We’re back with a brand new Track of the Week, this week from BIMM Institute Bristol first-year James Ball, aka Low-Res Royalty and self-confessed beatmaker, tea drinker and heartbreaker. Take a listen and discover more about the track below.
What was your inspiration when you began writing the track?
My musical vision is very much to provide the world with good vibes, and vibes don’t get much better beyond that of funky shit. My inspiration for this track was born out of a desire to shine through a sea of depressive world events and an ever-growing saturation of sad music. Some might call me a goofy guy, and I wanted to make a track that really reflects me as a person: not particularly serious, but fucking cool.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
Parov Stelar. There are many artists that inspire me when I’m writing music, such as Mac Miller, Nujabes, Open Mike Eagle, Woodkid, Tom Misch, but none come even close to the inspiration Parov Stelar has given me.
In many ways, I’d go as far as to say I’m physically in love with him, but perhaps that’s going a bit too far. His use of sampling and original instrumentation, combined with a musical vibe that makes you want to get up and dance, is simply incredible.
What is key to your sound and how do you make your music stand out?
There are millions of people out there who make good music, millions who are probably better than me, but there’s only one of me, I’m the only one with my personality. So the key to making my music stand out is really to put my own personality in the music I make as much as I can, chiefly by not comparing myself to other artists.
Once you start comparing yourself to others, you start to sound like them or see more flaws in your own music, but it’s those flaws that make your sound, or my sound specifically, unique. Production-wise, the key to my sound is that I like to keep it simple and limit myself to force creativity.
How does your songwriting process work?
I don’t really have any set process when it comes to writing music. I like things to happen naturally. For example, I find if I start a track and don’t finish writing it in the same day or production session, it likely won’t get finished, or it fails to meet my own standards. I guess you could say my writing process is very much based around pure excitement and impulsivity of production.
I made “Get Funked” in its entirety in the space of about four hours, and the process involved during production was very different to the process of other tracks of mine, all with their own unique process involved. I want each of my other tracks to stand uniquely on their own, not leaning on any previous style or process of past tracks.
Describe your sound in 3 words…
Legendary. Inspirational. Extraordinary. However, if I had to describe myself in three words, they would be: humble, self-effacing and modest.
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
As a first-year, I’m yet to really see the effects of my studies at BIMM on me as an artist. However, it has allowed to me gain some good advice on other aspects of my career such as sync placements. Plus, having greater industry knowledge in general about things like contracts or the flow of money within the live industry is brilliant preparation for the future. I came to BIMM mostly to learn how to better market myself as an artist, and so I look forward to studying modules surrounding that area.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got a track lined up for January in which I begin to explore the world of Jazz/Conscientious Rap. I want to start experimenting with my own vocals a little more and this upcoming track really kicks that off. Beyond that, I plan to build a musical empire of my own, like Kanye West, perhaps even start a cult or further develop the Funk Revolution, which I’ve already begun building, as you can see on my Instagram page. In all seriousness, I hope to continue providing good vibes through the political and social turmoil that 2021 is likely to bring.
