Recently, Music Week caught up with a host of creatives, including Charli XCX and Victoria Monét, to talk about how they are adapting to life in lockdown.
One of the key names we spoke to was elite UK producer Swifta Beater – the man behind beats for the likes of Kano, AJ Tracey, JME and many more.
Beater was quick to stress that in some ways life in lockdown is the norm for producers: “We’re always self-isolating!” he joked at one point. But while he has always been able to work at his home studio and send tracks to artists, that’s not to say there aren’t some significant differences during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In terms of changes, fewer sessions are happening – for obvious reasons! – but it’s also slowing down the release times of songs,” Beater told Music Week. “What happens now is that we still send the music to the artists, but they have to arrange how they record it at home, or whether they can get to a studio by themselves and do it that way. Some of them do have their own set-ups in their house, but when it comes to recording the final product they do need the studio quality. That’s the part where it slows down now: the process of completing a song. It’s really unfortunate for new artists who were building momentum and now it’s all slowed down and they’re shooting videos in their house. They won’t be able to give people the full package.”
Beater says he has worked on around 30 tracks since lockdown began, and went on to detail the frustration of not being able to release music when it’s ready.
Everything on the business side has gone a bit quiet
Swifta Beater
“Depending on our situation with whether the lockdown is lifted, some music will come out and some will be shelved,” Beater added. “I’ve got some music sitting here with AJ Tracey, Mist and a few co-production works with Steel Banglez. I also have a song with Fredo and it’s the perfect summer song, and I’m not sure if it’s going to be out this year now. It might have to come out next year. It’s so frustrating.”
Just as Victoria Monét told Music Week about the sense of creative liberation she was experiencing in lockdown – of just exploring any ideas she wants to while she’s on her own – so, too, did Beater suggest that while studio sessions are frozen, he is planning on spreading his wings.
“Everything on the business side has gone a bit quiet," said Beater. "The only time I do get emails or phone calls is if an artist wants to finish a track that we’ve previously done. But I have thought about my plan for this: I’m going to use the time to collaborate more with producers I’ve met along the years, like Steel Banglez or Jae5 and people like that. I’ll build a relationship with them, and work on music and cross borders in terms of working with different artists.”
Subscribers can read the full Swifta Beater interview here.
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