Scavenging for synthesizers, digital vs analog music, and what it means to be a music producer in the AI era. This episode of Quartertones features Egyptian music producer Kubbara in our studio in Beirut. Known for his jazz-influenced, neo-soul sound, he gives us a master class in music production, from discovering and collaborating with artists to blending sounds and the intricate details of putting a song together. We get into the nitty-gritty history of synths, Kubbara's background as a metalhead, and why music isn't about originality anymore. We also discuss whether Egypt is experiencing a golden age of music right now.

This episode was recorded on July 25, 2024 in our Beirut studio.

00:00 Introduction
00:27 Discovering & Collaborating with Nadine El Roubi
02:01 Neo Soul and Jazz Influences
8:26 Interlude 1: Honey Butter
12:46 Musical Journey: From Metalhead to Jazz Enthusiast
23:18 Exploring Synthesizers & Modular Systems
27:04 Interlude 2: Jamming with the 707 Drum Machine
28:20 Analog vs Digital
22:30 707 Drum Machine: Ins and Outs
36:02 Interlude 3: Mesh’arif
39:52 Live Performance & Artist Collaboration
41:27 The Evolution of Music Production
52:16 Is Egypt in a Golden Age of Music?
55:51 The Future of Music and AI
56:59 Interlude 4, Upcoming Project & Recommendations

Ahmad Kubbara is an electronic musician, sound engineer, producer and composer. He completed a bachelors in sound engineering and music production at Birmingham City University and obtained his masters in acoustics at the ISVR, University of Southampton working on the development of DEAP loudspeakers before returning to Cairo. His studio El Warsha is based right next to the Pyramids in Giza, where he works on music, commercial and film productions.

Connect with Kubbara 👉 https://www.instagram.com/kubbara/?hl=en

Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu
Track he mentions 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEQpCfvaWrA

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BEAST Frequencies #80 - O SQUARED