James Vickary

Saturday, September 12, 2015

The Music Team Behind Netflix’s ‘Narcos’ Series

Narcos
Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix Original Series Narcos. (Daniel Daza/Netflix)
 
Billboard recently spoke with the music team behind Netflix’s new Narcos show. The series tells the story of Colombia’s most infamous drug lord, Pablo Escobar.
 
Brazilian composers Pedro Bromfman and Rodrigo Amarante gave plenty of insight about their involvement, including their creative approach, which instruments they used, what it’s like writing for a streaming series.
 
“Tuyo,” the theme song for the show, debuted this week at number 13 and number six on Billboard’s Latin Digital Songs and Latin Pop Digital Songs, respectively.
 
Rodrigo on composing the theme song:
“The way the lyrics are written and the way the production sounds is all about Pablo’s transition from childhood to manhood, which is what defines him. I wanted to deliver something romantic and deceivingly generous but if you listen to the lyrics you see that there’s a narcissistic point of view. All of those men were all children at one point, so in my head the song gives the viewer a bit of context, rather than just saying, ‘Oh, these guys are animals.’ I think there’s more to it.”
 
Pedro on which instruments he used:
“In South America, north of Argentina, they have the charango, and the ronroco, which is a deeper, bassier charango. I played a lot of those. We also used a lot of accordion and some harmonicas. I had this splash of inspiration from Sergio Leone westerns with Ennio Morricone scores. There are some other instruments that are completely foreign to Colombia. There’s one called the hang from Switzerland, which has this deep, haunting, metallic sound that I use in a few scenes. I always like to use the traditional instruments but I also bring in some foreign sounds. I played a lot of the flutes from Colombia and Peru, then I brought them into the computer and reversed them. It creates this ambience that you don’t really know came from a flute originally. It’s a modern, original kind of score.”
 

 
Related: Timbaland Talks Producing Music for ‘Empire’ TV Show and Upcoming Album

| Music Industry
Music Production,
Saturday, September 12, 2015

Native Instruments Introduces Traktor Kontrol S5


 
Native Instruments has introduced the Traktor Kontrol S5 — a new portable, Stems-ready four-channel DJ system.
 
The modern decks provide the tools for instant edits, mashups, acapellas, and more overall creative control.
 
Some standout features on the system include two high-res displays, touch-sensitive controls, performance modes, and multipurpose touch strips, allowing you to shape your sound.
 
The S5 costs $799 and is available to pre-order on Native Instruments’ website.
 
Related: Shiftee Demonstrates Native Instruments’ Stems

| Music Tech, Videos
Native Instruments, Traktor,
Monday, September 7, 2015

The Samples Behind Kanye West’s ‘Late Registration’


 
Los Angeles radio station Power 106 has posted a video that breaks down some of the samples used on Kanye West’s second studio album, Late Registration. The album celebrated its 10-year anniversary on August 30.
 
Late Registration contains five singles: “Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” “Gold Digger” featuring Jamie Foxx, “Heard ‘Em Say” featuring Adam Levine, “Touch the Sky” featuring Lupe Fiasco, and “Drive Slow” featuring Paul Wall.
 
The video shows Power 106’s Vin Rican going through six classic samples along with the Kanye songs that sampled them.
 
Related: Velous Talks Producing Kanye West’s ‘All Day’

| DJ Culture, Videos
Kanye West, Music Production, Wax Only,
Saturday, September 5, 2015

Inside the Rise of DJ-Owned Labels

Skrillex
Skrillex performs at Red Bull Guest House in Miami, Florida. (Erik Voake/Red Bull)
 
Forbes has published an article about the rise of DJ-owned record labels and their mission to expose the next big talent.
 
Below are some notable quotes from the piece, which can be read in its entirety here.
 
Dim Mak Founder Steve Aoki: “I’m holding a mirror, so when attention comes towards me, I’m pointing the mirror towards artists I think are the next young guns and pioneers of sound . . . If I became famous first and then started a label, I don’t know if I would have had the same motivation in that regard.”
 
OWSLA Founder Skrillex: “The whole idea was just to build a team around people who are young as well, and to give them the opportunity to grab the reins . . . I’m always trying to find that new sound, that new star person that I believe in.”
 
Fool’s Gold Co-founder Nick Catchdubs: “It’s our duty to expose people to new stuff and to sneak in as many new acts as we can.”
 
Related: How to Get Signed to Skrillex’s OWSLA Label

| DJ Culture, Music Industry

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