Made in Leicester - Guitarist Darren Moulds

Darren Moulds

Matt R and Darren Moulds at the Mor Music Group auditions in April 2013

Matt R and Darren Moulds at the Super Sonic Boom festival (August 2013)

Matt R and Darren Moulds performing at University of Leicester (November 2013)

By Bemi (Founder Mor Music Group)

I first met Darren Moulds at the Mor Music Group auditions back in April 2013. He accompanied Matt R (one of Mor Music Group’s artists) to the auditions – he’s Matt R’s guitarist. Darren is also a member of the rock band UKVelocity.

Since the auditions, Darren has accompanied Matt R to every performance - always punctual, and professional. By the way, he’s only 17 years old. Perhaps that is why I find his high level of professionalism unusual for someone so young.

I was trying to come up with ideas for this week’s blog post. Up until last Thursday I had been juggling with different ideas. However, the decision was made easier after Matt R and Darren’s performance at University of Leicester last week. I asked Matt R to network with the audience (after his acoustic performance with Darren), and hand out flyers whilst networking. Darren offered to help Matt R with the flyers (I didn’t ask him to). What struck me was how humble and unassuming he was. I always tell artists “No matter how big you get in the music industry, always stay humble. Humility goes a long way, and will take you far in life.”

The second segment of Matt R's performance was with backing tracks. Therefore, Darren was not scheduled to perform. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the sound system. Matt R handled this like a ‘pro’ – he asked the sound engineer to stop the backing track, and called on Darren to step in. Darren rose to the occasion, and the performance continued smoothly, as though nothing had gone wrong.

I must confess, I admire Matt R and Darren Moulds' working relationship – they work so well together. Neither of them struggles to be in the limelight, they never have any negative attitude or vibes. To them it is all about the music, thus when they take the stage, they do what they do best – perform. Their great work dynamics prompted me to feature Darren Moulds in Matt R's upcoming 2014 single. Suffice it to say, Darren Moulds plays an important role in Mor Music Group, and we appreciate all his hard work.

You can follow Darren Moulds on Twitter@Darren Moulds1. You can also follow his band on Twitter@UKVelocity

Children in Need by Laura a.k.a Miss Vengeance

Matt R and guitarist Darren Moulds at the Children in Need event.

A major event happens every year in November. Each year is always bigger than the previous year, and this year was no different. The 2013 edition of the 'Children in Need' charity fundraiser featured artist Matt R accompanied by guitarist Darren Moulds. The venue was Barley Mow, Granby Street, Leicester.

Over 100 people came down to support both Matt R, and Children in Need on Saturday November 16. The event raised over £400 for the charity. Well done to Matt R, Darren Moulds, and everyone who came to support an awesome gig for an amazing cause.

Made in Leicester – Talented 19 year old Producer Beast

By Bemi (Founder Mor Music Group)

Mor Music Group had a talent search for producers back in July. We had an initial problem of obtaining industry standard music production. I discussed the issue with my business advisor, and was introduced to the producers from Manike Music. Manike Music is run by talented duo Maryann and Michael. They are music producers with impressive credits including Universal, Sony, Pepsi, Channel 4, and BBC. (A feature on Manike Music coming soon on this blog). Manike Music agreed to work with our pop act Izzy Fortuin. We were left with one more hurdle - we required a producer for our Hip-hop and R&B songs.

I decided to have a talent search for a Hip-hop and R&B producer. We received numerous responses via social media and email. Many thanks to all the producers who sent their work in for consideration. 

We listened to numerous demos, and one producer stood out - 19 year old up and coming music producer known as Producer Beast. The Mor Music Group artists also listened to his music, and they were all impressed. I had a discussion with Producer Beast, and he had a great personality. He also came highly recommended by one of his previous clients. I was convinced he was the right fit for our team.

The unfinished track (MP3 format) we were working on was sent to Producer Beast, and he was able to recreate a better version of the initial track without the wav files (technical term for the music files). He also integrated my ideas with his interpretation of the song. Most producers I know like to maintain creative control. However, Producer Beast was open to new ideas, as long as it made the music sound better.

When it came down to his payment preference, Producer Beast said to me “Pay me when I’ve finished with a song, and you are happy with the finished product.” Suffice it to say, this is a young man with great work ethics, and integrity.

 

I don’t come across people like Producer Beast every day. When I do, I feel the need to acknowledge people like him in some way. For this reason, I decided to feature Producer Beast this week on our ‘Made in Leicester’ blog series.

Producer Beast continues to work with Mor Music Group. He produced Rakim & Aimee’s upcoming single ‘Now you’re gone’, and is currently working on a single with Matt R.

Producer Beast studied Music Production in college. He is currently studying Music Production at a university in York.

You can follow Producer Beast on Twitter@ProducerBeast

Matt R’s upcoming 2014 single collaboration with Jeth Infinite by Laura a.k.a Miss Vengeance

Check out the interview I conducted with solo artist Matt R.  This time the interview focuses on his upcoming single with artist Jeth Infinite.

Hey Matt, thanks again for another interview, how are you?

Yeah, I’m not bad thanks, been ill with a throat infection, but I'm better now. I was on antibiotics, and I lost them (laughs).

Alright sweet, so here we go!

You’re working on a new single, how's that going so far?

Yeah it’s going really good; it’s more in my comfort zone. I wrote all the lyrics and I got the beats done by a young up and coming producer. I can’t wait to go into the studio and start recording the vocals.

You’re working with artist Jeth Infinite, how did you two meet and end up working together on this single?

I've known him for about 4 years now.  I’ve seen a few of his YouTube videos and found out he went to the same college as me. He’s got a really good fan base, and I thought he was one person I wanted to work with.

What is it like working with Jeth, and working with another artist as you are a solo artist?

 I’m his friend, on the music side of things he’s reliable, but to be honest I’d rather work as a solo artist. But if I could have a whole album, I would do it with him. Jeth isn't signed to a record label, but he’s hardworking, and hard work is all I need

What is the song about or are you still working on it?

It won’t be released until early 2014. The main concept is me in a club, everybody watching me perform. It’s like I’m gonna tear down the stage. It’s  just something I thought of, and wrote down. It’s the kind of music you can interpret in your own way.

How does it feel now that you are where you want to be?

It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders.  I have the support of Mor Music Group, and Bemi (Mor Music Group Founder) is supporting me and pushing me further. There’s a lot more of me to come with Bemi’s support, there’s a lot more direction, and it’s gonna help me be a well-established artist.

Now you’re in the music industry where do you want to go from here?

One of my main dreams since I've been young is to perform in America, even just for one day. I’d love to go to LA, on the music end, Chris Brown is one of my inspirations.  

Do you want to collaborate with any other artists in the future or just focus on solo work?

I'd love to collaborate with anyone, as long as they are hardworking, trusting and reliable, then yeah I don’t mind working with them.

Have you got any advice for any young people out there who want to pursue a career in the music industry?

The key is don’t take no for an answer. If someone says no to you, take it as a criticism, but you can’t just sit back. Work hard on your talent, and as long as you want something, just go out and get it. Nothing will come handed to you on a platter; you have to go out, and be determined to get it.

You can follow Matt R on Twitter@Matthew Ronline

Made in Leicester – Introducing Photographer Ellie Sutton

by Bemi (Founder Mor Music Group)

Ellie shooting promo pictures for Izzy Fortuin  upcoming single.

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Ellie shooting promo pictures for Aimee's upcoming single featuring rapper/guitarist Rakim Bailey

This is the first of a series of "Made in Leicester" blog posts based on people Mor Music Group recently worked with in the city of Leicester, UK.

A few weeks ago, I discovered another artist in Leicester. However, it was not from a talent search or audition, nor related to music. The artist I found was photographer Ellie Sutton. Ellie is the Founder of Lux photography, a Leicester based photography studio. Her business is also funded by the European Union grant funding Mor Music Group - that’s actually how we met.

I needed a new photographer to work with, and decided to work with a fellow grant recipient. The shoot was for the promotional pictures of Mor Music Group’s upcoming single releases. Prior to the photo session, I had a meeting with Ellie. I was impressed by the in-depth questions she asked about the artists, and the songs. She also asked to listen to the songs to help her capture the appropriate emotions for the promotional pictures.

Ellie also suggested if the weather was nice, we could take some shots outside. I remember thinking ‘err have you noticed it’s been raining all week’ – I guess that was Ellie being optimistic. However, it stopped raining for one day that week, and it was on the day of the photo shoot. The weather was relatively warm for autumn (fall) – it felt like spring. Surely that had to be a good omen – at least the weather was on our side.

I used to absolutely hate photo shoots back in my twenties, when I modelled part-time whilst studying in the United States. It was always a drag – hair, makeup, and being treated like a mannequin by designers and photographers.   

Contrary to my prior experience, our photo session with Ellie last week (Thursday October 24^th) was the first photo session I absolutely enjoyed being a part of. The Mor Music Group artists also gave a positive feedback afterwards.

Ellie doubled as both a photographer, and an entertainer. I was almost tempted to ask if she ever considered being a stand-up comedian. She was able to engage everyone on set with her positive energy. Her charming personality lit up the studio, and turned what would normally be a mundane photo session into what seemed like a group of friends hanging out. I was amazed at how open she was about her life, and her work as a photographer. I think her openness made everyone on set more comfortable working with her. I recall one of the artists whispering to me ‘she makes me feel so comfortable’.

Ellie could tell from the artists’ body language when they needed a break, and she would be off to the kitchen area making everyone tea.  She also shared her artwork with us during the breaks. A set of artwork which caught my attention was what I personally dubbed ‘alternative dark endings to fairy tales’.

 Although my first degree was a Science degree, I took Art appreciation as an elective (in addition to film and music electives). The unusual choice of electives was driven by my passion for the creative sector. I digress, but back to Ellie’s photographic artwork. Because of the knowledge imparted from my art class, I was able to appreciate Ellie’s intricate artwork, and could picture her work in a ritzy art gallery on the West End of London. (My next mission would be to convince Ellie to hold an art exhibition displaying her work.)

After the photo shoot, as I hopped into a cab and headed to the train station, I thought about my day with the Mor Music Group artists, and an amazing photographer.  On the train journey home, I would normally nap during the hour long journey. Instead, the events of the day replayed in my head, and I had a grin on my face (oblivious to everything around me). We had a productive photo session, and coupled with that, I had just discovered another hidden talent in Leicester.

Ellie Sutton is a De Montfort University graduate of Photography and Video (with Honours). You can find her on the Lux photography Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/luxphotographyuk  An in-depth interview with Ellie coming soon on this blog.