Our Point Blank Deconstructions have become one of the many reasons those thirsty for Music Production & Sound Engineering knowledge regularly visit our site and keep coming back time and time again. For those of you who may not be familiar with what one of our deconstructions entails, it’s where Ski Okenfull, our lead course developer, takes a well-known track and breaks it down to its core elements then recreates it before your very eyes. This year has been especially prolific for our deconstruction series and has seen Ski tackle some of the year’s biggest hits. If you’re interested in watching how beats like the below are made, our Online Courses are jam-packed with this kind of content.
Track Deconstruction: Drake – ‘God’s Plan’ in Ableton Live 10
One of 2018’s biggest anthems, ‘God’s Plan’, was a must for Ski’s deconstruction series. It’s catchy on uncontrollable levels and that’s why it’s become one of the most streamed single songs in the history of time. During the visual above Ski recreates the track on an Ableton Push 2 punching in drums, 808s, chords and more.
Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa ‘One Kiss’: Deconstruction Live from IMS Malta
Earlier this year Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa joined forces to unleash an absolute belter on the world. The song in question is ‘One Kiss’ and it’s been tearing up dancefloors ever since it’s release in April. Ski goes deep into each element and where it sits in the arrangement as he builds the track on the fly. This one’s perfect for those who are interested in making soulful house music.
Track Deconstruction at Sonar Barcelona: Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
Everyone’s favourite cartoon band, Gorillaz, got the Ski treatment this year during his presentation at Sónar 2018. He kicks off with a bit of background info about the track, ‘Feel Good Inc.’ – who contributed to the song, where it was recorded etc. before diving into how to create the hit song in Ableton Live 10. Stick around till the end to hear Ski’s version with the acapella.
If you’d like to learn more about any of the techniques shown above, Point Blank offers courses for those at any level. Our BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering Degree in London is one of the most comprehensive courses out there, with modules covering mixing, sound design, production and much more. We also offer an online alternative, in the form of our new online BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering Degree. We are currently offering a huge 25% off online courses and 30% of all LA courses before Dec 31st, so make sure you enrol soon! For more information, contact our course advisors on +44 20 7729 4884. If you are a resident of the USA, you can reach us on 323 282 7660.
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** Editors note: Things have moved on significantly since this article was published 🙂 Please head to our blog homepage for the very latest track deconstructions from Point Blank.