Research into our chosen artist

SBTRKT (2011)

Background: SBTRKT is the moniker of London music producer Aaron Jerome, which he has been producing music under since 2009. His first releases were bootleg remixes of artists such as M.I.A, Radiohead and Bassment Jaxx. Even from looking at the diversity between these three artists, it is clear that SBTRKT's music is hugely varied and draws influences from a wide range of sources. The majority of his music features his long-time collaborator Sampha, who provides vocals and keyboards. He has released multiple EPs, such as the Transitions series of EPs, which were made up of dark, experimental electronic music. In addition to this, he has released two albums to date, his soul-influenced self titled debut in 2011, and more eclectic Wonder Where We Land in 2014. From looking at his album covers, it is clear that his music is going to be confusing, and to a certain extent, challenging. We need to ensure that we channel both of these things within the production of our music video.

Wonder Where We Land (2014)

Style: The genre which his music best fits into is post-dubstep, as it takes a large influence from the dark, slow-burning sound of early 00s dubstep, but also influences from more upbeat techno and house. Trials of the Past, the song we are making a video for, contains all of these influences, and also contains a soul style, provided by Sampha's vocals.  This means that the style of our video needs to be dark and gritty, as the lyrical content of the song is about ghosts, meaning that a video which wasn't unsettling for the viewer wouldn't be particularly appropriate to genre.

Instrumentation: SBTRKT's music is produced almost entirely digitally, using a mixture of analogue synthesisers and drum machines, and DAWs such as Logic Pro. This is how he can create such versatile sounds within his music, as he isn't limited to one set of instruments. We need to consider this when making our music video as it will tell us which instruments we need to include in performance shots of the artist.

By George Martin