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Bridge The Atlantic
Brandon Williams: Production, Work Ethic & Producers vs Beatmakers
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This week we’re pleased to welcome Detroit based musician and producer, Brandon Williams to the show. Brandon is one of the premiere drummers on Detroit’s live music scene and is well known in the industry for his ability to play play numerous instruments and for his versatile repertoire. In 2009, he collaborated with Vickie Winans on How I Got Over. The album earned him 9 Stellar Awards nominations including one win, a Grammy Award nomination, and a NAACP Image Award. As a producer he has lent his hand to such artists as Jazmine Sullivan and Jay Electronica, and his production work can be heard in commercials such as the 2015 “Honda Fit” TV commercial featuring Questlove of the Roots. His debut solo album XII reached #1 on the UK Soul Charts in February 2015, and has received much critical acclaim.
Highlights:
- Brandon is all about the love
- When it comes to production, the song is most important
- We talk about the role of a producer vs a beatmaker and how the lines have become blurred
- You can’t compare someone who plays around in Fruity Loops with someone like Timbaland
- Brandon talks about J Dilla’s work ethic and how he built a studio around him while he worked
- Brandon tells us how his approach to each record is different depending on the genre and artist
- Brandon is old school in the way he collaborates - and we like that!
- We talk about Brandon’s latest album, XII
- Ross shares a fact about Japan’s CD buying habits
- Brandon likes to have fun in the studio - he’s serious about his work, but also likes to enjoy it
- One of Brandon’s favourite genres of music is country music
- Brandon finds our 20 Questions section really rough - but he makes it through!
Advice:
- Keep your ear, mind and heart open to the music
- Be open to change - what you have in mind might not be what works best
- Be serious about what you’re doing
- It’s a producer’s job to get the best out of an artist
- If you want to be a producer, be a student of music - listen to as much as you can and learn from it
Guest Links:
- Website: bwilliamsmusic.com
- Twitter: @bwilliamsmusic
- Instagram: @bwilliamsmusic
- Facebook: /bwilliamsmusic
Sponsors:
- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents (http://chriskeaton.com)
More:
- More episodes at http://bridge-the-atlantic.com
- Follow us on Twitter: @bridge_atlantic
- Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic
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