Other Influences | Geno.MP3

As a producer, I create music in multiple genres, mainly hip hop and house. I also record artists, sell beats to artists and loops to other producers. Due to this, I take influence from many people across different genres and niches.

This page is to give credit to these influences.

Versatility, Variation, Vision.

The 4 pieces of work showcased in this portfolio are used to show my abilities in sound production in an effort to show that I am suited for the job role of Music producer / remixer. As a music producer it is important to have a portfolio to show your work to potential collaborators and employers. Currently I use my Instagram page to showcase releases, advertise as well as using it as a portfolio. It is important for a portfolio to be of a high standard, to be varied and to show what you can offer to potential clients. It should also be tailored to the intended audience in terms of content.

In this plan I will discuss how important versatility is in a portfolio as well as in an producer’s work. In my research I delved into 4 artists / producers who are ground breaking in their own way but are also versatile in the genres they work in, the artists that they work with and also in their methods and mediums of creating art. This to me is one of the most important factors in being a producer as you can create demand and work in many different fields, while still creating sound and music.

For my research, I focused on artists and producers who are known for their versatility, this can be in genres, artists they work with and even the medium in which they create.

Sega Bodega

The first producer that I have researched is Glasgow based producer, Sega Bodega. I was drawn to researching this producer as he is mainly self taught from online videos on making electronic music, which is how I had originally started producing myself, as well as the fact that he is based in Scotland and has produced music for some big artists across genres as well as releasing his own music, both of which are goals of mine.

From listening to his music and reading and watching his interviews one of the main things that stuck out to me was his versatility and ability to merge genres cohesively, using elements of UK garage and drum & bass, hip hop, electronic, house and trip hop to create his own unique sound. In doing this, he has been able to work with artists such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Shygirl, Slowthai and FKA Twigs as well as creating music for fashion shows and adverts. This type of versatility in a producer is extremely useful as you can have multiple revenue streams and work with artists from various genres rather than only focusing on one.

The Alchemist

Alan Maman, also known as Alchemist, is one of my biggest inspirations in production. He has had a career which has spanned over 3 decades and has worked with some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Mobb Deep, Kendrick Lamar, Action Bronson, Ghostface Killah, Earl Sweatshirt and J Cole to name a few. He is a sample-based producer who mixes soulful melodies with heavy and gritty drums to create his sound, this has heavily influenced the way that I create music. Maman is widely regarded as one of the most consistent and reliable producers in the industry and now seems to be focusing on making his own albums where he produces all the tracks and has artists he likes like to rap on them, which is a major goal of mine.

While Alchemist is known primarily for his chopped up sampled boom bap beats, he has forayed into trap and smooth R&B, most recently working with 2 Chains, an artist known for his stadium style trap anthems and Erykah Badu, a neo soul singer often compared to Billie Holiday. With that said, Alchemist’s versatility can be seen in the artists that he works with, ranging from underground mainstays like Earl Sweatshirt and Roc Marciano to producing for hip hop giants in Eminem and Kendrick Lamar while still maintaining his signature sound and originality in these tracks.

J Dilla

James Dewitt Yancey, professionally known as J Dilla is one of the most influential producers of the 21st century, inspiring producers across all different genres. From a personal standpoint, my own production was influenced by J Dilla before I knew who he was, as one of my musical influences, Kanye West, held Yancey in such high regard, comparing him to the same standard of Tupac, Biggie & Michael Jackson and using him as a standard to which he held his own music when he said, in Stones Throw documentary Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton "It’s amazing: How could we lose Biggie, Pac, Dilla, Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson? It almost feels like the devil’s winning. We gotta make music and we think, 'If Dilla was alive, would he like this?' I have to work on behalf of Dilla.” He has influenced genres such as Lofi, R&B and electronic music as a whole, with his own unique approach to sampling.

Dilla collaborated as a producer with conscious rappers such as A Tribe Called Quest & Common, while also producing for soul artists like Erykah Badu , underground artists like MF Doom and even producing for multiple member of Wu Tang Clan. Showing versatility in being able to create music across multiple genres and vibes. Along with this, Dilla also released multiple instrumental albums including Donuts, an album so good that I personally have 2 vinyl copies of it, one that I can listen to and another which remains sealed.

His influence and versatility can also be seen in the artists who have worked with his music after his 2006 Passing, with British Electronic artist, Four Tet remixing his track “As Serious As Your Life”. As well as soul band, The Roots releasing an album in which they play his songs called “Dilla Joints”. To mainstream hip hop artists like Kid Cudi and XXXTentacion using his beats posthumously.

RZA

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, primarily known for being a producer, rapper and founding member of the Wu Tang Clan is another highly influential producer who has worked across many genres as well as being a composer for multiple movies. His production style inspired a sub genre called chipmunk soul, where older soul records were sped up and sampled to create hip hop beats, highly popularized by Kanye West, which took over the hip hop world in the early 2000’s.

While RZA’s main contribution to music is in the hip hop genre, rapping and collaborating as a producer with Wu Tang Clan both as a group and on solo projects for individual members, he also worked with hip hop artists such as Notorious BIG, Kanye West & Jay Z to name a few. He has also worked alongside artists from completely different genres, most notably in 1998 where he collaborated with Scottish band Texas on a remix of their song, “Say What You Want”. This included an instrumental version, produced by himself on the UK single release. Rza also collaborated with Bjork on a remix of her song Bachelorette. Along with this, Bjork wanted to have RZA provide beats for her 1997 album “Homogenic”. There is also an unreleased collaborative album with Bjork and the Wu Tang Clan, which RZA produced and performed on.

Along with his versatility in music, RZA also assisted Quentin Tarantino with sound effects and theme music selection for Kill Bill Part 1, as well as going on to compose the score for the movie and it’s sequel. This cross medium versatility is inspiring to me as in my portfolio, I also have scored a scene from a movie, as well as adding in all of the audio, including sound effects.

I currently have 4 tracks with artists scheduled to release over the summer, I hosted studio sessions with these artists as well as produced all of the instrumentals and mixed and masters 2 of the tracks. I have also sold Hip Hop instrumentals using Beatstars over the last year.

I have worked with a meditation instructor to create tracks for guided meditations, as well as mixing and mastering 4 30 minute long sets including tracks of his choice as well as creating and adding sections of my own work to act as transitions between track. These pieces have been played in sessions over the past 2 years, including being used in several events at the Glasgow planetarium for hundreds of people.

This freelance work shows that I am able to work with clients to create a product for them based on a brief, as well as knowing current market trends in order to sell beats to artists, mainly is the US as well as knowing the trends in the UK to collaborate with local artists.

Sources

How to Build Your Music Portfolio in 2024 (With Examples)

Sega Bodega on grindcore and learning to lie through music | Life Lessons

Sega Bodega - Notion

The Glaswegian producer designing club tracks + tracksuits | Dazed

ALC Records

Alchemist On Turning Beats Into A Business, Cutting Out The Music Industry | IDEA GENERATION, Ep. 8 - YouTube

Book – Dilla Time

RZA and Quentin Tarantino's Kung Fu Collaboration on 'Kill Bill: Volume I' | The Hip Hop Museum

J Dilla: A Timeless Inspiration for Programmers and Artists Alike | by Shimon Moyal | Medium

20 Fascinating Facts about J Dilla

12 Hip-Hop Legends Prove J Dilla Is One of The Greatest Ever | Brooklyn Bowl