Question for the US industry heads...

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... what would it take for a UK producer to break into the US production market?

To me UK grime producers like Danny Weed, Wonder, Target, DaVinChe and Terror Danjah have proven over the last few years that they're melodic, cutting edge and can work with artists.

in practical terms what would it take to get them working on US artists LPs like Roni Size and Adam F have managed to briefly?

would they need to network with US insiders? make friends with Timbaland? or is it a lost cause....

― martin (martin), Monday, 13 September 2004 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

the answer is a ton of shady money.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't think any brit has any idea how closed off radio and television are as markets in this country right now.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 10:01 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah you're probably right, especially coming from the DIY culture of pirate radio...

― martin (martin), Monday, 13 September 2004 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

plus all this talk about grime productions sitting comfortably next to modern us rap productions is just wrong and silly. listen to them side by side on a mix CD and the difference is totally stark: different mixing, different EQ'ing, different compression. (compression is probably the real reason. and you brits should be thankful for this!! american pop has been very exhausting to listen to for great stretches after adopting the everything-louder-than-everything-else compression philosophy.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 10:06 (twenty-one years ago)

even the most ardent popist has to agree that - whether pop-punk, rap, r&b, pop-country, or whatever - everything on american radio today is produced to certain industry standards and anything that falls outside those parameters is gonna have a helluva time fitting in.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 10:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I dont think the primary barrier to UK producers in the US is the use of compression LOL. most radio playlisters wouldnt know the first thing about studio production.

There's hundreds of ways of using compression and plus radio is compressed/limited itself anyway, hence you never hear huge sub basslines over radio.

but lets' not turn this into a thread about compression, i'm curious on practical tips on how UK producers could get into the US production market...

― martin (martin), Monday, 13 September 2004 12:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I take it your a producer. I would like to hear some of your songs.

― pv, Monday, 13 September 2004 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think it'd be hard to become another anonymous producer in a hip-hop factory somewhere. Crossing the ocean as a name artist and "collaborating" with someone is tougher.

― Lukas (lukas), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

They would have to move here, start producing tracks in an American mainstream hip-hop style, and network. And what would be the point of that (unless that's exactly what they would love to be doing, of course)?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

There's hundreds of ways of using compression and plus radio is compressed/limited itself anyway, hence you never hear huge sub basslines over radio.

yes, my point exactly. thank you.

the real answer all goes back to money people. that's it. end of the line. otherwise, yeah, like lukas says its journeyman work up through the ranks (which can be remarkably swift) or sheer luck.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:13 (twenty-one years ago)

OR someone can slip their tracks to a tastemaking mix cd dj, who can use them as backings for US rapper's acapellas.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Or just get a huge enough name where American artists might ask them to do remixes/production work, I'm sure that's been the case with Roni Size. Easy.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

actually, come to think of it, the mix cd thing is probably the most realistic way. throwing david banner over wonder's "what?" or nas over "cock back" is going to reach a helluva lot more people instantly than trying to break a "british rapper".

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

so, yes, tell terror danjah and davinchie to begin mass mailing kayslay, clue, and green lantern.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

do you people think hip-hop producers have heard much grime? does timbaland use soulseek?

― artdamages (artdamages), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I doubt it. Timbaland listens to Norah Jones.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i think they may have heard SOME. but i also think us hip-hop producers are notoriously gunshy about revealing their listening habits/influences for fear of falling off in the "i am totally original i am, me" stakes.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Or for fear of revealing what music they steal from to other producers.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 13 September 2004 20:29 (twenty-one years ago)

It would take a bloody revolution and a time machine.

― AaronBarsin (Jon L), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 05:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I take it your a producer. I would like to hear some of your songs.

the only thing i have online is the soundtrack to this...

http://www.steal-life.com/slideshows/164garage.html

― martin (martin), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 08:56 (twenty-one years ago)

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