Collection of Live performances,  demos, ideas.... 

Live Performances/Demos/Ideas

This is a live run through off a track that I am working on.  It was created using some of my free Ableton Live racks (http://afrodjmac.com/category/free-ableton-instruments/), including The Red Stripe Rack and The Dubstep Lawnmower Man Rack.  Mixed, arranged, and sung live.   Still in its infancy, and maybe a bit longer than I intended, not to mention that the entire vocal is improved... what are your thoughts? 

Do You Believe? (live demo 5/29)

I made this track using Teenage Engineering's OP-1 for many of the synth sounds, as well as its built in FM radio (with which I sampled happened upon Salt n Pepa's "What a Man" ... destiny I suppose).  I recorded the sounds straight into Ableton Live, where I further manipulated them.  Another sample came from The Hues Corporation vinyl I had around the house.  

Using the OP-1 was a blast! It encouraged me to come up with some new ways of twisting sounds.  My personal favorite is one of the high pitched synth parts, which I labeled with a comment.  This sound was made by looping super tiny portions of the Salt n Pepa sample, and changing the length of the loop on the fly.  Changing the length changes the pitch of that note, and coming up with a melody is a matter of turning the knob just right (really fun and awfully random).  

Thanks to Anthony Ricciardi for the photo from Lit Lounge 6/30/11


"Salt Shaka" (OP-1 & Ableton Jam, July 1, 2011)

This is the first "A-side" I made with my OP-1.  Features samples from Salt n Pepa and random gibberish.  The last bit  (about 4:15) was recorded sitting on a rock by a stream (the stream was sampled of course), ah the joys of portability.

One Day- OP-1 a-side

This song was made using Teenage Engineerings OP-1 and Ableton Live.  It started by turning on the OP-1s FM radio and randomly sampling the drum breakdown from "Head to Toe" by Lisa Lisa (lucky!) and bits from a classical piano performance (I may never know what it is called).  From there I built the beat, made a bassline from my Nintendo Rack ( http:bit.ly/freesynth6 ), used the OP-1 for some synth sounds, layered on vocals and even played a little melodica.  Big shout out to G$ and Big C! 

Yours Tonight  -Ableton and Op-1 jam

"Got No Time" is a song about the never ending fight against time, the pressures of always having to be somewhere, doing right, doing wrong for the right reasons, going to work and sacrificing your time for money, and so on...  This recording was was from July 8th, 2011 at the BrickHouse Brewery in Patchogue, NY.  

"Got No Time" Live 070811 @ BrickHouse Brewery

This track was recorded on the OP-1.  I realized last  night that you can use the mic to record anything into the tape recorder, so I played guitar and sang right into it.  

Come on Home OP-1

This is a little acoustic track recorded on the OP-1 during the most brutal heatwave ever (I think).  Everything was recorded right into the built in mic on the OP-1 and you can hear the summer bugs bugging out on the vocal tracks.  Those bugs were pissed because it's so hot out. 

Always Mine/Always Yours OP-1

A mellow, sparse instrumental made by resampling an arpeggiated chord using the new Max for Live Kasio instrument and the AfroDJMac Operator Glitch Drums.  

Praying Mantis

Here's a track I recorded some years ago for my first solo album, back when I released music as Project Nairb.  Features my Yamaha PSR-190 on the drums, Yamaha CP-35 for the dark keyboard chords, and my Gibson acoustic guitar played with an Ebow.  

Where To You

This is a track that was made almost entirely with samples mangled and warped from a Justin Bieber Keyboard Guitar toy for kids. All the work was done in Ableton Live and the instruments I made are available for a free download over at http://www.afrodjmac.com    

Are you a Belieber?

Live performance by AfroDJMac.  Song created in the Korg iMS-20 iPad app and then brought in to Ableton Live.  Check out http://bit.ly/freesynth52 for an Ableton Live download featuring all of the sounds used from the Korg app to create this tune.

This is on your Mind

Here's a track I made using samples from the Commodore 64 drum kit I put together recently with http://www.BedroomProducersBlog.com  I decided to make some music using those drums after the passing of Jack Tramiel.  It's  little tribute and a welcoming to the next phase of life...

 You can have a free Ableton Live Download of those drums here:  http://bit.ly/freesynth51

Thanks and enjoy!

Jack Tramiel Tribute

Live run through of the song "Substitution" by AfroDJMac.  Recorded on 8.9.12 for use in the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8xGm3KkCPw

Substitution (Live 8.9.12)

"All of My Life (I Have Been Waiting For You)" was recorded outside in a screen house around midnight 8/18/12 on Long Island, New York.  Written and recorded by AfroDJMac and SuperKid.  Recorded on the Teenage Engineering OP-1, using its internal microphone for guitars, vocals, and percussion.  Keyboard added inside Ableton Live with the AfroDJMac CP-35 Pack (free download of that instrument here: http://bit.ly/freesynth9)  

Lyrics:

It's alright Tonight
You'll be home before long
All of my life I have been waiting for you
When I'm alone I dream of you
Before you go make sure you know
All of my life I have been waiting for you

http://twitter.com/superkid_3d
http://afrodjmac.com

All of My Life (with SuperKid)

This is a live performance I did, on the air, for WUSB (Stony Brook University Radio) in December.  I played five songs and did a short interview (which was not included here).  All music performed and recorded using Ableton Live.

Live Set @ WUSB Fundraiser

Musician, Producer, and Educator from New York. 
Host of the Music Production Podcast. 
Author of 5-Minute Music Producer. 
Berklee Online teacher. 
Ableton Certified Trainer.

Live Performances/Demos/Ideas

Brian Funk