Dropping an album is no easy feat, with many steps and different processes. I will be outlining my process throughout the span of 8 weeks to display what goes into my creative flow of eventually dropping a 12 song original album.
Week 8 - Apr 10
During the last two months, I have been working with weekly updates on the task of dropping an album at the end. I compiled 25 songs that I have made over the last year or so. I wanted to divide that number in half, get everything ready, and release it at week 8. Things did not necessarily go that way.
In this final week, I was not able to get every song distribution ready. I still need all the visuals for the album. I still need to work on some tunes and master most of them. However, even though we did not succeed in our initial goal, there is more success in a strong backbone. I created the foundation for this album to take place, and without these last 8 weeks I would still be on square one. This week, I went over all 25 songs and started adding to a new playlist of songs that are definitely on the album. And I listened to rain forest fire, which I did not realize I loved so much. I knew I needed to go back and work on it, so this week on three different occasions I worked to make the song come to life more.
At this point, I have acquired 10 songs that are distribution ready, aside from getting sent to a mastering engineer. I have reworked and finished around five tunes, and have constructed a few new ones during the process specifically for the album. I have gone through with a fine comb all 25 options to see which fit and which don't. My attempt to get feedback from those closest to me did not turn out well with the time that we had. My mom was the only one who has sent me feedback this far. Yet, I am so much more farther along than I was 2 months ago. I will continue to update my website with new information about the album, and I will continue on with this plight to drop an album by the end of 2023.
Here is a YouTube video that explains the entire project, my initial 8 week timeline, and the second version of Rain Forest Fire.
In this final week, I was not able to get every song distribution ready. I still need all the visuals for the album. I still need to work on some tunes and master most of them. However, even though we did not succeed in our initial goal, there is more success in a strong backbone. I created the foundation for this album to take place, and without these last 8 weeks I would still be on square one. This week, I went over all 25 songs and started adding to a new playlist of songs that are definitely on the album. And I listened to rain forest fire, which I did not realize I loved so much. I knew I needed to go back and work on it, so this week on three different occasions I worked to make the song come to life more.
At this point, I have acquired 10 songs that are distribution ready, aside from getting sent to a mastering engineer. I have reworked and finished around five tunes, and have constructed a few new ones during the process specifically for the album. I have gone through with a fine comb all 25 options to see which fit and which don't. My attempt to get feedback from those closest to me did not turn out well with the time that we had. My mom was the only one who has sent me feedback this far. Yet, I am so much more farther along than I was 2 months ago. I will continue to update my website with new information about the album, and I will continue on with this plight to drop an album by the end of 2023.
Here is a YouTube video that explains the entire project, my initial 8 week timeline, and the second version of Rain Forest Fire.
Week 7 - Apr 3
Building the foundation for my debut Ben Dro album has been a blessed experience to be able to do within school. The fact that this has been a weekly assignment is a great opportunity for artists like us. Pursuing this big feat has come with its challenges, but as we near the end of this weekly update process, I want to share where we're currently at with everything.
First off, my idea to reach out to those closest to me and get quality feedback did not pan out the way I intended. Only my mom gave me a lot of feedback, and I had a couple friends promise to look into it that never got back to me. In their defense, it may have been difficult for them to listen to it as I had to share each song as a Google Drive file, instead of simply a SoundCloud link. This is because it would not let me share a private playlist of 25 songs, I had to create a folder on google drive and send that way, which is a bit more difficult for those that aren't the most technologically savvy.
So, I took matters into my own hands, and I have been figuring out which songs will get on the album and which won't. In addition, I have been going back to work on those in which I wanted on the album but weren't finished. Throughout this process, I have revised and relatively finished at least five songs that will make it on the album. I have also cut out a few choices that I don't think either fit on the album, need too much work, or are simply not good enough or too out of date production wise. I can be a bit more specific with the songs I choose, because I have a lot of good music and I can always create more.
This process also inspired me to create new music specifically for the album. I have constructed about 3 songs that will take up a spot on the album, and I have added vocals to 2 others. This last week, I have been finalizing the list for songs that will definitely be on the album. I have been noting which tracks are, in my eyes, finished and which still need more work. And I have been doing show after show testing out some of these new tracks to see how they. come out live.
Here is my personal notes on the trajectory of the songs that will definitely be on the album, a picture of the updated album (not in specific order yet), and a professional picture from my show on Saturday night!
First off, my idea to reach out to those closest to me and get quality feedback did not pan out the way I intended. Only my mom gave me a lot of feedback, and I had a couple friends promise to look into it that never got back to me. In their defense, it may have been difficult for them to listen to it as I had to share each song as a Google Drive file, instead of simply a SoundCloud link. This is because it would not let me share a private playlist of 25 songs, I had to create a folder on google drive and send that way, which is a bit more difficult for those that aren't the most technologically savvy.
So, I took matters into my own hands, and I have been figuring out which songs will get on the album and which won't. In addition, I have been going back to work on those in which I wanted on the album but weren't finished. Throughout this process, I have revised and relatively finished at least five songs that will make it on the album. I have also cut out a few choices that I don't think either fit on the album, need too much work, or are simply not good enough or too out of date production wise. I can be a bit more specific with the songs I choose, because I have a lot of good music and I can always create more.
This process also inspired me to create new music specifically for the album. I have constructed about 3 songs that will take up a spot on the album, and I have added vocals to 2 others. This last week, I have been finalizing the list for songs that will definitely be on the album. I have been noting which tracks are, in my eyes, finished and which still need more work. And I have been doing show after show testing out some of these new tracks to see how they. come out live.
Here is my personal notes on the trajectory of the songs that will definitely be on the album, a picture of the updated album (not in specific order yet), and a professional picture from my show on Saturday night!
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Week 6 - Mar 27 |
Making an album has been such a fantastic experience. I am happy to finally have a chance to have this much original music that I can make my own album. I guess I grinded making new music, kept my head down, and when I looked up I had 25 possibilities for songs on the album. One thing that has been a challenge has been getting the older music up to my new knowledge.
This week, I went back and listened to the album of possibilities. I checked out which one's are for sure on the album, and I worked on them a bunch more. I tried to get them to a place where they're finished and I can send them off to get mastered. For starters, I found the song that I intend to put first on the album, that I made for when you're feeling not okay and need something that feels good and motivates you. It was very barebones, so this week I found it in my Ableton files and went back to work on it. I didn't change much, but I edited the sounds and made it sound more cohesive. In addition, I added some motivational vocals from 2Pac & Rocky, and now I am much more happy with it. On top of that, I made a new song that I think will definitely make it on the album, maybe as a single promoting the album prior to its release. Also, I am starting to build concepts and ideas for the album cover and visuals, as well as starting to ponder what I want to call it. Here is the before and after of the first song on the album, as well as the new song that I made. |
Week 5 - Mar 20
Sculpting a dance music album can be difficult to gage when certain songs are done. In addition, it is tough to figure out which songs to include and which to take out. I have been working on the songs for this album for the last year, and I am getting to the point where I am finalizing which songs to include.
This week, I sent another reminder to a group chat I made consisting of the 5 or 6 people who love me most in the world. This reminder said that I know they are busy, but this feedback would mean a lot to me and be incredibly helpful. If I don't receive their feedback within the next couple weeks, I will probably have to move on and figure it out without their input. Hopefully, this week I can receive some feedback from others. In addition, I have been working on new music. This week, I started two new ideas. One of the songs is called The Desire. This idea started a couple weeks ago with the simple vocals that you will hear in a second, and since then I have sat down and worked on it quite a few times. It is a simple, progressive feel-good house track that I really love. It will most likely take the spot of an older progressive track that I can take out because it may be too old to include at this point. By too old, I mean that it doesn't well represent my style and skill level as too much time has passed. This week, I made a second version of The Desire, and the difference between the two is apparent.
Here is the first version of The Desire as compared to the second, and a screenshot of the text I sent out to my groupchat.
This week, I sent another reminder to a group chat I made consisting of the 5 or 6 people who love me most in the world. This reminder said that I know they are busy, but this feedback would mean a lot to me and be incredibly helpful. If I don't receive their feedback within the next couple weeks, I will probably have to move on and figure it out without their input. Hopefully, this week I can receive some feedback from others. In addition, I have been working on new music. This week, I started two new ideas. One of the songs is called The Desire. This idea started a couple weeks ago with the simple vocals that you will hear in a second, and since then I have sat down and worked on it quite a few times. It is a simple, progressive feel-good house track that I really love. It will most likely take the spot of an older progressive track that I can take out because it may be too old to include at this point. By too old, I mean that it doesn't well represent my style and skill level as too much time has passed. This week, I made a second version of The Desire, and the difference between the two is apparent.
Here is the first version of The Desire as compared to the second, and a screenshot of the text I sent out to my groupchat.
Week 4 - Mar 13
Creating new music is my passion, so constructing an album has been extremely joyful and fulfilling. Wasting the tracks I have made over the last year by just leaving them on my computer is not an option anymore. I have built around 25 songs, and only half of them will make it on the album.
This week, I reached out to a mastering engineer, and some visual arts connections I have in order to start working on ideas for the visual aspects of the album. These include the album cover, Spotify canvas, banner, and hero picture. Reaching out to the right mastering engineer is crucial because it can be very costly. For some of my more recent works, they would be fine just being mixed and mastered by me, because I have gained a lot more skill in the area in the last six months. However, for the tracks that are a bit olderr, they will need a mastering engineer. In addition, I have been creating more music, that will likely take some place on the album, or work better as singles. I have been listening to the options and I have decided that Speed is ready to go.
Here is a screenshot of my Instagram DM's, that show that I have been reaching out to people in the industry about different aspects of the album. In addition, here is a screenshot of the playlist I have going for album possibilities, and one snippet of a song that may or may not be on the album that I just got the vocals redone for.
This week, I reached out to a mastering engineer, and some visual arts connections I have in order to start working on ideas for the visual aspects of the album. These include the album cover, Spotify canvas, banner, and hero picture. Reaching out to the right mastering engineer is crucial because it can be very costly. For some of my more recent works, they would be fine just being mixed and mastered by me, because I have gained a lot more skill in the area in the last six months. However, for the tracks that are a bit olderr, they will need a mastering engineer. In addition, I have been creating more music, that will likely take some place on the album, or work better as singles. I have been listening to the options and I have decided that Speed is ready to go.
Here is a screenshot of my Instagram DM's, that show that I have been reaching out to people in the industry about different aspects of the album. In addition, here is a screenshot of the playlist I have going for album possibilities, and one snippet of a song that may or may not be on the album that I just got the vocals redone for.
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Week 3 - Feb 28, 2023
For the last 3 weeks, I have been in the beginning phases of dropping an album. Well, I have had the songs prepared, around 25 songs that I have produced and written over the last 9 months. I have been in the process of trimming the song count down to 12, and figuring out which songs should be dropped, kept, or revised.
This week, I took a step back from producing new music, and focused on what I already had. One of the songs on the album, called Speed, was written in my last residence, when I lived with 8 guys and my girlfriend. It is a love song, and I really loved the idea for it and other people did too. However, I worked on that over 6 months ago, and a lot has changed since then. So, this week I went back in and touched it up. I took some parts out because less is more in music nowadays, and added some new plug ins and effects to sounds and the overall master to make it sound more deep, wide, and full. I like how it is sounding now, after I worked on it for a few hours each on three different days.
Here is what it sounded like before this week, and what it sounds like now. The last picture is proof of the Ableton project file that I went back and fixed up. There around almost 100 singular tracks, and my master channel effect chain is shown.
This week, I took a step back from producing new music, and focused on what I already had. One of the songs on the album, called Speed, was written in my last residence, when I lived with 8 guys and my girlfriend. It is a love song, and I really loved the idea for it and other people did too. However, I worked on that over 6 months ago, and a lot has changed since then. So, this week I went back in and touched it up. I took some parts out because less is more in music nowadays, and added some new plug ins and effects to sounds and the overall master to make it sound more deep, wide, and full. I like how it is sounding now, after I worked on it for a few hours each on three different days.
Here is what it sounded like before this week, and what it sounds like now. The last picture is proof of the Ableton project file that I went back and fixed up. There around almost 100 singular tracks, and my master channel effect chain is shown.
Week 2 - Feb 21, 2023
The process of constructing a 12 song album has many parts. I am focused on getting prepared to distribute a full album of original works in an 8 week timeline. During this week, I expanded on what I did last week and then some. First, I waited for feedback from the people I sent out the album to. These six people were asked to give me feedback on the 25 song possibilities, and I would be able to narrow it down into which 12 are going to stay. However, only one out of the six people has completed the task. Most of them are also college students, so they may need some more messages reminding them, which I will do this week. Yet, the feedback I have already gotten has helped quite a bit as to providing a direction for where I want this album to go.
In addition to the feedback, I have been listening to the album on repeat, trying to decipher for myself which pieces of work should stay or go. Some of them are there foudationally, yet they need another studio session or two to get reworked, revised, and polished. This week, I will decide which songs that need to be worked on that I have already made. This way, I can create a list of options and it will be easier to hammer them out one by one.
Also, I have been working on my own new music that I think can definitely make it into the album. I have new and improved instruments, production knowledge, and resources that I did not have on the tracks I made 6 months ago, so new material is always helpful.
Here is a clip of one of the new songs I made for the album this week, a screenshot of some of the feedback I got from my madre, and the Ableton project file for the new song I made.
In addition to the feedback, I have been listening to the album on repeat, trying to decipher for myself which pieces of work should stay or go. Some of them are there foudationally, yet they need another studio session or two to get reworked, revised, and polished. This week, I will decide which songs that need to be worked on that I have already made. This way, I can create a list of options and it will be easier to hammer them out one by one.
Also, I have been working on my own new music that I think can definitely make it into the album. I have new and improved instruments, production knowledge, and resources that I did not have on the tracks I made 6 months ago, so new material is always helpful.
Here is a clip of one of the new songs I made for the album this week, a screenshot of some of the feedback I got from my madre, and the Ableton project file for the new song I made.
Week 1
For the first week, I have tracked down every possible song that I have made in the last 9 months that has the chance of being on the album. After putting all of these songs in a playlist, I ended up with 25 options. I have to narrow that down by half to reach 12, so I had the idea of sending the playlist of possible songs to the people in the world that know me most to give me feedback. This week, I have been waiting on that feedback, and guiding them through the feedback process by telling them to write down which ones they liked, liked the most, didn't like, didn't like the most, any notes about any track, which ones I should drop, keep, improve on, or are definites to be in the album. This week's progress will pave the way for the rest of the process.
Next week, I will be picking which tracks to have in the album, work on the ones that need more revision, and reach out to artwork curators with ideas. I learned that it is difficult to get six people to sit down for around 30 minutes to an hour devoted to giving me feedback. However, these are the six closest people to me, so they should want to do it. It was surprising to round up all the songs and to know that I have created 25 options to be on this album.
Here is a link to one of the songs that I think deserves a spot on the album, a picture of my google drive folder obtaining all of the album possibilities, and a screenshot of the text I sent out! Hope you enjoy!
Next week, I will be picking which tracks to have in the album, work on the ones that need more revision, and reach out to artwork curators with ideas. I learned that it is difficult to get six people to sit down for around 30 minutes to an hour devoted to giving me feedback. However, these are the six closest people to me, so they should want to do it. It was surprising to round up all the songs and to know that I have created 25 options to be on this album.
Here is a link to one of the songs that I think deserves a spot on the album, a picture of my google drive folder obtaining all of the album possibilities, and a screenshot of the text I sent out! Hope you enjoy!
