realizing Fantasy with Zora Jones

    If you could design the perfect clubbing experience, what would you put in it? Zora Jones explores that idea in her audio-visual world-building projects, where the technological wonder of the virtual collides with the human connectivity of community. In this episode of Doing Music, Zora tells Craig Schuftan about how she toys with fantasy and reality in her modernist bass-heavy productions. As an ever-evolving artist, she delves into her development as a singer and songwriter, her appreciation for devoted fandom and the enduring influence of golden-era MTV.  Explore further: Gorge Music Recording Unhinged Book About Unconventional Techniques By Sylvia Massy And Chris Johnson The Lives of the Surrealists by Desmond Morris Eroge Video Games Busta Rymes ft. Janet Jackson - What’s It Gonna Be?!   Keep up with Zora Jones on Instagram, Bandcamp and via her label Fractal Fantasy.   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    50 min
  7. Learning Music with Dennis DeSantis

    8 AUG

    Learning Music with Dennis DeSantis

    How do you design music education that’s engaging for beginners and experienced users? That’s the challenge Dennis DeSantis faces as head of Ableton’s Learning Team. In this conversation with Craig Schuftan, Dennis talks about the importance of play and interactivity in learning and making music, as well as the value of simplifying complex concepts for beginners. Along the way we hear about his own musical journey, the power of diverse influences and debates around pitch and tuning systems.   Explore further: Learning Music Learning Synths Making Music: 74 Strategies for Electronic Producers by Dennis DeSantis Première Poème Symphonique, György Ligeti 1963 Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots (Official Video)  Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azzerad   Keep up with Dennis DeSantis on Instagram, YouTube and via his website.   Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    1h 18m
  8. Flipping influences with Erika de Casier

    25 JULY

    Flipping influences with Erika de Casier

    Erika de Casier’s distinct slant on R&B celebrates her eclectic influences even as it updates them. In this episode of Doing Music, Erika tells Craig Schuftan about the many threads of inspiration which shape the warm, intimate music she makes. Along the way we learn about the nuances of remote versus in-the-room collaboration, the importance of trusted feedback and managing self-doubt. From vocal recording to testing her tracks in hire cars, it’s an illuminating insight into the heartfelt practice of a truly unique talent in modernist pop music. Explore further: Craig David - Born to Do It Meet the Secret R&B Weapon Behind NewJeans’ Catchiest Hits Keep up with Erika de Casier on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook — and check out her latest album Still. Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

    59 min
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About

Doing Music is a podcast that explores the techniques and strategies behind musical ideas. In each episode, Craig Schuftan looks into the myth of spontaneous creation and talks to artists about their hands-on approaches for sparking something new. Doing Music is for anyone interested in the act of making music – because often the most exciting results happen when we stop musing and start doing. This podcast is brought to you by Ableton and hosted by Craig Schuftan. Craig is a music producer and the author of three books on music and popular culture.

Information

  • Creator
    Ableton
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Doing Music

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