Made To Create Week
A virtual event celebrating creativity
We’re following up the announcement of Launchkey [MK3] with a week of online activity intended to inspire creativity, whatever your way of working. Made to Create Week runs from June 25th to July 2nd 2020, and features daily online events aimed at music makers of all abilities and musical backgrounds.
Central to the design philosophy of Launchkey [MK3] is removing barriers to creativity and providing inspiration. Made To Create Week follows that ethos, by providing education and insight that can be applied throughout the music-making journey.
The free, daily events, which are all online, will include behind-the-scenes technology chats, artist round-tables, music business seminars, product performances and visuals discussions. The series will culminate in an afterparty, featuring a very special guest performer. All events will stream on the Novation YouTube and Facebook pages.
Subscribe to the Novation YouTube channel here.
Here’s what’s going on:
Thursday 25th June , 8PM BST / 12PM PDT
Made to Create // Technology
A behind-the-scenes look into Novation HQ (from home). Discover how innovations in technology were used to create the Launchkey [MK3] by designer Danny Nugent and product manager Hugh Lobley.
Friday 26th June, 8PM BST / 12PM PDT
Made to Create // Music
Get tips, ideas and inspiration from this artist round-table. Speakers are all members of the extended Novation family: London-based producer Tev’n; producer/violinist Badsnacks; multi-instrumental singer songwriter Kyan; and music producer and technology evangelist Stoni, whose unique blend of feel-good beats soundtrack the Launchkey [MK3] promo videos.
Monday 29th June, 8PM BST / 12PM PDT
Made to Create // Performance: Ehsan Gelsi
Novation product specialist and ‘machine music whisperer’ Ehsan Gelsi performs live on the Launchkey 49 [MK3] from Melbourne, Australia.
Tuesday 30th June, 8PM BST / 12PM PDT
Made to Create // Backstage
Hear from managers and A&R professionals about their experiences at some of the world’s most exciting electronic labels, get tips for self-publishing your music, and learn from an DIY independent artist about managing your music as a business.
Wednesday 1st July, 8PM BST / 12PM PDT
Made to Create // Performance: -CALC-
Novation’s very own -CALC- will be playing live with a combination of sequencers and plug-ins from Ableton and his hardware, with the Launchkey [MK3] at the heart of his studio setup. Expect an experimental breakbeat meets ambient lo-fi set with his favourite new tool: Launchkey [MK3]’s Chord feature.
Thursday 2nd July, 8PM BST / 12PM PDT
Made to Create // Vision
Some of the world’s most accomplished visual artists, creative directors and musical directors talk about their experiences bringing music to life through ground-breaking visuals, live shows and performances.
To take part, follow us on YouTube, or head to our Facebook page.
Novation on YouTube.
Novation on Facebook.
Meet the panellists and performers:
Danny Nugent
Danny is a Product Designer and self-confessed synth nerd who’s been working for Novation for six years. The Launchkey MK2 was the first project he worked on when he joined Novation as QA engineer, and now the Launchkey [MK3] is his latest project as designer. Danny makes electronic/beat music under the alias Slow Clap.
Hugh Lobley
As a Product Manager at Novation, Hugh helps to create the future of music technology. He’s also a keen electronic music producer and DJ, and over the years has toured around the world and released on labels such as XL Recordings, Tectonic Recordings and UTTU.
Stoni
When you think of hard hitting hip-hop beats and with sophisticated melodies there's only one name that comes to mind…Stoni. This edgy powerhouse is a Brooklyn, NY native who grew up listening to all different kinds of music. While interning at several major recording studios in New York City, Stoni gained a vast knowledge of the inner workings of the music and recording industry and discovered a deep love and passion for music production. It’s that very same passion that drives her to constantly innovate sounds and push the boundaries of music as we know it.
“Trailblazer” should be her middle name, because Stoni never follows trends, she sets them. She is unrelenting in her pursuit of knowledge and in mastering the intricacies of music production hardware and software, as well as being dead center on the pulse of the music industry. She’s also responsible for training the music industry’s top A-list producers on the latest and greatest innovations for music production. Her knowledge and mastery of music is never ending. Stoni is in the studio right now working on new music for the masses. Having mastered the most popular production tools of the music industry, there’s only place that Stoni can go from here and that’s up. The sky’s the limit.
Tev'n
Having played an influential role in the early careers of Celeste, Joy Crookes, Jeshi and Quadry, Tev’n has been quietly cutting his teeth and gaining some high-profile credits with the likes of Brockhampton, Celeste, DJ Dahi, DRAM, Dylan Brady, Lily Allen, Mabel, Rina Sawayama, SBTRKT, Steve Lacy and Schoolboy Q — to name a few. Tev’n has also performed in SBTRKT and Lilly Allen’s live bands, and with Stormzy on his Mercury Music Prize award show performance.
Kyan
Cambridge singer/songwriter/producer Kyan delivers an atmospheric retro-futuristic soul soundscape, packed full of genre-bending artistry. Kyan’s latest endeavours and accolades include a euphoric COLORS session, support from Ebro (Beats 1) and sold out headline shows throughout 2019. He continues to release tracks from his upcoming self-written and self-produced visual album Nothing Beyond. On Kyan’s bubbling talent, Nile Rodgers commented, “The kid’s a genius, I thought he was like a young Mozart.”
Bad Snacks
An instrumental electronic hip-hop producer and educator based in Los Angeles, California, Bad Snacks makes beats, teaches production, and talks about music technology on her YouTube and Twitch channels. She started making beats in 2016 and made her journey of learning public on YouTube, and has since released two beat tapes, three volumes of YouTube library music, and have toured across the US.
Ehsan Gelsi
Ehsan Gelsi is a Novation Product Specialist and analogue hardware whisperer, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Amy Jayne, Label Manager, Shogun Audio & Elevate Records
With extensive knowledge and connections in the dance music world, Amy has grown to become one of the most established marketing execs in her field. With four years of experience running the marketing department for D&B powerhouse Hospital Records, she has grown to become a multifaceted individual with extensive knowledge of the wider musical landscape. In 2016, she was recognised by Music Week’s ’30 Under 30 Best Of The Rest’, and she has appeared as a guest panelist at conferences such as Amsterdam Dance Event, AIM’s Indie Con and Beats Evolution Conference in Prague. Amy moved to Brighton-based label Shogun Audio in 2017, and has since progressed from Head of Marketing to Label Manager for the company and its affiliated labels: Shogun Audio, Elevate Records and SGN:LTD. She also sits on the advisory board for Brighton Music Conference, helping to curate and host panels aimed at both music professionals and academy level.
Maddy Salvage, VP A&R, Ninja Tune North America
Maddy has made her own place in the electronic music industry, and is now playing a key role in the ongoing growth of Ninja Tune, from their office in Los Angeles. As VP A&R North America, she has worked with an array of critically acclaimed artists including Bonobo, Little Dragon, ODESZA, Floating Points, Kelis, Abra and Sampa The Great. Maddy is also in the process of founding a new label via !K7, dedicated to showcasing upcoming female and female-identifying talent from around the world, and their influence on the LA music scene. She DJs regularly in LA and has a quarterly show on Dublab. Maddy is an avid collector with a love for eclectic, leftfield dance music, as well as a passion for pioneering female creative talent.
Lara Baker, Director of Business Development UK & Ireland, Songtrust
Songtrust is the world’s largest global royalty collection service and publishing administrator, founded to simplify music rights management and remove the complexity of the publishing landscape. The organisation administers more than two million songs and represents more than 300,000 songwriters, with a core mission to help songwriters, music creators, and rights holders. Previous to her joining Songtrust, Lara spent 14 years advising and supporting independent artists and labels at AIM, the independent label trade association for the UK, before beginning her own company The BKRY, to consult with music organisations and event producers on their strategy and execution. Baker has consulted for clients including BBC Music Introducing Live, The Great Escape Festival, Musicians Union, Liverpool Sound City, the Music Managers Forum and AmericanaFest UK. Lara is a board member of The Americana Music Association UK, a frequent speaker at a number of events including TEDx, SXSW, UN Women and Midem, and a founding committee member of the Music Week Women in Music Awards.
Eckoes, Artist, London, UK
Ambient electronica artist ECKOES is a rising talent, whose music merges otherworldly textures and intimate vocals. In summer 2019, she played two stages at Glastonbury, All Points East festival in London, and nine European dates. She culminated the year by signing a project deal to Fallen Tree 1Hundred, founded by Goldie (MBE), with whom she worked, soundtracking his upcoming TV series. She’ll also appear on Act III of his upcoming album Subjective. The 6ft siren is recognised as much for her spellbinding music as for her mesmerising stage presence, in outfits she creates herself by hand. Support has come from the likes of Clash Magazine, Q, Wonderland, BBC Introducing, Indie Shuffle, Afropunk, and the MOBOs Mag. She was selected as ‘one to watch’ by both Ticketmaster & BBC 6Music, she is a board director of The Featured Artist’s Coalition, a spokesperson for UK Music, and an ambassador of Nubian Skin Lingerie.
-CALC-
Chris Calcutt is a Novation Product Specialist based in Brighton, UK, who loves all things hardware. His impressive collection of music making tools often appears on Novation YouTube channels.
Tom Cane (Musical Director, Gorgon City and Otherliine)
A Music Director and MIDI Tech based in London, currently MD for Gorgon City and Otherliine (George Fitzgerald & Lil Silva). Tom’s career has steadily ramped up over several years, starting in a band, then getting a MIDI Tech gig, then being asked to take on the role of MD on large tours. Tom’s usual schedule includes lots of touring, building rigs, programming, and arranging music for stage shows. He says that it’s important to have non-musical pastimes. In his spare time, he enjoys ice hockey, brewing beer, and learning about cybersecurity!
Blue May (Creative Director, Kano, Stormzy, Leon Vynehall)
Blue May is a Mercury Music Prize- and Brit Award-nominated mixer, producer and creative director, who has worked with the likes of Kano, Stormzy, Lily Allen, Jagwar Ma, Blood Orange, Kindness and Leon Vynehall. He is also an alumnus of the world-famous Brit School, renowned for supplying the arts world with talent and vision. His unique perspective and approach has made him one of the go-to names in the creative industry.
Dan Tombs (Visuals Designer, Jon Hopkins, Gold Panda, Blanck Mass)
A visual artist based in Norwich, UK, who has spent 10 years creating visuals, videos and album art for primarily electronic musicians. Dan regularly tours internationally, performing live visuals alongside the musicians at festivals, and in concert halls and clubs. Most notably, Dan has been working with Jon Hopkins since 2011, being responsible for the live visuals and lighting design for his shows. He has also worked with Gold Panda for many years, designing their live show and album artwork. Other collaborations include James Holden and The Animal Spirits, Midland, Blanck Mass, Nathan Fake, Luke Abbott, and Factory Floor.
Bob Jaroc (Creative Director, Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, Craig David)
Brighton-based Jaroc’s practice double-dips analogue and digital, combining both vintage and modern technology to create screen-based and sculptural works. After completing a fine art degree in the ’90s, Jaroc left university with an ability to combine a creative approach to using technology with a strong visual style. Often collaborating with musicians for live performances, Jaroc spent six years (2001 - 2007) working on a jaw-dropping AV show with electronic music pioneers Plaid, which visited diverse corners of the world such as the LA natural history museum, the Pompidou centre in Paris, the NASA Ames Research Center and the IMAX in London’s South Bank. Since working with Plaid, Jaroc has continued to work closely with musical artists such as The Go! Team, composer Leila Arab and Black Moth Super Rainbow. For the last nine years, Jaroc has the been video director for the Fatboy Slim show, and is currently working with acid vandals Paranoid London on their live show.