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Using the sample loops provided by Soundtrap enhanced my music project very well. The trick was picking samples that complemented each other and contributed to the intended feel that I wanted to achieve. I was going for an airy, beautiful track that is unique to human nature. To achieve this vibe, I had to pick the perfect samples and order them in a certain way that implemented silence and arrangement to enforce impact.
The most difficult challenge was choosing which samples to use. There were so many options and different routes that I could have taken. I had so many ideas, but ultimately, I had to pick one vibe and discard the rest. After experimenting with numerous loops, I finally took an ethereal, angelic approach to my project. Besides being overwhelmed with the countless possibilities, I did not encounter too many problems customizing and integrating the samples into my track. I certainly had to do a lot of editing back and forth since it was my first music project, but everything came together naturally once I settled on an idea.
I discovered the fade in and out and the essence of silence when working on this composition. The fade in and fade out eliminated harsh sounds when cutting out the audio for the tracks. For example, during the 5th bar, I faded out the drum loop to better hear the other three tracks to enforce tension. Using this feature prevented the drum from abruptly stopping and instead created a gradual lead into silence. The silence between the 5th and 9th bar allowed the vocal track to have its moment and gave the drum more impact when it cut back in. On the 9th bar, I decided not to have a fade-in effect because I wanted it to have a surprise factor that would be unexpected by the listener. I had the instrumental and vocal loops fade out on the 16th bar since the project did not start with those two tracks. I kept the drum and kick unfaded so that it would be a seamless loop when the track restarted.
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Silver Soul by Beach House has a very well-written sample. It was reused by the more well-known song Money Trees by Kendrick Lamar. Listening to both songs side by side shows a clear difference in how Beach House and Kendrick Lamar implemented the loop. When comparing the two artists, it is hard to imagine that they could even use the same sample for their very contrasting genres of music. Silver Soul and Money Trees are very sombre tracks since the sample forces them to be that way due to its slow nature. Though they have a similar tempo, one is indi-pop purely for the sound, while the other is rap that tells a precise story. This contrast perfectly reflects the flexibility of the sample, which is what makes it truly impressive.