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the loop

Independent Artist T22 releases “Svddnly I Just Can’t Breathe”: Southern Comfort a loop!

Posted on 3 March 2020

T22 excels in this particular style of hip-hop and his southern drawl lends no end of charm to an already classy production. To call this track only hip-hop seems slightly disingenuous as he has used a number of creative sounds within the mix of the song including a classic rock distort on the electric guitar as a riff, and it is hypnotic. His lyric, and the performance of it is gut-wrenchingly real and honest, reminding me of musical influencers like Lil Nas X, blurring the lines of popular genres with ingenuity and boldness. Using youth and vitality to break down walls and bring audiences together through relatable, familiar topics.

Tracks like this blow our minds but they shouldn’t. Music, like language is ever evolving, ever changing, ever morphing just as our societies do. Trailblazers like T22 are leading the charge, is on the cutting edge of what is hot right now, and is worth keeping a close eye on.

Tell us what you think about “Svddnly I Just Can’t Breathe” which is available to listen to now via DISTROKID. Enjoy!

Review by Susan Harriott

Scotton Drive – Short Loop: Ambient Instrumental Glitch Hop  

Posted on 24 November 2019
https://scottondrive1.bandcamp.com/track/short-loop

If your ambient electronica playlists are sounding a little dusty, up and coming US-based experimental artist and producer Scotton Drive’s latest single “Short Loop” is sure to inject plenty of glitchy soul amongst the mix.

Technical Glitch Hip Hop beats, soulfully succinct vocals, and intricately arrestive melodies don’t often go hand in hand. And usually, experimentalism hinders accessibility, but with Short Loop, there’s a real sense that you’re listening to a soundscape constructed through immersive innovation unravelling.

Scotton Drive’s ability to play around with light and deep textures at the same time as throwing you rhythmically off-balance with glitchy breakbeats and still leave you hooked within the mix is a testament to their talent.

You can check out Scotton Drive’s latest track which was released on November 11th for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Music Marketing Landscape is Changing: Move with It by Factoring in These Key Shakeups

Posted on 6 August 2023
Music Marketing

The domain of music marketing is evolving faster than ever in 2023; with the rise and fall of platforms (RIP Twitter) and the new features added to existing platforms, such as the free tiers on Patreon, it can be difficult for independent artists to keep stock of all the major moves and stay up to scratch.

This article will cover the main changes that have changed the landscape of music marketing, including our view on whether it is still worth promoting your music on Elon Musk’s platform, which is sinking faster than the Oceangate submarine, a review of the brand-new features on Bandsintown, and an introduction to the new radio-like platform from Amazon.

4 Major Music Marketing Shakeups to Note in 2023

1.   Bandsintown Launched Music Promotion Pages

Few people will be as interested in your new music releases as your fans who have parted with their hard-earned cash to see you live, which makes the brand-new music promotion pages on Bandsintown promising for independent artists who know just how to draw a crowd to their live shows.

As most artists and bands who are no strangers to the live touring circuit will know, Bandsintown is already one of the top platforms to market your tours and one-off gigs. Now, the platform is allowing artists to announce and build the hype around everything from new music to merch drops.

After the new features were implemented, Bandsintown is now a one-stop shop for keeping your loyal fans in the loop. Via the platform, you can customise your release announcements, share them with your fans on social media, and even collect emails and phone numbers.

Currently, the release pages are in their beta testing stages, and only artists with a claimed profile and over 100 followers can participate. If you fit the bill, there is no harm in trying the release pages out for size. There are already 80 million live music fans signed up to the platform, connect with them!

2.   Amazon Introduced Their Free Music Marketing Platform

Decades ago, we were told that video killed the radio star, but in 2023, the radio waves are still alive with the sound of music. Especially after Amazon launched their very own radio-like platform, AMP.

It is completely free to market your music with AMP; the radio-esque platform also enables artists to connect with their fans in real time, making it a prime place for music marketing. The platform was founded on the certifiable belief that there is no better way to connect with your fans than talking to them.

The platform may not be huge yet, but it is already drawing a steady flock of tastemakers, emerging artists, and music fans who want to try their hand at being a radio DJ. The inventively interactive platform allows you to spin tunes on the radio while starting conversations with your fans.

See it as an opportunity to give your listeners an insider view into your most popular music, talk about who inspires you and find common ground with your fan base. As another benefit, you can receive money through the Amazon AMP Creator Fund every month while you are hosting shows!

3.   Reels Are on the Rise

A few months ago, we covered the TikTokification of other social media platforms and apps; a recent report published by Meta has shown to what extremes short-form content reigns supreme. Earlier this week, disclosed that reels now receive over 200 billion views every day across Facebook and Instagram.

Once you have wrapped your head around those inconceivable figures, you might want to consider how you can jump on the trend for music marketing before people get sick of being sucked into the short-form time vacuums and start being more mindful about how they spend their time on social media platforms.

While the number of Reels viewed on TikTok each day is undoubtedly far higher than the view count on Instagram and Facebook combined, TikTok hasn’t been quite as forthcoming with its viewing stats. But one thing is for certain; long-form content is out, and snappy, creative reels are in.

4.   X Now Marks the Spot, But Should You Still Dig for Engagement There?

If you use an application programming interface (API) to post to all social media sites simultaneously, you may have noticed that X (formerly Twitter) is now making it a little difficult to share your music marketing posts simultaneously.

On top of that, the levels of engagement on the platform are going down like a lead balloon. If you already have a following on there, we won’t try to convince you to jump ship before the social media vessel sinks entirely. But if you are attempting to grow your fanbase on there, you may be better off investing your time establishing yourself on Threads, Facebook, TikTok or Instagram instead.

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For more music marketing and self-promo advice, follow our music news blog, or get in touch for a one-to-one consultancy service and take charge of your music career in 2023.

Article by Amelia Vandergast

Interview: DJ CoolRex loves that hard-to-get energy on the dance floor winner, I Want

Posted on 7 June 2023

Seducing us into a whole new vortex of discovery, DJ CoolRex rips off the band-aid of the past and drops us deeper into his speaker-shuddering new single, I Want. The Ohio-born tech-house producer reveals to us the inner workings of the music business, surviving 2022’s disastrous Hurricane Ian, future plans, selling cars and how it feels to be completely uplifted by a 24-hour rave in the mountains of Tennessee.

Llewelyn: Welcome to A&R Factory and we’re absolutely delighted to be speaking with you today. Firstly, how did you get in the music game and your DJ name..we love it..what is the story behind it if you don’t mind sharing?

DJ CoolRex: Hi, thanks for having me! It’s really nice to be doing a feature with you guys! I have been making music since I was a kid and actually made a song back in high school that I tried to get our principal to play when our team came out of the tunnel, so you can see that I always had a business-like mindset. I went on to make some songs in my early twenties and got to a point where I had about 50,000 monthly listeners under a different name that had started as a group and ended up becoming a solo act because the guy I made the songs with (who shall remain nameless) after ghosting me three years prior came out of the woodwork demanding all this stuff from me. Then shortly after that the songs were removed by my publisher and that was that, but I learned a valuable lesson. I knew that moving forward if I was gonna make music again in the future I would do it by my own hand. So I moved towards producing and fiddled around with trying to make beats for the next few years just here and there. It was funny though I remember right around when Covid was really taking off I was working at a dealership and would be watching youtube tutorials on beat making or watching some lecture on EQing while waiting for clients because I was really trying to learn. It was always nerve-racking because in car sales you’re kind of always supposed to be on the dealership phones calling clients or sending follow-up emails, and car sales managers are always super inquisitive which makes it extra embarrassing if you get caught.

You might be surprised to hear that I picked the name and had it all mapped out before I even got a DJ controller. The name at first was just going to be CoolRex but one of my best friends Steve told me it should be DJ CoolRex so I made that change. I picked the name because I’m a laid-back guy most of the time unless I’m inspired about something which truthfully doesn’t take all that much but the Rex part is actually a double entendre because it is like a dinosaur like a T-Rex but Rex is also a synonym for King and I think subconsciously that kind of gives a sense of empowerment to the name on top of it already being like a T-Rex, a Cool, T-Rex, DJ CoolRex. I figured also everyone loves dinosaurs so, in the worst-case scenario people are just vibing heavily to some dinosaur visuals with lasers, smoke, and crazy bass which to me sounds like something I would want to do!

Llewelyn: DJs are God-like figures to many who just want to dance and forget their worries. What has been the best experience in the music world, be it with a fan or meeting a youngster who is so inspired to be behind the decks and rock a crowd into absolute delirium?

DJ CoolRex: This is funny to me as well because I just got back from a 24hr rave in the mountains of Tennessee that my brother Jake who is also a DJ he goes by Specs had invited me to last minute. I wasn’t scheduled to play or anything so it was just listening to other DJs for 24 hrs. Lots of dancing and mingling, it was great to be a fan of other people and just be a part of the crowd. I’m sold on the rave scene, I love the people, I love the energy, it’s a blast!

Llewelyn: Covid destroyed many dreams in the music world. Do you feel like everything is ‘back’ in your local area or is there more work to be done to ensure the long-term success of the venues?

DJ CoolRex: Yeah post covid it definitely seems like gatherings have been smaller at those venues but I think things are getting better over time. I think people just got used to not going out for a while so we have to give them a reason.

Llewelyn: Hurricane Ian almost destroyed your family and life. Firstly, we’re so happy you and your loved ones are okay.
Career-wise: You used to sell cars, how has the transition to being a full-time music producer/musician been and do you miss anything about your previous career?

DJ CoolRex: It’s going to take years to rebuild down there. The smaller towns around that area, their structures were like wooden houses on wooden poles extended out of the water. I mean they crumbled; I saw them. I remember not too many days after the hurricane, I was at the dealership helping move the cars back and clean up debris. The cars were ok but the dealership had taken some damage like the shop doors were smashed in. Anyway, This lady showed up in a frenzy asking if she could buy a car and we didn’t have power so we couldn’t sell her one. She was saying that she was from one of the smaller areas like the one I just mentioned and that she needed to buy a car to get out of the state because they had found a dead person in her front yard after the storm. We didn’t have power for weeks, other people went longer than us without power or running water. I miss certain aspects of it. I miss hanging out with my friends but this is better for me. I have more control over what I want to do. I can market/sell how I want and nobody is above me. That’s one way in which it’s similar. It’s still a business. I still manage it like I did in my car sales career. The difference is that I didn’t love selling cars, I love making music.

Llewelyn: If you met an alien tonight who had never heard music before, how would you describe your sound and craft to them?

DJ CoolRex: If I met an alien tonight firstly, I’d be amped and want to know all about their story and what it’s like where they’re from! If I had to explain my sound to an alien I would first have to ask them what it is they’re hearing, if they can hear. Then I would ask them what they mean? Then as they’re explaining to me through their own words my reactions would tell them if what they’re saying is what I think too. The more fellow earthlings I meet the more I have learned that people hear very differently. So I’m always more interested in how others are interpreting my sound rather than actually giving them a foundation to base their beliefs off on.

Llewelyn: You’ve just been given the keys to crafting a massive festival lineup with an unlimited budget. Who is on the lineup, what is the vibe and where is it?

DJ CoolRex: It’s going to be somewhere that is not too hot or cold so people are comfortable. I’d have to research venues. I’m bringing Fisher, Martin Ikin, Chris Lake, David Guetta, Morten, Skrillex, James Hype, Diplo, Matroda, Noizu, Pauline Herr, DOBe’, John Summit, Chris Lorenzo, Oliver Heldens, Tom Budin, Merk & Kremont, Justus, Header, CamelPhat, armnhamr, Ray Volpe, Wax Motif, Dombresky, Flow Dan, Fredagain, Gorgon City, Zeds Dead, Blasterjaxx, Dom Dolla, Arminvan Buuren, Subtronics, Jay Eskar, Elif. I’m sure there’s more because there are so many dope artists all over the world oh and my brother Specs. The vibe is lots of lasers, bubbles, some fire, a gigantic screen for visuals, it’s a multiple-day festival. There are food trucks, lots of artists with tents to showcase their work, and all just love and fun.

Llewelyn: Lastly, what does the future hold and where do you see your sound headed? Also, where can our A&R Factory readers see you live next?

DJ CoolRex: In the future, I definitely plan to play festivals, and other big venues, and I have more songs in the pipeline so stay tuned! My social media is active and I’m always sharing other music artists’ content on my stories from all over the world so there’s fresh and exciting content daily! Also, please go to my website and subscribe to the mailing list so you can stay in the loop about new shows, merchandise, discounts, giveaways etc.

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Turn this up on Spotify and forget all worries.

See the journey expand further on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Interview: Melbourne’s One More Weekend relieves all pressure on Opportunity

Posted on 28 February 2023

We were lucky enough to have a chat with Connor from One More Weekend recently and he told us all about the new single Opportunity and more. Cruising us through the excellent Melbourne music scene and sourcing where those dirty but edgy local spots are really hiding, we are treated to a wild story about Aunty Meredith and a demon sheep.

Thanks so much for your time today One More Weekend.

Connor: Hi guys! You’re speaking with Connor today, the lead singer and yeah! Absolutely smashing today! Thanks for having me on!

How did you all get involved in this music industry?

Connor: We were all just flung into this industry really, all propelled by the same feeling… that playing live and putting on a killer show is a feeling like no other.

Please tell us more about your new release Opportunity. What was the idea behind the song and how did you know this was the next track?

Connor: Opportunity is about making tough decisions within a small timeframe and feeling that pressure. We essentially tried to reflect that with the music video and how the walls literally close in.

Melbourne is your hometown. What makes it so special and where would you recommend readers to go and watch epic live music in your city?

Connor: Go to all the dirty locals- Cherry Bar, The Tote, The Evelyn, Yah Yahs, The Bendigo, Revs.

Do you remember the first gig the band played and how has the progression developed since then?

Connor:  Yeah look, after 160 shows if we hadn’t improved I’d have called it quits a while ago!

What is your go-to meal before a gig?

Connor: Can’t say I often eat before a show, we do have a two-drink limit though before we play and for me, it’s generally a pineapple vodka followed by the strongest shot they’ve got on the shelf.

What’s the wildest festival story you can share with us?

Connor: The wildest? Let’s just say it involved a very real demon sheep being summoned in the tour bus and uncontrolled time travel back and forth between the medical tent and the dance floor… what a time, thank you, Aunty Meredith 😛

How is the local band scene going in Australia? Do you see it improving or going backwards?

Connor: Compared to what’s being played on the radio the local scene is actually buzzing! There’s some killer bands we’ve shared the stage with recently, go check Sledgehammer Honey, Tudor Club and Lipstereo.

Final question. Where can we find you live next and what are your goals for the rest of the year?

Connor: Ohhhhh we’ll be live next at Summerwave in Kerrang on the 4th Feb, then at Cherry Bar on the 25th Feb for our single launch.
As for goals? Work bloody hard, release two more killer tracks with killer music videos, make some sick merch and jump in the tour bus for a big ol trip around Aus, Yewwww!

Cheers for having us on! Sign up to our mailing list at www.onemoreweekend.com to hear more and stay in the loop for all things OMW!

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Hear this fine single on Spotify.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Trip-Hop’s Chosen One: Aroly Tariq

Posted on 25 January 2023

Aroly Tariq, in many was, is the culmination of promises made to electronic music fans from a generation ago. Where we had to scour used CD bins around the “acid jazz” and “trip-hop” labels to find a lovely female voice sweetly crooning over a slow and smooth beat… Don’t believe me? Then give “Perspective,” her newest track (available on Spotify) a listen. If you don’t hear what we all loved in Transistor, Portishead, Static Sound System, or Everything but the Girl – then you’re not paying attention.

The song: a lo-fi loop begins bubbling up – it’s so ethereal but quiet like you’re listening to someone’s radio a few blocks away. Then Ms. Tariq begins to sing. A breathy and upper frequency tone matches the one coming from the loop, and you get the impression that if you just turned down one band of the EQ, you’d have silence. Finally, a hiccupping and disjointed drum line comes in, and the world makes sense. It’s so elegant and mysterious, but catchy and full of groove at the same time.

A trek through Aroly Tariq’s Instagram was plesently engaging – where I’m used to seeing young female pop icons presenting themselves in sultry shots, Ms. Tariq is sharing some rather stunning visual arts. They look like surreal digital landscapes of vibrant dark colors. I don’t know if these images are of her own creation or art to go along with her music, either way, it is both captivating and beautiful.

Agent Envy Interview: Extra focused and looking to the future

Posted on 9 December 2022

With a roaring sound and so much intense energy strewn through the speakers, we sat down with the incredible San Diego-based music producer/artist Agent Envy. Guiding us deep into the truth and telling us how it is, we find an artist who is ready for the next step.

It’s a pleasure to chat with you today, Agent Envy. First, how have you been keeping and how did you come up with your intriguing artist name?

Agent Envy: Thank you so much for having me! I’m really excited to be releasing my next string of songs and I feel so, so proud of No Friend. This song has been a long time coming and started nearly a year (and a few thousand miles) ago. I can’t believe it’s finally out for everyone to hear.

My artist name, Agent Envy, came as a reflection of my sources of inspiration for my music. I gravitate towards the cinematic, both visually and sonically, and wanted something that reminds my audience of the dark, retrofuturist movies of the late 90s, whose soundtracks had such an impact on my taste in music. My career outside music has taken a bit of a winding path through programming, graphic novels, and private investigation, so all of these things led me to Agent Envy.

Gosh, you’re quite the talented multi-instrumentalist. How did it all start for you in this game and please let us know which instruments you can play?

Agent Envy: I’ve been singing since as long as I can remember, to the point where my pre-school teachers would grumble about me constantly singing to myself. But I struggled with learning other instruments, and I think a lot of that stemmed from having a good ear and relying too much on memorization. Because singing was so effortless, I wasn’t motivated to learn to read music, develop the discipline to practice, or really get my theory down, since I could just hear it and sing it. It’s a habit I still work against regularly.

After years and years of being mediocre on guitar due to a lack of focused effort, I finally decided to take a completely different approach and study it, as if it were any other subject, and that’s when things started to actually click. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me to try this sooner since I’m a giant nerd who actually loved studying in school, but here we are. I started reading books on guitar and theory, made myself a little guitar “workout routine,” and sheepishly realized that if I had just bothered to really learn my theory years ago, I would’ve had a much easier time.

So far I’ve gotten myself into guitar, bass, piano, a little mandolin, and some finger drumming. I still have work to do before I’d consider myself an expert in any of them, but I enjoy the process of learning so much that it’s always satisfying to see how far I can progress at a given time. Plus I have the benefit of living with my partner and co-producer, Richie Beretta, who is beyond talented in all of the above; I’ve learned so much from him too, and his fluency in music is a big motivator for me to stay on top of it.

Setting boundaries is so important in life. Please give us more detail about the vision behind your tremendous new single No Friend.

Agent Envy: No Friend started in a bit of an unusual way for me. I usually write most of my songs in my head, melody and lyrics first, instrumentation second. This record started as a production sketch Richie created, the loop you hear at the beginning of the track, with some really chewed-up drums, a hypnotic bassline, and some industrial elements. I heard him working on it and immediately put a vocal sketch into my voice notes. Something about it felt vengeful, and that’s where the subject matter came into play. Most of my songs can be lyrically interpreted in a number of ways, which is intentional. So No Friend is meant to communicate that feeling of saying “back off” or “never again” to something or someone.

Sonically, this was such a fun but challenging track, because my previous releases haven’t featured this aspect of my vocal range. I’ve gotten a number of requests from my listeners for a song where I’m all-out belting, so I’m happy to be able to deliver on this one. I want people to feel powerful when they listen, and I think the vocal melody really lends itself to that as well.

Have you had any luck with sync opportunities or found that certain platforms aren’t worth it?

Agent Envy: Not yet, but it’s something I want to put an increased focus on for 2023. I feel like it’s such a challenge to get your music heard in a sea of equally excellent musicians. You really have to have someone dedicated to pitching your music. But I write my songs with so much cinematic inspiration that I feel like they’re primed for that market. So many of my listeners talk about how they imagine my music in one show or another, and it would be an absolute dream to have something like that happen. Someday soon, I hope!

What’s it like to be a musician in 2022 with all that is going on in the world?

Agent Envy: I think being a musician is challenging no matter what’s going on. Being on social media as an artist is both a blessing and a curse, as it can be a fantastic way to get yourself heard, but it also means you’re subject to the “contentification” of your music. People want things fast, and immediately, and it’s not really possible – or healthy – to deliver new songs in that way. Speaking from experience, it can be very difficult to keep your mental health intact when you feel like the success of your art is tied to a depersonalized algorithm.

Then there’s the added factor that there are so many things going on in the world, so much pain and injustice, that it feels frivolous to promote my music at certain times. I know many people want and need music as an escape, but I try my best to step back and let more important topics take the spotlight whenever appropriate.

If you could share the stage with any band still active, who would it be and why?

Agent Envy: Any of Chino Moreno’s or Maynard James Keenan’s projects. It would be a total dream to share the stage with them, and I think there would be a large overlap in our target audiences. I don’t try to imitate or emulate any artists in my music, that would be rather unoriginal, but it’s the way their work makes me feel that I think aligns well with the experience I want my listeners to have.

Last, where can we find you live next or do you have anything planned for 2023 music-wise?

Agent Envy: My immediate focus for 2023 will be releasing a few more singles leading up to my EP. We’re just about to wrap up production for the songs and finish recording vocals, easily my favorite part of the process. I feel like it’s taken a lot of soul-searching to get to this point, but I truly believe that this upcoming collection of songs is finally the sound I’ve been looking to create. Now that we’re in Southern California, I’d absolutely love to begin playing shows out here, there are so many awesome venues and I feel like the audience here is really motivated to get out and discover some new music.

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Listen up to this new single here. See more on IG.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

How To Promote Indie Music?

Posted on 13 June 2022

If you are deliberating on how to promote your debut or wondering how to make your next self-promo campaign more successful than the last, we have collated 10 of the best ways to get your next indie release noticed in 2022.

From increasing your presence on social media to getting into the good books of playlisters, this one-stop guide will put you on the right path from unestablished to one to watch.

How to Promote Indie Music

1.       Do Your Research

Forget what you have heard about it isn’t who you know; it’s what you know. Knowing your niche and your audience is one of the biggest hurdles for artists to overcome while getting to grips with self-promotion.

Make the most out of the thriving sub-cultures around the globe, and remember, the niches aren’t solely defined by genre. When you are starting out, your best bet will be to keep it relatively local; give music fans the chance to champion an artist from their local town or city.

2.       Create a Website

If you want to leave your amateur status far behind you, invest in a professional-quality website to bolster your digital presence. Your website should include all your social media and streaming links, a well-written bio, press shots, past or present tour dates and release info.

3.       Sprawl Across Social Media

Establish a presence on all social media platforms, yes, that includes TikTok; it is as close as we can currently get to the Myspace days in 2022. Unlike on Facebook and Instagram, newly registered users have just as much chance to go viral as users with millions of followers.

Get creative with your posts, and give your followers, regardless of how few, something to get excited about. Whether that be teaser clips from an upcoming video, footage of you playing live, or pictures of cats on amps, give your audience something to connect with.

4.       Discover your Local Radio Hosts

If you have tried submitting your music to BBC Introducing in your area to no avail, check out your local and niche-specific internet radio stations. Their reach may not be as wide, but they will have an audience to promote you to. Additionally, getting any airplay under your belt is enough to boost credibility for further press, radio and playlist opportunities.

5.       Find Independent Playlisters

Even if getting on an official Spotify playlist is the dream, set your expectations a little lower when you are unestablished to have a better shot at landing a position on one of those multi-million-listener playlists.

Look through Spotify to find playlisters you think you can impress; once you have found them, make a friendly introduction to the playlisters via social media or email (if you can find their contact details).

6.       Submit Indie Music to Blogs

Just like being playlisted and featured on a radio station, getting featured on indie music blogs is a great way to tap into existing fanbases and gain some critical acclaim. Some music fans still religiously follow indie blogs and online magazines to find out about new talented artists, and blogs are always looking for more content. In the run-up to every new release, craft an electronic press kit (EPK) and start firing it off to indie blogs that feature unestablished artists.

7.       Get on the Live Circuit

Promoting music by playing live will always be fundamental to the success of an indie musician. This modern age has just given us more ways of doing it, such as in the metaverse or via live stream.

Daunting as it may be to make your stage debut, getting on the live circuit will give your fans and your soon-to-be fans a real chance to connect with you. And remember, networking at gigs is just as crucial as killing it on stage – there is no telling who may rock up to a show, but there will almost certainly be someone in the industry – in some capacity – present.

Touring the smaller venues with hack promotors and depressingly sparse audiences may be a drag initially. Yet, once you have a reputation for being a killer live band, you won’t have to wait much longer for the better gig and festival slots outside of your hometown.

8.       Make Your Releases Visual

With enough originality, a massive music video budget becomes unnecessary. Even if your music video only gets a few streams on YouTube, you can add teaser clips to your reels, stories and newsfeeds to build hype around a new release.

On the other hand, there is always the chance of the music video being more popular than the track itself. For the best chance of success, allow the visuals to contextualise the lyrics or go with a quirky and share-worthy approach.

9.       Build a Mailing List

Once you have got a few loyal fans, keep them in the loop by creating a mailing list and regularly using it to promote your new releases, tours, merch drops and news. To build your email list, give your fans a reason for joining it, such as exclusive access to tickets, singles and merch drops. Mailing lists for indie musicians may sound outdated, but they have one major advantage over social media marketing. Once someone subscribes for updates, they are much more likely to receive them as there is no algorithm which decides what to quash and what to promote.

10.     Promote Indie Music with A&R Factory

A&R Factory was founded in 2012 by a team of award-winning music industry veterans with the sole aim of helping new artists get in the ears of fans and in the books of the names that matter. Along the way, we became one of the most acclaimed indie pop music blogs.

We run a range of artist development services, from one-to-one sessions on up-to-date self-promo tactics to promoting artists on our top UK music blog to providing courses on music marketing to bespoke PR packages.

With our affordable rates to fit into the budgets of every indie artist, paired with our extensive collective experience in promoting indie music and our passion for grassroots music, expect your expectations to be exceeded.

Top Tips When Producing Hip Hop Music

Posted on 21 May 2022

We may be in the anyone can make a hip hop beat on GarageBand age, but if you want to earn a spot in the hip hop hall of fame, there are a few things to consider to up your game and get attention for the right reasons.

Whether you’re making your first beat or looking to stylise your sonic signature, this curation of the 5 top tips when producing hip hop music will help you make those aural epiphanies a reality.

How to Become a Hip Hop Producer

1.       Time for a Reality Check

Before we get into how to arrange and produce hip hop, we will go into the number one issue we see in the 2022 hip hop industry; new hip hop artists and producers trying to run before they can walk. There is no quick fix to becoming a producer pro overnight; no tweaks that can turn you into Dr Dre in a beat; no hack that can take you up the billboard charts.

All hip hop producers new to the art will need an unrelenting will to learn and the time to home in on their craft. Some rappers can create a track in as little as an hour; with others, it could take months; if you are new to production, we’d advise you to make record speed the last of your priorities.

Just because you can instantly upload your music to SoundCloud and submit your music to hip hop blogs, that doesn’t mean that you should jump the gun. Always go back to your track with a fresh mind several times. When listening to your mixes, think critically. Is there some originality in there? Is there room for improvement? How does it hold up to your favourite hip hop records?

2.       Choose the Right Samples

Choosing samples on a whim is one of the biggest mistakes new hip hop producers can make. Having an ear for what fits is one of the most prized skills of talented producers. In the beginning, it will very much be a process of trial and error, but the more you build your sample library and spend time acquainting yourself with the sonic textures within it, the better position you will be in to bring them into your sound. Having a golden sample ear will never happen overnight; it can take years to build exceptional intuition. While developing that desirable skill, build your library of one-shot instrumentals, percussion, hi-hats, kicks, snares, shakers and 808s.

3.       Bring the Kicks with the Bassline in the Right Time

One of the most gilded golden rules in hip hop production is never to let the bass and the kick clash; always make them play at different frequencies to each other. If you are new to hip hop production, utilise short kicks with strong sub-bass to reduce the interference. Sidechain compression can help you avoid the bass volume while the kick track is contributing to the original audio. All of the most popular DAWs provide this option; if you aren’t acquainted with the process, head to YouTube in search of tutorials.

4.       Saturate Your 808s

If you have always wondered how to get your 808s sounding thick and juicy, the trick is saturation. Your 808s should ideally carry a heavy low-end; you can check this by listening through your laptop speakers, which are generally not great at projecting low-end frequencies. If your 808s are sounding weak, you can guarantee that your track will lack energy. To put enough juice in your 808s so they resound regardless of the device listened on, insert saturation on a return channel before sending the original signal through.

5.       Keep the Instrumentals Simple

Have you ever noticed how some of the most powerful hip hop tracks from across the decades, including our current one, keep the instrumentals simple and make the vocals the centrepiece? When creating your beats, always leave ample room for vocals to avoid making the mix busy sounding. Once again, this is another fundamental error of many up-and-coming hip hop producers.

Instead of throwing everything but the kitchen sink at your mix; practice making simple beats sound amazing; that means cutting back on drastic changes of melody and anything else that can interrupt the vocal flow. When starting on your instrumentals, all you will need is a solid bass structure, simple drums, and a couple of main sonic elements. If you do your research, you will find that the best hip hop hits only have a few core elements that run through the length of the track.

6.       Pay Ode to Your Hip Hop Idols

Copying and assimilation will rarely get freshly emerging hip hop artists and producers anywhere. Yet, by studying the tracks that inspire you, you’ll find the building blocks that will help you create a solid foundation for your tracks. Pay particular attention to when every piece of percussion hits, how subtle the changes are, the use of special effect to build tension, and how every instrumental interacts with the other. One of the best ways of building this skill is by trying to create your favourite instrumentals from scratch – for purpose of practice, not your own creation.

7.       Get in the Loop with your Melodies

For aspiring hip hop producers without any knowledge of music theory, the prospect of creating beats from scratch can be daunting, at best. If chord progressions and melodies are where you are struggling the most, there is always the option of using royalty-free loops – you can always find ways of making them your own by using unique samples around them. Don’t forget that some of history’s best hip hop tracks were constructed by chopped up samples from vinyl records. However, it is extremely important to keep copyright law in mind if you’re borrowing sounds from other artists and making them your own. One of the best ways to get around this is by using royalty-free samples for peace of mind.

Kamanda feels blessed that he is still breathing as he shows us to stay true to ourselves on, ‘Tighes Hill Memories’ (feat. Regikay)

Posted on 20 February 2022

With a soothing environment that is sealed with a head-nodding beat and quality vocals, Kamanda knows that the past shall never define him as he takes us back to where it all started on ‘Tighes Hill Memories‘ (feat. Regikay).

Kamanda is a Liberia-born, Australia-based indie Hip hop artist who rivets the airwaves with accounts about what happened before and he vows to silence those who doubted him before through his lyrical acumen.

”I write lyrics about my life, my struggles & overcoming hard times.” ~ Kamanda

Pulsating the mic awake with a smooth flow and smartly contested bars that have you feeling rather refreshed like a cold shower after a scorching day outside dealing with fools, Kamanda dusts off the doubts and keeps us in the loop of where he is headed. It feels like he has a smart head on his shoulders on knows where he needs to be in order to succeed, on a track that will light up your mood like candles on a date night with that genuine lover.

‘Tighes Hill Memories‘ (feat. Regikay) from the Newcastle, Australia-based indie Hip hop artist Kamanda, is a wall-around-my-heart message that urges us to stay real and to never falter from that path. With advice from his Grandma and a determined outlook on life – this is that true message that so many need to hear again and again until it sinks in like glue – that fills you up with hope after hearing those small-minded naysayers try and bring you down to their level for too long.

Listen to this new single on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen