As a DJ, record producer, remixer and composer, Toddla T writes most of his songs using technology. This enables him to approach songwriting in a different way. Hailing from Sheffield, Toddla began DJing at a young age and left school at 16 to pursue a career in music full time. He now lives in London and regularly DJs across the world as well as producing tracks and remixes for artists such as Roots Manuva, Tricky and Tinchy Stryder.
Here are some key things to take away from this interview:
- Technology can enable an approach to songwriting where sounds are built up in layers, or added together to form a sort of musical mosaic. Toddla T mentions how he will start with an idea for a synthesiser and build it up with keyboards, samples or a drum beat, listening out for what works well.
- One of the most difficult things about songwriting is that you can become so accustomed to a song that you can’t tell if it’s good anymore. When this happens, trick yourself into hearing it fresh by not playing it for a few days or by recording it and playing it back so you can listen in a different way.
- Technology can enable you to track the evolution of a song. Try recording and saving an early version and then record the development and evolution of this idea. If you find that something isn’t working, you can always go back to the simplest idea and start again.
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