The Spirit Studios Podcast

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In our Spirit Studios Podcast series, Music Producer and Tutor Al Atcheson chats with a range of guests from the industry, covering everything from music business to creative block, as well as talking us through the process of making tracks in his own stu


    • Sep 1, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 24m AVG DURATION
    • 40 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Spirit Studios Podcast

    #40 In conversation with: Corey Brown (Superlative, Rapper + Producer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2021 33:28


    Al chats with rapper and producer Corey Brown, aka Superlative. Corey talks about his journey from producing bedroom beats to collaborating with Mr Scruff and touring with renowned hip hop collective The Mouse Outfit.Links to Corey's work:https://www.instagram.com/official_superlative/https://www.sprhub.com/

    #39 Student Showcase: Thomas Lowe

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2021 23:12


    Tom produces music under the name Whitely and recently released his latest album, A Happy Place. He chats to Al about his production workflow, favourite synthesisers, and the wonders of making dance music with Gameboys.Listen to Whitely here: https://ptesquad.bandcamp.com/album/a-happy-place 

    #38 Making Tracks: Vaporwave

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2021 20:52


    Join Al as he explores the nostalgic sound of Vaporwave, with sugar-coated synthesisers, dreamy reverbs, and surreal sampling techniques.  

    #37 Making Tracks: Nu-Disco

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2021 17:30


    Get groovy with Al as he makes a Nu-Disco track in Ableton Live, complete with vintage strings, glittering arps, and funky 'chic' guitars.

    #36 Making Tracks: Dub Reggae

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2021 20:55


    Get skanking with Al as he creates a dub reggae track in Ableton Live. WARNING: This episode contains heavy bass, booming drums, and psychedelic spatial effects.

    #35 In Conversation with: Ryan Davies

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2021 20:15


    Al chats with producer, engineer and soon-to-be Spirit Studios graduate Ryan Davies. Ryan talks about his experience working in studios and at festivals, collaborating with artists, and developing his own business creating handbuilt plate reverbs. Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubosound/

    #34 Making Tracks: Deep House

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2021 21:27


    Join Al as he combines deep grooves, big bass sounds and chopped up vocal samples to create a banging modern deep house track. 

    #33 In conversation with: Vicky O'Neon, Drummer + Producer

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2021 40:46


    Al chats with drummer and producer Vicky O'Neon who has performed with acts like Clean Bandit, Rachel K Collier and Hans Zimmer. In this episode Vicky talks about her work with non-profit music organisations Girls Rock London and Rock Donna and shares insights into her upcoming YouTube series 'Drumming Through the Decades'.Follow the link to see more from Vicky:https://linktr.ee/vickyoneon 

    #32 Making Tracks: Chillhop

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2021 19:44


    Sit back and relax with Al as he uses Ableton Live to create a mellow chillhop track that combines elements of classic hip hop with lush instrumentation and lo-fi production techniques.

    #31 Talking Music Business with Steve Tilley, Live Entertainment Promoter

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2021 42:55


    Al and David talk with live entertainment promoter Steve Tilley, a director at Kilimanjaro Live with clients including the likes of Ed Sheeran and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

    #30 Talking Music Business with Stephen Kempner, Music Lawyer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 20:26


    Al and fellow Spirit Studios tutor David chat with music and entertainment lawyer Stephen Kempner, a partner at UK law firm Statham Gill Davies. Stephen gives a legal perspective on areas such as artist contracts, 360 deals, and music sampling.

    #29 Creative Block: Lewis Jones

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2021 32:01


    Al chats with producer Lewis Jones about creative guitar sampling, making music in a shipping container, and flying out to Italy to engineer for Mika.

    #28 Creative Block: Producing a Track from Samples

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2021 18:01


    Join Al as he reworks the contents of a sample pack into a brand new track as part of Spirit Studio's Creative Block campaign. Download the sample pack here: tinyurl.com/641ly6no Watch Al's Creative Block video on Youtube here: https://tinyurl.com/jhkwt9fk

    #27 Creative Block: Working with Sample Packs

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 18:45


    Feeling uninspired? Struggling to start a project? Join Al as he reuses, recycles, and repurposes sounds as part of Spirit Studios' new campaign: Creative Block.  Download the sample pack here: tinyurl.com/641ly6no

    #26 Making Tracks: Founds Sounds

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2020 18:45


    Join Al as he ditches his instruments and explores found sounds and creative effects processing to make music out of non-musical objects - including cardboard kick drums, elastic bass synths and psychedelic cork risers.

    #25 Making Tracks: Funky Disco

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2020 17:49


    Join Al as he makes a funky disco beat in Ableton Live, featuring groovy basslines, retro synth sounds and percussion layers inspired by 1970s classics.

    #24 Talking Music Business with Scott Maclachlan, A&R Director at Warner Music Australasia

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 75:17


    Al and fellow Spirit Studios tutor David chat with Scott Maclachlan, A&R Director at Warner Music New Zealand. Scott shares his insight into working at a major label, how streaming has impacted music production, and what it was like signing and managing Lorde.

    #23 Supporting Small: Niall Roche, Do As You Please.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 26:50


    Al chats with Spirit Studios graduate, producer, and Do As You Please label founder Niall Roche. They talk eclectic electronic music, taking inspiration from David Byrne, and how to assemble your first EP. Do As You Please: https://doasyouplease.bandcamp.com/ Listen to Niall's playlist here: https://spoti.fi/31Ihvvu

    #22 In conversation with: Mihnea & Alix, Interface 2020 winners

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2020 29:06


    Al chats with students Mihnea and Alix, winners of Interface 2020 - a collaborative competition between Spirit Studios in Manchester and the Catalyst Institute in Berlin. Together they created a fantastically dark cinematic soundscape titled Metamorphosis which you can view via the link below. https://bit.ly/340aKa4

    #21 Talking Music Business with Ian Huffam, X-Ray Touring

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 26:14


    Al and fellow Spirit Studios' tutor David chat to special guest Ian Huffam, partner at X-ray Touring - an independent global music agency that handles the live careers of artists such as Anderson .Paak, Blur, Eminem and New Order. Ian talks about how he got started, the impact of Covid-19, and shares advice for newcomers to the live industry.

    #20 Talking Music Business with Maddie & Tom

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2020 15:05


    Al and fellow Spirit Studios' tutor David chat to Maddie & Tom about their first year experience studying on the Music Business & Creative Industries degree course.

    #19 Synthesisers 101

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020 18:23


    Get started with synthesisers and join Al as he explores the world of oscillators, ADSR envelopes, filters, LFOs & arpeggiators.

    #18 How to make a Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020 22:48


    In this episode, Al shares his tips and tricks on how to make a professional-sounding podcast from home.

    #17 Making Tracks: Virtual Experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2020 18:17


    Al breaks down the beat created for the Spirit Studios Virtual Experience on 1 August 2020. Join him as he chops up some mellow piano, creates time-shifting delay effects, and re-samples his own voice. Link to our Virtual Experience: https://youtu.be/lQNSkCvI7Jg

    #16 Reverb 101

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020 15:55


    Make some space and join Al as he explores the fundamentals of reverb. In this episode he offers some mixing tips, compares concert halls with springs and plates, and does some recording in a bathroom.

    #15 Talking Music Business with David Cameron-Pryde

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2020 30:36


    Al chats with David Cameron-Pryde, head of A&R at MUK Records and Music Business & Creative Industries Tutor at Spirit Studios. They talk about record labels, branding for independent artists, and why Kanye is the new Morrissey. https://bit.ly/3eK1poQ

    #14 Free Effects Plug-ins

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2020 19:34


    There's some fantastic free plugins out there! Join Al as he explores some of his favourite effects plugins that won't cost you a penny .

    #13 Rhythm Rundown

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2020 17:26


    In this episode, Al breaks down essential drum rhythms for five different genres of music - hip hop, house, garage, techno, and drum & bass. Follow the link below to download the MIDI drum patterns. https://bit.ly/38AcgjK

    #12 Making Tracks: Synthwave

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 19:33


    Al goes back to the 80s and creates a Synthwave track from scratch. Get ready for retro arpeggiators, big gated snares, and lots and lots of synths.

    #11 Supporting Small: Andre Pires

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2020 34:06


    Al chats with Andre Pires about his one-man experimental metal project Cut the Berry, self-promotion on a budget, and moving to the UK to study sound engineering. Andre's playlist: https://spoti.fi/2Z37QgH Illusion by Confusion video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSjrY5AhnoE

    #9 Compression 101

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2020 19:17


    Compressors are one of the most useful tools at our disposal when working with sound. In this episode, Al introduces the main functions and controls of a compressor, and explores some creative ways you can apply compression in your mix.

    #8 Supporting Small: Aaron Haigh

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2020 30:07


    Join Al as he chats with Aaron Haigh, a drummer and producer who plays with Seafret and has toured as a drum tech with artists like the Courteeners, DMA's, and the Chainsmokers. Link to Aaron's playlist: https://spoti.fi/2U9S6XU

    #7 Making Tracks: Logic Lofi Loops

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2020 20:43


    To celebrate the massive Logic Pro update that recently dropped, Al creates a lofi track using its main new features. In this episode he chops things up with the Sampler plugins, gets granular with synthesis, and goes off the grid with Logic's new step sequencer.

    #6 Supporting Small: Chris Sherwin

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2020 28:12


    Al chats with Spirit Studios alumnus Chris Sherwin, live sound engineer at Manchester venue Night & Day and singer/guitarist in post-rock outfit Bards. Link to Chris' playlist: https://spoti.fi/3bJ1OpQ

    #5 The Home Studio Setup

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2020 16:11


    Link to our downloadable Home Studio Setup guide here: https://adobe.ly/2T15BZj

    #4 Making Tracks: Bedroom Pop

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 18:44


    Join Al as he explores the budget-friendly genre of Bedroom Pop & creates a track with harmonised guitar parts, lo-fi synths, and lots of delay plugins.

    #3 Production Lockdown: Arrangement & Mix

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2020 20:28


    In the third part of our Production Lockdown series, Al finalises the arrangement, mixes Motown-style vocals, and makes moves with automation.Full track: https://soundcloud.com/al-atcheson/no-rush 

    #2 Production Lockdown: Guitars, Synths & Vocals

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2020 16:37


    In this episode, Al explores vocal harmonies, retro arpeggiators, and pastes together a guitar solo.

    #1 Production Lockdown: Drums & Percussion

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2020 13:33


    In this episode, Al delves into drum processing, recording percussion elements, and creating your own sample loops from scratch.

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