Singer/Producer El Ay shares some wisdom on beat sampling, life struggles, her Elstrumentals LP and more..
Artist: El Ay | Country: England |
Artist Type: singer, producer, songwriter | City/State: Manchester |
El Ay has been generating quite a buzz throughout the UK and across the USA and yes, we've finally managed to track her down! Manchester's very own sample queen meets AVR, letting us find out exactly what goes into the creation of her signature, silky smooth sounds. We recently caught up with her following the release of her latest album, "Elstrumentals LP (2015)".
How did you come up with the name for the album ?
"The project consists of 15 instrumentals, and I wanted to come up with something unique as the name, so instead of "IN"strumentals, I decided to use "EL"strumentals because I thought it was dope how I could use my name on there, so it looks consistent in a way. "
What was the ultimate goal you had in mind when releasing the project? Do you think you met that goal?
"My ultimate goal was to really showcase my beatmaking skills and show people what I'm capable of. From finding the right samples, to chopping up the parts that I think fitted the most and having fun with it in the process. I definitely believe I've achieved that goal - the feedback I've had has been great, and has made me want to continue with it. "
What did you learn during the creation of this album?
"I learnt that beat making is an art, there's so many components to it. I also learnt that you need to take your time when it comes to making beats because it doesn't come together straight away, you need to sit back and think "Ok I need think what's missing, what can I add, where can I get these extra parts" and to me it's like playing with a jigsaw....you find the samples, you chop which parts you want to use and then it's all about piecing those parts together. With producing, you definitely need a good ear for music and for sounds in general, otherwise the beat is just gonna turn out average, and certain parts of that beat might not sound as good as it could've been. "
El Ay's Thoughts
What do you think about the quality of underground projects currently out at the moment? Why?
"I haven't heard a lot of underground projects except from the artists within my circle, which includes producers and emcees etc. The projects that producers are putting out these days are masterpieces in terms of the beats, the mixing, the consistency and flow with that project, and I like that I can listen to it from start to finish. There are however some underground artists and producers who still haven't quite grasped the importance of these components which go hand in hand - it needs to be consistent, it needs to flow from start to finish, it needs to be mixed right, and the message and content needs to be there. So many artists out there lack either one or the other...so they need to work on getting it right."
Do you have any music you would consider educational? What inspired it? / Why not?
""Keep On Moving" is probably the most educational song I've written, because in that song I talk about following your dreams no matter what life throws at you.
"If you've got dreams go ahead and chase them
Don't let your time be wasted
Don't let nobody tell you different
'Cus we're all here for a reason
Everybody's going through the struggle
Gotta believe in yourself and your hustle
Travelling down this long road
Just keep it real, stay humble".
Everyone struggles at some point in their life, so I want to reach out to my listeners and let them know that, no matter what it is you're going through, you have to be strong enough to keep things moving, and follow your dreams. I want to inspire people with my music and leave a legacy, I want girls, and women to look up to me and say "you know what, despite what she's been through, she still went for it and worked hard to succeed, and I want to do the same". Music can change, and save people's lives."
What do you think of interrnet 'freestyle' music videos and why?
"Internet freestyle videos are important in this day and age for artists, especially upcoming artists, because it shows them showcasing their talent in different settings and I think it's dope. "
Which revolutionary artists stand out for you at the moment?
"Immortal Technique is definitely doing it, Talib Kweli, KRS 1, Dead Prez and mostly socially conscious Hiphop artists."
Notable Mentions:
"I want to thank everyone for reading this, and shout out to everyone for the continuous support - I appreciate you all. "
Big respect to El Ay for taking part in the A/V Revolution project. We hope to hear from you again very soon. Feel free to leave a comment and share with friends. Peace.