The 2000s

“You can't begin unless you start from one”. Episode One enjoy the freedom of modern music making to acknowledge now, and the importance of being present in the moment, while recognising the power of knowledge and the work done by those that historically paved the way.

Composed using an MPC One; the 21st century version of the now iconic brand. Episode One were able to source sounds from an unlimited library of samples using the internet, and also instantly use a recording of children playing outside the studio.

Unrestricted by the capacity of the devices they composed on, Episode One build up potentially infinite layers of instruments, with unprecedented control over their frequency range and volume. Accurate software recreations of high quality instruments mean that achieving a sound that can stand up in comparison to that produced in an industry standard studio is possible.

The advent of the 21st century has changed how we create and listen to music. The creation of music has become more accessible with tools such as Auto-Tune and MIDI allowing artists a level of editing control over their creations that has never been possible before. This means that it is no longer necessary to be able to play or sing “perfectly” to create a pleasing piece of music. With the availability of internet based platforms such as Youtube, Bandcamp and Spotify, distributing and consuming music to and from a worldwide market is easier and cheaper than it has ever been. We have moved from physical products such as vinyl, cassette and CD which need to be manufactured in factories and shipped out to retailers, to streaming and download services which require little more than a computer with an internet connection to reach audiences anywhere in the world.

While this new technology has disrupted the way the music industry has traditionally functioned, it has unfortunately also led to an increase in artist exploitation with companies like Spotify only passing on as little as $0.003 per stream to artists.