Many instrumentalists often assume that producers and DJs chose their medium out of laziness. They assume DJs and producers just want an easy way to fame.
Mastering an instrument may be much more difficult than producing or DJing, they aren’t mutually exclusive. Plenty of DJs play instruments and Alison Wonderland is one of them. She started out playing cello at a young age and played bass in a band before going the electronic route.
It’s always obvious which producers play instruments because their music reflects knowledge rather than just talent. Both playing an instrument and producing requires a different kind of musical knowledge. When those types of knowledge are brought together, it’s really special
These five artists clearly have that knowledge.
Sweater Beats – Better (feat. Nicole Millar & Imad Royal)
It’s important to note that artist being highlighted here is the vocalist Nicole Millar. Unfortunately her Soundcloud is full of previews because of Soundcloud Go, but even those 30-second clips give a sense of her style. She seeks out the most well-made future-bass beats around and adds her exemplary voice.
Thrupence – Conversations (feat. Edward Vanzet)
Opening with a ominous piano, this track finds the perfect balance between electronic and instrumental. Edward Vanzet’s vocals provide a ghostly feel that floats between these two disciplines as drum beats and wavy arpeggios fade in and out. More mellow than a lot Alison’s stuff, but beautiful nonetheless.
Willow Beats – Chess
Willow Beats’ method of production is similar to painting on a canvas. There are barely any repeated instances. New sounds are always growing or fading. Multiple melodies fade in and out of each other. This music effortlessly evokes images of meadows, forests, and other lush environments. Close your eyes and let it take you somewhere.
Flybear – Hollowed
This track represents of how production knowledge and instrumental knowledge fit together like a glove. Other than the melody, every sound heard in this track can be related to an instrument (there’s even a guitar solo), but to accompany the artificial melody the organic sounds are arranged unconventional ways. Multiple listens are required to hear all the well hidden nuances.
https://soundcloud.com/flybearbeats/hollowed
Spenda C – Release (feat. Cult Shøtta)
Rap is a huge influence on the future bass scene. After all, future bass tracks are basically just instrumentals. They work great alone, but there’s almost always room for a rapper. Spenda C understands this and Cult Shøtta was an excellent choice to provide the vocals for this track.
