Original Beats

A beat is the musical foundation a song is built on. It can include drums, bass, melody, chords, samples and other elements, depending on the style and direction of the project.

I create original beats based on the direction a client is looking for - anything from a simple, focused beat to a fuller, more elaborate musical production.

You can start from a particular style, a reference song, a musical idea, or a mood you want to create, and build the beat from there.

A beat built for the project

I don't just work from a fixed template of ready-made beats. When a beat is created for a specific project, it can be tailored in advance to the song, the voice, the tempo and the artist's style.

Things that can be defined in advance include:

• Tempo and musical style.
• Mood and character.
• Song structure.
• Space left for vocals and rap.
• Types of instruments and sounds.
• Length of the beat and its structure.

The goal is for the beat to be more than a standalone piece of music - a foundation you can genuinely work on and build the song upon.

Different styles

Beats can be created in a wide range of styles, including hip-hop, rap, reggae, raga, pop and more.

You can also combine elements from different styles. For example, a beat can start from a hip-hop base and borrow rhythms, instruments or characteristics from another style.

Instead of picking a style from a closed list, it's possible to start from the musical direction the client wants and build the beat from there.

Building the beat

The work process can start from drums and rhythm, from a melody, from chords, from bass, or from another idea.

Once the direction is set, I build the different elements and develop them into a complete musical structure. Depending on the project, transitions, changes between sections, an intro, a chorus, verses and an ending can all be added.

If the beat is meant for a specific song, I already consider at this stage the structure and the space needed for vocals or rap.

Stems - working with the beat's channels separately

In addition to the stereo file of the beat, stems can be provided on request.

Stems are separate files of groups or parts of the beat - for example drums, bass, melody or other elements.

The advantage is that these parts can continue to be worked on separately. For example, during mixing it's possible to change the level of the drums without changing the bass, or process a specific instrument differently from the rest of the beat.

When the beat is intended for a full production, working with stems allows much more flexibility in the following stages.

Fitting a singer or rapper

When the beat is meant for a particular singer or rapper, it can be built with their performance in mind.

The tone, tempo, structure and density of the beat can strongly affect the space left for the voice. So it's important not only that the beat sounds good on its own, but that it's possible to sing or rap over it naturally.

Adjustments can also be made after the vocals are recorded, if it turns out the beat needs to make more room for them in certain parts.

Usage rights

Before the beat is delivered, the terms of use and rights are agreed on in advance.

It's important to clearly define what the client receives, what uses the beat can be put to, whether the song can be distributed, whether changes can be made to the beat, and what a commercial use includes, if relevant.

I prefer these things to be clear up front, before the project moves forward, so there are no misunderstandings later on.

A beat as part of a full production

In some cases the beat is only the first stage.

If you want to take the beat and turn it into a full song, it's possible to continue from it into a music production process - adding recordings, musicians, vocals, additional elements, and working on the structure and arrangement up to the final version.

In that case the beat becomes the foundation the entire production is built on.

Musical experience as part of the creative process

I come to this work with years of experience in songwriting, composing, music production, recording and sound.

So when I build a beat, I don't just look at its rhythm or sound on its own. I also think about what can be done with it later - how it can develop, where the voice will enter, how the structure can be built, and what happens once all the elements come together into a complete song.

Looking for a beat for a song or a new project? Send me a few words about the style, the artist or the direction you're looking for. You can also come with just an initial idea, and from there we can define the direction and build the beat accordingly.