Quang produces for Bestruck's latest EP Around Da World EP featuring Michael Braxton (Toni's brother).
Around Da World  | Download on  - Around Da World
- You Featuring Michael Braxton
- Mommy Can't Alaways
- Stomp
- Beat It up
- Instrumental lust
- Stomp (Live At Trocadero)
- You (Live At Trocadero)
- Mommy Can't Always (Live At Trocadero)
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When I was asked to produced Bestruck, I was very excited. I engineered and produced a variety of different genres before but a solid hip hop project seemed to eluded me until recently.
I've always loved groove based melodic music and it was hard to find hip hop music I really enjoyed in all aspects commercially and artistically without sounding gimmicky. Hip hop music that is well, musical, colourful, and tasteful. This was my chance to take this music to the next level and explore new elements and challenges.
Here's a brief story behind each song.
AROUND DA WORLD
This is probably the most accessible and well produced track of all. I absolutely love it and it really shows my European music influenced beats. The drum track is essentially drum and bass but it originally had a too staccato mechanical feel. So adding the constant arpeggiators through a high pass filter gave it more momentum without sounding too bottom heavy. It was also my chance to add screaming guitar riffs that really gives it intensity and dynamics. The airplane sample at the end really does give it an "international" effect symbolic of the song. No, I won't tell you which 80s record the sample was lifted from. ;-)
YOU FEATURING MICHAEL BRAXTON
This is another one of my favorites. Originally it was a track no artist wanted but I always knew it had potential. Bestruck's lyrics and delivery flowed well. A great catchy hook along side next Braxton family crooner Michael Braxton (Toni Braxton's brother). Additional vocal arrangements by my good friend David Fenton. We must have recorded 25 vocal tracks layered and mixed together for the chorus for harmony. My little cousin Trang added the laugh track in the beginning and end of the song which added a more personal dimension. I always try to involve friends and family in something I love doing and felt it was perfect. I think this is the one song Bestruck didn't have any disaggreements with me on (laughs).
MOMMY CAN'T ALWAYS
This was a crowd pleaser at the Trocadero show. The song was written in memory of Bestruck's late mother. I love his lyrics because they really do inspire people from all backgrounds to live up. You may notice the resemblance in the beat with 50 Cent's In Da Club. No, it wasn't a sample. It just turned out that way. The chorus part was actully Bestruck himself and not a girl. His voice was pitch shift using the MPC drum sampler. For the live show, we did have R&B singer Michaelle Taylor sing it and she killed it!
STOMP
This song was heavily influenced by my love for the NEPTUNES/N.E.R.D and Recoil (Alan Wilder ex Depeche Mode). I performed the drums and congas at Gamble and Huff studios and later tweaked, chopped, and reprocessed them in my lab. Strange note: you may think drums are loud instruments and thus easy to record but it must have taken 4 hours to get right. I was in the moment playing and when I heard the playback, it sounded like someone hitting cardboard paper.
BEAT IT UP FEATURING ASHANTI
My first track with Bestruck. It sounds a bit strange and electronic to me in an endearing way. Very different. Bestruck's girlfriend Ashanti did some vocals on the track. I thought she was very sweet and nice. And then when she went into the vocal booth, a whole new raunchy side came out. It raised some eye brows in the control room.
INSTRUMENTAL LUST
I really liked this song but couldn't find the right rapper on it so I just released it as an instrumental. I think it has some nice breaks and textures in there.
Some people find it unusal that I am very proud of finishing a hip hop album apart from my Delta Dreams moniker. However, It is something that I always wanted to do for a very long time. I think it turned out well and crosses musical and racial boundaries.I am also grateful I worked with some good people: Bestruck, Sean (Bestruck's manager), David Abraham (friend), Pascal Volberg (engineer). On top of that, no one got shot while making this album. Always a plus in my book.
Thanks for reading (and listening)!
Quang Ly.
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