On Friday night, G-LIFE had the pleasure of attending an event presented by the Converse Rubber Tracks program, featuring Body Language, Com Truise, and A-Trak. It goes without saying that the performances were fantastic. Body Language set the mood properly followed by Com Truise, who ignited the Friday night crowd with his signature bass and synth-heavy experimental style that honestly stole the show. The Echoplex is an ideal atmosphere for this kind of sound. Headliner A-Trak utilized the performance as an opportunity to let loose with a well-deserved fun, relaxed, and off-the-cuff set. He even started things off by saying:
"I'm going to play a set like I'm by myself in my bedroom just having fun. I have literally no idea what I'm going to play next."
At the end of the show, A-Trak thanked the crowd while dedicating the release of creative energy to his late friend and co-founder of Fools Gold records, Dust La Rock, who passed away just days earlier. During a week jammed with countless Grammy rehearsals, packed schedules, staunch critics, and a frantic need for perfection, A-Trak's call to let our hair down and celebrate life was a welcome relief. Now onto the larger cause behind the show...For those unfamiliar with Rubber Tracks:
Converse Rubber Tracks is a community-based professional recording studio in Brooklyn, NY. Emerging musicians of all genres can apply for free studio time. If selected, artists record at no cost while maintaining the rights to their own music. In addition to our Brooklyn studio we partner with local recording studios in San Francisco, Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles to provide free recording time for local musicians. (via Converse.com)
Pretty sweet right? Its a great developmental tool to help out talented artists who may not be able to afford the high costs associated with studio time. Additionally, Rubber Tracks has utilized their studio to record a massive sample library which they have made available online for free. Contributors to this sample library include Com Truise, Body Language, RJD2, The Roots, and countless legendary NYC session musicians and producers.
Check out an epic video + more info on the Rubber Tracks sample library here.As the culture of music changes and as technology evolves, creative power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of individual musicians. There is no more need for the multi-million dollar budget to make a record; a hit can be produced in a bedroom, a garage, or even in transit.
The Converse Rubber Tracks Sample Library is a royalty-free library of one shots, loops, and stems recorded at Rubber Tracks studios. Created in partnership with Indaba Music, the library will provide a unique resource for musicians all over the world at no cost. Creators are free to explore, download, experiment, and create using library samples and are empowered to utilize the resulting works in unlimited ways.