Latest news with #MusicProduction
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blackpink Firm YG Entertainment's Mojo Kim Talks K-Pop's Global Strategy at Golden Melody Festival: ‘It's About Emotional Language'
The Golden Melody Festival's conference lineup in Taipei brought together a dynamic mix of industry leaders from across Asia and beyond. Designed to spotlight Mandarin-language music while fostering international collaboration, the three-day gathering featured showcases, matchmaking sessions, and a robust slate of forums, with one standout session diving deep into the evolving machinery behind K-pop's global success. On opening day, YG Entertainment producer Mojo (Seung Nam Kim) sat down with Ryan Farley, managing director of U.K.-based independent record label Cooking Vinyl, to unpack the complexities of transnational music production in a panel titled 'K-pop Music Production Strategies for the Global Market.' YG Entertainment is the firm behind K-pop sensation Blackpink. More from Variety Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay Talks Cross-Cultural Creativity at Taipei's Golden Melody Festival: 'Your Truth Is Your Superpower' Lisa Would Love to Collaborate With Labubu and Confirms Blackpink Is Releasing a New Album : 'It's Coming Soon, I Promise' Jennie Brings 'The Ruby Experience' to Los Angeles for a Sweet and Sultry Intro to Her Solo Era: Concert Review With credits tied to acts like Treasure, Lee Young-ji, and (G)I-DLE, Kim offered an insider's look at how the Korean music industry is reengineering its A&R approach to resonate with both domestic and international audiences. 'A&R matchmaking isn't just about style – it's about emotional language,' Kim told Variety. 'The first step is identifying what kind of sound the team needs right now. From there, we refine it through references and find the right creators, not necessarily just the biggest names, who can translate that emotion into sound.' Take global songwriting camps, for example: writers from different countries come together to craft demos, which are then handpicked by the A&R team to match an artist's identity, from language and melody to groove and tone. The final touches are shaped in close collaboration with Korean lyricists and producers. For Western markets, immediacy is key – catchy melodies, rhythmic clarity, and intuitive structure tend to resonate first. 'International listeners often connect with tone and groove before lyrics,' Kim explained. 'Whereas Korean audiences crave lyrical storytelling, emotional nuance, and even silence – those 'empty moments' that carry weight.' Regardless of region, a memorable melody remains the holy grail. Kim points to NewJeans and (G)I-DLE as prime examples of artists who've mastered this balance – fusing Korean detail with global collaboration is essential, and reflected in the numbers. In 2024, over 75% of K-pop tracks involved international creators. For Kim, the key to working with international talent lies in embracing – not fearing – difference.'Collaborating with global songwriters can sometimes involve language barriers, different workflows, and cultural misinterpretations, but it's precisely through these moments of friction that non-formulaic, genre-bending sounds are born,' he said. As K-pop production becomes increasingly borderless, Kim believes the genre's future lies in its ability to stay emotionally grounded while embracing a broader palette. 'Looking ahead, I believe K-pop will continue to evolve by incorporating more co-creators from diverse countries and cultures,' he said. 'Music's power to create emotional resonance and human connection across languages and backgrounds is what will keep K-pop relevant and thriving in the global mainstream.' Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kenyan women jockey for place at DJ turntables
Headphones on her head, fingers on the controls, eyes fixed on the mixing software, Kwem Kimtai strung together Afro house beats during her DJ training in Nairobi. Kimtai gushed over the skills she learnt on the intensive four-week course at the Santuri Electronic Music Academy (SEMA), which she hopes will help her thrive in a world historically dominated by men. "I can do everything. I can mix, I can beat-match. I can assess the energy level of music," said the 32-year-old aspiring DJ. Established in 2021 and named after the Swahili word for vinyl, the academy sees itself as a hub for musical innovation and inclusion. "Prior to this I was just a lover of music," said Kimtai, whose stage name is "But I wanted to be able to fuse different genres -- travel across different worlds." Carving out a place in the electronic scene remains a challenge for Kenyan women. The organisation that runs the academy interviewed dozens of artists in 2020 for a study and found women were gaining visibility as DJs in east Africa. Yet they remained marginalised and paid significantly less than men, while music production was also male-dominated and training costs too high for many. SEMA has since trained hundreds of people in production, mixing, DJing and other elements of the business. Besides encouraging women and minorities to take part, the academy also raises sponsorship funding for those who need it. "When I started DJing, I would have really liked to have had something like this because the teachers I had were all men," said DJ Shock, who was leading a class on the commercial side of the business during a visit by AFP. She only knew two other female DJs when she started out 20 years ago, and said the men would "gatekeep" the art. "It was a bit of a struggle to get them to share information equally," she said. - 'Equal dopeness' - At the back of the classroom, speakers were stacked behind a turntable, while trainees tapped away on mixing software in preparation for an imminent final presentation. "We're the people who are going to make spaces get safer for everyone," said Daisy Nduta, 28, a recent sound engineering graduate. She was excited to be DJing live soon under her stage name Naniwho. Santuri organises frequent events for the students to test their skills. "We welcome everybody the same... We put anybody prime time who we feel can do the spot well," said DJ Shock, denouncing the way clubs often relegate women to play the opening slots when audiences are sparse. Things are rapidly improving for women who DJ in Nairobi, however. Women are earning headline slots at major clubs while collectives like "Sirens" organise women-centric events. That success is part of a global pattern. Industry network "female:pressure" says the number of women performing at electronic music festivals rose from just over nine percent in 2012 to 30 percent in 2023. In Kenya, "there are more and more female DJs coming up... They're getting more confident, which I love," said Tina Ardor, who regularly performs at Muze, a Nairobi electro mecca. She said there was still a widespread, often unconscious, favouritism toward men. But the SEMA course, which she did two years ago, is helping to change attitudes. "I'm not a fan of pulling the gender card," said Ardor, hoping the scene soon gets to a point where there is "equal opportunity and equal dopeness" for everyone. ee-jcp/jf/er/sbk
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The New M-Track Duo HD From M-Audio Is A Two-Channel USB Interface For $99
The new M-Audio M-Track Duo HD is an affordable USB Audio Interface with a small price but offering ... More pro-level features. Once upon a time, aspiring bands, musicians and singers had to book time in an expensive recording studio if they wanted to make a demo tape or a record. Then came the home recording revolution with audio interfaces that could patch instruments and microphones into a computer for laying down tracks. It was a game changer. Over time, the price of equipment available for home recording has plummeted and technical quality has rocketed. Now it's possible to set up a recording studio in a bedroom, garden shed or almost anywhere. All you need is a USB audio interface, a microphone and a computer running software known as a DAW or Digital Audio Workstation. Now M-Audio has announced a USB audio interface that almost anyone can afford. The recording of music is truly democratized. M-Audio was founded in 1988 as MIDIman. Originally, the company designed software and hardware for connecting MIDI, audio and computers for the composition and production of electronic music. The controls for controlling the M-Track Duo HD are simple and arranged on the top of the device. In 2000, MIDIman revealed the M-Audio name for a new line of audio products. In 2002, the first of the brand's famous Oxygen series keyboards was launched, creating an important new category of portable keyboard controller. The company has continued to expand with innovative products across a wide range of categories for both pro and amateur markets, including MIDI interfaces, keyboard controllers, drum machines, recording monitors and subwoofers, headphones, and microphones. The latest product to come from the M-Audio stable is unveiled today with the launch of a new and accessible audio interface called the M-Track Duo HD. M-Audio will also be launching an all-inclusive M-Track Duo HD Producer Pack, which puts everything needed to start recording in one box. The new M-Audio M-Track Duo HD and Producer Pack have been designed to offer pro-level audio quality at an accessible price and removes many of the technical barriers that can keep high-quality sound out of reach of many creators without the experience of working in a studio. The M-Track Duo HD from M-Audio has two combo inputs, headphone out and switchable monitoring. At ... More the rear there is a USB Type-C port and two TRS outputs. As well as its 2-in / 2-out USB-C audio interface and pro-grade 24-bit/192kHz audio resolution, the M-Track Duo HD features two combo inputs for XLR mics and TRS jacks for instruments like guitars, synths or line-level sources. The microphone preamps provide up to 55dB of gain and the XLR inputs have switchable +48V phantom power for driving studio-quality condenser microphones. Connecting the interface to the host device is via a USB Type-C port and M-Audio has used pro-quality analog-to-digital converters to capture performances in 24-bit/192kHz resolution. There's a direct / USB monitor switch for zero latency monitoring in real time plus the headphone output for monitoring has an independent output level. The M-Audio M-Track HD package includes M-Audio's Producer Essentials Software Bundle and a USB-C to USB-C cable. John Boudreau, is director of product management at InMusic Brands, the parent company of M-Audio. He points out, 'As more musicians, producers, podcasters, creators and storytellers build personal studios, the M-Track Duo HD is designed to meet them where they are—delivering reliable, professional tools that feel elevated from the start and grow with their craft. It's a reflection of our broader mission to support the next generation of creators with gear that adapts to their evolving needs and ambitions.' The M-Track HD Duo is relatively small and light but offers to inputs which can be used for XLR mics ... More or TRS jacks for instruments. The M-Track Duo HD can solve many of the common frustrations that music creators can face when trying to achieve professional-sounding recordings, especially if they don't have the necessary audio or technical expertise required to put together a music track that has impact. With plug-and-play simplicity, USB-C connectivity and cross-platform compatibility with Macs, PCs, iOS and Android devices, users can record using the M-Track Duo HD with very little setup or fuss. Its plug-and-play approach means that studio-grade audio, is in reach of almost anyone, whether they're making music, hosting a podcast or recording a voiceover for video content destined for TikTok or YouTube. Although the M-Track Duo HD interface feels fairly light because of its plastic casing, it also feels robust and should withstand life in the studio. Because it is so light, the M-Track Duo HD feels portable but light enough to take on location with a laptop, microphone and pair of headphones. The preamps are surprisingly quiet especially considering the affordable price. The M-Audio M-Track Duo HD Producer Pack adds a pair of studio headphones and a condenser mic into ... More the mic for an extra $80. The M-Track Duo HD has a 2-in/2-out interface and can handle resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz, which is the same standard used in many commercial recording studios. The Producer Pack version of the product also includes a pair of M-Audio's HD41 closed-back headphones (with 6.35mm adaptor) plus the M-Audio M100 condenser microphone with mount, zipper bag and an XLR cable for connecting the M100 to the interface. The microphone is a similar style to the Audio-Technica AT-2020. It doesn't come with a shock mount or a a foam shield, but those are extras that can be easily sourced for not much money. In the Producer Pack, there are all the basics you need to start recording. M-Audio says the Producer Pack removes the guesswork and hassle from setting up a home studio by providing professional sound in an affordable package which has all the items needed to get going. The M-Audio M-Track Duo HD is available now from M-Audio and other outlets for $99. The M-Audio M-Track Duo HD Producer Pack with headphones, microphone, stand and cable is also available now globally and priced at $179.
