Latest Music

Dissertation: How has the development of Technology influenced House Music, Through the lens of Affordance Theory.

Oliver O'Brien

This project was my Dissertation which achieved a mark of 67%. It demonstrates how the developments in technology have influenced and progressed the genre of House Music. The production of the four tracks illustrates how Read more

This project was my Dissertation which achieved a mark of 67%. It demonstrates how the developments in technology have influenced and progressed the genre of House Music. The production of the four tracks illustrates how the affordances of specific technologies across four decades enabled producers to drive musical innovation within House Music. Each track was carefully selected to highlight a significant technological advancement from each decade in which it was produced, with these developments discussed in detail in the accompanying dissertation. The four tracks are recreation of "Promised Land" by Joe Smooth, "Needin U" by David Morales, "At Night" by Shakedown and "Baiana" by Bakermat.

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Western Art Music Production Techniques

Oliver O'Brien

This module required three recordings, each demonstrating a different acoustic environment. The first was a group performance - a duet between a saxophone and piano. The second featured a close mic'd clarinet, capturing Read more

This module required three recordings, each demonstrating a different acoustic environment. The first was a group performance - a duet between a saxophone and piano. The second featured a close mic'd clarinet, capturing intimate tonal detail. The third was a solo piano recording in a spacious room, highlighting the room's natural reverb and depth. No post recording Fx were applied across the three of these recordings.

Pop, Rock and Electronic

Oliver O'Brien

This module involved the production of three songs, incorporating at least two genres from Pop, Rock and Electronic Music. The first track is a recreation of "Counting Stars" by One Republic, while the second is a cover Read more

This module involved the production of three songs, incorporating at least two genres from Pop, Rock and Electronic Music. The first track is a recreation of "Counting Stars" by One Republic, while the second is a cover of "Attention" by Charlie Puth. The third is an original composition inspired by "One More Time" by Daft Punk. I handled all studio recording independently, and the electronic track was produced using Logic Pro, with extensive use of sampling and audio manipulation.

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Sound Art

Oliver O'Brien

This module focused on creating art through sound. For my project, I walked along the York city walls, capturing audio artefacts from the experience and using them to construct a beat. The final piece was exhibited at a Read more

This module focused on creating art through sound. For my project, I walked along the York city walls, capturing audio artefacts from the experience and using them to construct a beat. The final piece was exhibited at a showcase organised by the Music Department, so it was designed to loop. The track also shows real-time manipulation of the samples, allowing the listeners to hear the transformation of the original artefacts as the piece progresses.

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Practical and Technical Development

Oliver O'Brien

This module involved the production of two contrasting tracks, designed to showcase the difference between acoustic recording and electronic production. For my project, I created two original beats: one composed entirely with acoustic instruments, and the other produced exclusively using electronic elements.

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Introduction to Sound Recording

Oliver O'Brien

This was my first university module, which involved making a 10 minute recording of a grand piano in our concert hall. It was designed to capture the range and depth of the acoustics in the room.