Masters In Session

SPL presents Masters In Session at the Roundhouse

On Saturday 20^th August, SPL and the Roundhouse presentMasters In Session by opening the doors to its world-class studio. A select group of the brightest young and enthusiastic musical minds, will have earned themselves the unique opportunity to be mentored by some of the most revered names in electronic music includingInnervisions, King Britt, Coldcuts Jon More, Soul Clap, Darksky and Ben Westbeech.

FollowingInnervisionss live performance as part ofRon AradsCurtain Callat the Roundhouse on Friday 19^th August, in which an 8 metre high round curtain screens An Evening with Dr Caligari while Innervisions scores the 1920s horror movie, the next day they along with SPL, go a step further in bringing the music to the people.

A handful of selected 16 – 25 year olds will gain their place having demonstrated their musical promise by previously submitting an un-mastered track that will receive the expertise and attention from each artist in their specialist area throughout the day. The result will be 16 engineered, produced and polished tracks, which will then be brought together as a compilation album and released on Roundhouse records. The artists taking part have all weaved in their own sounds and influences to shape the landscape of todays electronic music scene and bring with them the upmost in practice, skill and knowledge to this unique experience.

First off we welcomeJon More, cofounder of one of the electronic label staples Ninja Tunes and more crucially one half ofColdcut. As part of both these entities Jon boasts and inspirational career having produced Lisa StansfieldsPeople Hold On, setting up Ninja Tunes – one of the most respected independents in the world, nurturing a plethora of genuine talent, and Big Dada the equally important hip hop sister label. Having started DJing back in 1979 on one turntable he built from a kit and a cassette machine, over the years Jons moved to the Digital domain and now uses Ableton live and Serato. On the day he will be offering some insights into using these tools for both music production and DJ performance.

The legendary Philadelphia DJ, producer and award winningKing Britt will be showcasing his live production techniques. With 20 years of industry experience, Britt began his career in 1990 as E-Culture on the Strictly Rhythm label, and quickly became the DJ for the Grammy winning hip-hop group Digable Planets. Segueing into production work, hes remixed tracks for The OJays, Macy Gray, Bebel Gilberto and Roy Ayers, while also touring the world with his eclectic and brilliant DJ sets. King will improvise on the spot in front of an audience using Ableton Live and Native Instruments Maschine.I will be basically taking the studio environment into a live setting and will show how to logically set up your main templates that best suit your needs.King Britt.

Soul Clap are the trend-setting duo hailing from Boston renowned for their relationship with the esteemed Wolf + Lamb, their much talked about new DJ Kicks album and oversubscribed YoYoYo 90s Jam warehouse raves and also their highly danceable and infectious edits. Mixing booming West Coast hip-hop 808s, squelchy funk, sizzlingly sexually charged R&B and deep house,Eli Goldstein andCharles Levine have given dance musics most durable template a modern make-over. Combined with a deep knowledge of music, understanding of the latest trends and an inherent natural music flair, Soul Clap bridge the gap between style and substance, creating a design and music hybrid unlike anything youve ever heard before. The boys explain, The edit has been an essential element of DJ culture since Tom Moulton paved the way with his legendary disco mixes in 70s. While the art form was mainly forgotten in the 90s and 00s, a new generation of DJs and producers has brought the edit back to the forefront dance music. As leaders of the new school rework, Soul Clap will be expending their talents and inherent talent and work out the perfect re-edits with their selected students.

Providing support and advice in vocal arrangement isBen Westbeech. When Ben first burst onto the scene with his albumWelcome to the Best Years of Your Life through Gilles Petersons Brownswood Recordings in 2006, many were little prepared for the talented London singer, producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist who comfortably creates music that draws on strong influences from R&B, drumnbass, house as well as obscure vintage soul and funk. With a voice like honey Ben is a talented producer that eclipses a diverse spectrum of music and an asset to the day.I will be helping producers and singers who are interested in recording vocals to a professional level and help on their writing when working with or as vocalists. This will include all aspects of recording verses, bridges and choruss on their songs or productions. Ben Westbeech

Dark Sky are the production trio from London that have been making a notable mark on the constantly morphing and elusive post-dubstep landscape. Their music is made to move the mind, body and soul applying warm, future garage-esque synths and instrumental sounds. Merging rhythms, tempos and textures from across the sonic spectrum Dark Sky are the best placed outfit right now to specialise in all aspects of programming and percussion within electronic music. We will be tackling theprogramming of drums,samplemanipulation and working with soft synths. For the mixing section we will be covering automation,arrangement and mixtechniques. Darksky

Best known for his raw and innovative techno sound, Christopher Sylvester, akaInxec, is one of the most in demand techno producers and DJs in the world, with a stringof releases for Contexterrior, Culprit, Cocoon and Leftroom.Inxec will be preparing tracks for mastering using EQ, spectral and stereo analysing, adding of effects and compression.

Each year the Roundhouse works with over 3,000 11-25s enabling them to realise their creative potential, and offers audiences of all ages new and extraordinary experiences in live music, circus, theatre and new media. The studios provide an inspirational centre for 11-25s enabling them to realise their creative potential. With a dedicated educational space, the extensive facilities offer 7 music production suites, 5 rehearsal rooms, 2 media labs and 1 recording studio with an enviable equipment store including amps, drums, guitars and high tech. This dedicated space will lend itself to the Masters In Session.

Masters in Session site