Journal Update #9 MAR - Hansel Mac Session
During each session I uploaded Instagram stories to create some buzz and mystery around the project which I still haven't officially announced yet. When the project is nearing completion I will post on both Instagram, Tumblr (my website) and Facebook officially announcing the project.
During my week back in London I also completed a session with rapper Hansel Mac. Hansel is an old mate of mine and he was open to talking about lyrical content I gave him some of the themes behind the tape and he created a sweet rap about the trials and tribulations of being a 20 something guy living and growing up in London. I have known Hansel since I was 18, we met through a mutual friend during a stint doing videography for a night that he went to in London. The session was really rewarding and again I learnt valuable lessons, specifically to do with speed, workflow, and quick vocal processing. Hansel came prepared to the session with a rap he’d written for the single The Judge (which I will release via Soundcloud and Spotify in April). This was great for the energy and speed of the session. In particular, his energy was great and he had nice words about the beats I’d sent to him. We had ‘The Judge’ done in four takes and honestly wasn't expecting to get much more done than the single, but once he was happy with the takes and it was arranged I started playing him more beats until we found something that caught his ear. (The mind map for The Judge pictured below)
A beat I had called Dragons Triangle caught his attention and he started reeling off a fast rap with a fairly dark tone, but it instantly fit the sinister feel of the beat. So, we decided to lay down vocals and arrange that. This one took a few more takes but was rewarding and I understood that he wanted the best performance and energy to translate on the record. I didn't have time to mix and master it for The Tape but will put it out at a later date as a single.
Areas to improve on would be there were a few times where maybe focus wandered and we started talking about music and artists that we liked introducing each other to new tracks. However this was also rewarding and helped to break the ice and create a relaxed atmosphere to the session. His positive energy and easy conversation was really helpful and we got along well as well which probably factored into to the chatting.
Hansel actually texted me after the session to say how inspired he was by the collaboration which was really positive and he gave me some feedback which read: ‘as a producer you’re good at creating a positive and encouraging environment’ and he said that this was important for getting the best out of artists and that he was looking forward to making more music! This was good feedback to hear as it’s important when collaborating, “that everyone is encouraged to speak their minds” (Brown, 2019) and feel comfortable and encouraged, in my experience this is the best way to get positive results.
Collaborative processes can enrich not just art but our own human lives (Booth & Bacharach, 2016) it’s important to note that the session had a resoundingly positive affect on both of us and I think that contributed to the aesthetic of The Judge, I’m really proud of what we produced. Overall we got two tracks completely laid down and arranged, more than I thought would be achieved in a session.
I also decided on the final artwork (below) for the Judge and sent it off to Distrokid to be the second single released off The Tape!
Update: The single got accepted on some Spotify playlists that I submitted to which was fantastic and Hansel was really happy about that. This was great promotion at this early stage.
References:
Booth, J., & Bacharach, S. (2016). Collaborative Art in the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: Routledge.
Brown, G. (2019). How to Collaborate Effectively with Other Music Producers. Retrieved 2020, from iZotope website: https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/how-to-collaborate-effectively-with-other-music-producers.html/