To then find the melodies he does within the scope he does it in across his range and makes sense of the amount of other energy he introduces into his arrangements through sampling, choirs, live instrumentation, and more is masterful song crafting.

The nuance within the sound selection process with Kanye is always second to none. The instrumentation choice within these pieces is much of a mixing decision as the mix itself. Letting the guitar riff occupy the top end while those MPS drums and Base share a driving force on that bottom end in a beautiful way. In my opinion, the guitar amp on the vocal chain wasn’t being done a lot back then. The mix on this album is particularly interesting. The sample flips and sound selection are of a masterful level, live instrumentation, orchestral builds, with attention snatching vocal features and momentary skits like Niki Minaj intro lend to a deeper narrative. The cinematic choirs chanting regal haunting harmonies over samples laced with piano and string lines dropping into those driving Kanye MPC drums and driving base pulses are timeless. From Glebe as a kid to boarding school in America.įor me, you are just that… you are much more expressive than a one-dimensional story, you are inspired by a vast mix of styles, textures and feelings. I’ve always shared a wide variety of friends from all walks of life and have been inspired by those environments. I’ve always found it hard to identify with one single genre or group. You are a combination of taste and execution, sharing a rare proximity within the highest pedigrees of expression. You opened a new paradigm into the possibilities of production in this pace at the time. In my opinion, you are one most tasteful, soulful, and well-arranged avant-garde Hip Hop albums I’ve had the honour of listening to. I remember being introduced to you and thinking “you are unapologetically different” – “there aren’t any rules, just do what you hear do what the you want”.

We were pitching pop songs through our manager to land with signed artists and building our catalogue. When I first found you, I was working in a studio that me and my friend built around Pyrmont. You invoked a whole new colour palette and combination of possibilities in my mind. Driftwood – Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, (2010)

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