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A weekend of Masterclasses

Production & Business + Tutorials & Networking

18-19 Feb - Alchemea London - £140

Toolroom Records, DJ Magazine, Soundcloud, Dom Nextmen, Ben Watt, The Young Punx and more...

Ben Watt

Ben Watt is most well-known for his nine-album, 20 year career as a recording artist with Tracey Thorn in Everything But The Girl. He also co-founded the seminal underground London club night Lazy Dog, whilst also co-owning and curating west London nightclubs Cherry Jam and Neighbourhood - earning DJ residencies at The End London, Cielo New York and We Love Space Ibiza in the process. In 2003 he founded independent electronic dance music label Buzzin' Fly to much acclaim (Breakthrough Label Winner, House Music Awards 2004. Best British Label Runner-Up, DJ Magazine Awards 2007 & 2008). Ben is currently a resident DJ on BBC 6Music's 6Mix and also a board member at the Association Of Independent Music. Away from music, his 1996 autobiographical memoir 'Patient' about surviving a life-threatening illness was voted a Sunday Times Book Of The Year. He lives in London with wife Tracey Thorn and their three kids.

Stuart Knight

Stuart Knight, brother of Mark, is the Director of Toolroom Records - one of the UK's most successful house export brands of the past decade. Launched in 2001, the label's growth has been near exponential, the brand now encompassing a hugely successful label featuring releases from artists as wide in scope as Fedde le Grande, Mark Knight and Underworld, an equally successful Toolroom Knights events brand, and, more recently, a publishing arm. Stuart has been at the helm from day one, overseeing the financial and digital strategy of the business.

Soundcloud

SoundCloud is a dedicated online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings through web pages, widgets and apps. Founded by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss in Sweden, SoundCloud now has offices in Berlin, San Francisco and London and over 5 million users worldwide.

Ben Murphy (DJ Mag)

Since 1991 DJ magazine has been on the cutting-edge of dance music culture and is the longest-running magazine of its kind still in print in the UK. During its 20 year life the magazine has grown globally with editions in Germany, Brazil, Mexico and beyond, expanded into the digital realm at DJmag.com and spawned the original dance music awards - the Top 100 DJ Poll. Ben Murphy is the editor of DJ Mag. He has a background in music artist management.

Musicians' Union

The Musicians' Union represents over 30,000 musicians working in all sectors of the UK music business. As well as negotiating on behalf of musicians with major employers in the industry, the MU offers a range of services tailored for the self-employed by providing assistance for professional and student musicians of all ages. The MU has specialist full-time officials available to tackle the issues raised by musicians working in the live arena, the recording studio, or when writing and composing.

Dom Betmead, The Nextmen

Dom Betmead (aka Dom Search) is one half of the critically-acclaimed UK DJ/production/songwriting duo The Nextmen. Signed over the years to various labels including Universal, the pair have penned four studio albums, remixed records for hip hop heavyweights Public Enemy, The Pharcyde and Blackalicious and released countless singles, remixes, mash-up edits and bootlegs during their globetrotting career. For their own material, they've worked alongside Ms Dynamite, Andy Cato, Fat Freddies Drop and Cutty ranks amongst others. Dom has also appeared on two Groove Armada albums and produced for Plan B and Jess Mills. He is currently working on Plan B's forthcoming albums and two new Nextmen projects.

Hal Ritson

Musician and producer Hal Ritson heads up The Young Punx electronic music collective. He is also an instrumental performer, singer or producer on nearly 200 electronic dance music records, performing on 'Call on Me' by Eric Prydz, tracks by Dizzee Rascal, Nas, Lil Wayne, Steve Angelo and David Guetta. Hal owns MofoHifi Records - home to talent as diverse as Phonat and Arveene & MiSK. In his parallel life, he is a board director of the Featured Artists Coalition, representing the interests of musical artists in the wider industry and before government.

Richard Salmon

Richard is a music and entertainment lawyer, composer, writer and lecturer. Richard provides legal advice to a range of music industry clients including; artists, producers, managers and songwriters. As a composer he has written music for tv, film and commercials. Richard is also a contributor to industry titles including Sound On Sound, Computer Music and Performing Musician.

Marc Adamo

Marc is the author of the best-selling Secrets of House Music Production book and regular Future Music writer. As a producer he has released on Ministry of Sound, Great Stuff and Rejected and remixed for the likes of Xpress2, Dave Clarke and Stanton Warriors. He is also a prolific sound designer for Yamaha, Clavia/Nord Synths, as well as commercial clients from MTV to Sony Playstation.

Bruce Aisher

Bruce Aisher is a music producer, songwriter, technology journalist and university lecturer. After cutting his teeth as a producer working with dance luminary Rollo at Cheeky Records he achieved crossover success as one half of house duo Brancaccio & Aisher, reaching No.1 in the US Billboard Club Chart. Bruce's productions have featured movie soundtracks and TV programmes from Num3ers, to CSI. He is head of the MSc in Music & Sound Technology at Hertfordshire University and writes regularly for Future Music magazine.

Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor spent five years as Label Manager for EMI's Postiva Records, where he played a pivotal role in the development of dance acts such as The Shapeshifters, Paul van Dyk and Deep Dish, and in delivering a host of chart-topping singles including 'You've Got The Love' and the ubiquitous anthem 'Lola's Theme'. Following on from EMI he worked as a freelance digital marketing consultant under the moniker NTON as well as also helping to innovate the 3DiCD and DJ promotion platform, Promo Push. Nathan is currently a Senior Online PR & Marketeer at the award winning PR company, Anorak London managing digital campaigns for Metronomy, Riva Starr and Fatboy Slim, Beaty Heart, Scuba, and the Roundhouse Rising festival. As well as being passionate about promoting music in the digital space Nathan remains an in-demand international DJ, touring with The Young Punx.

Matt Colton (AIR Mastering)

Having cut his CD and vinyl mastering teeth on Kylie Minogue, Bentley Rhythm Ace and Aphex Twin records at Porky's Mastering in Soho, Matt moved on through Kinetec, Optimum and Alchemy Mastering where he garnered a reputation as the 'go-to' vinyl cutting engineer for leading electronic labels on both sides of the Atlantic. Now at AIR Mastering in the 15th year of his career, Matt's reputation continues to grow with a client list that includes Depeche Mode, Claude Von Stroke, Radio Slave and James Blake.

Gary Bromham

A lecturer in both Logic and Pro Tools at Alchemea College and Reason expert for Sound Technology, Gary Bromham is a seasoned professional in both the educational and commercial music realms, having collaborated with Bjork, Sheryl Crow and Blur's Graham Cox, as well as manning the faders to mix one of the biggest dance tracks of the '90s - Nightcrawlers' 'Push the Feeling On'. Gary will be your guide through Propellerhead's all-new Reason 6 software.

In conversation with... Ben Watt

Few people combine the varied skills of musician, songwriter, producer, label manager, club night promoter, DJ and writer. But Ben Watt has done all of them - in spades. In this session we open the floor to your questions. What have been the highlights of his 20 year career? How do you build a great club night? What are the trials and tribulations of juggling so many business interests? Is the future digital? Tweet questions for Ben to @leme #leme and we'll work them into what promises to be a riotous mix of opinion, insight and insider tips from a figure who has surfed the highs and fought the lows of our industry over two decades.

Building an electronic music brand

In electronic music, brand is key. A successful brand can take a small label into whole new areas - from events and merchandising to sync licensing and cross-industry co-branding opportunities. Who better to demonstrate the journey from the local to the multinational than Stuart Knight, Director of Toolroom Records - one of the world's biggest dance labels, boasting artists such as Fedde Le Grande, Mark Knight and Funkagenda. He is joined at the round-table by PR guru Nathan Taylor from Anorak London. Expect a session of insights into the often hidden world that supports the records.

How to survive (and thrive) in today's industry

It's tough out there. Record sales are falling, piracy is growing and we're in the midst of a global recession. While there's still money to be made in music, there are more artists than ever struggling to get an ever smaller slice of the pie. With the traditional business models in turmoil how does the electronic music producer or label not only survive - but also thrive - in the industry? DJ Magazine's editor Ben Murphy is joined on stage by Ben Watt and Hal Ritson (The Young Punx and board director of the Featured Artists Coaltion), to sort the myths from the facts and identify pinpoints of light at the end of the tunnel.

Synth programming with Massive

From dubstep to house, drum & bass to trance, Native Instruments' Massive has become the dance music producer's synthesiser of choice. Famed for its 'talking' bass, warped oscillator presets, sequencers, pads and arsenal of FX, there's not much in which it doesn't excel. In this session, Marc Adamo, sound designer for Yamaha / Clavia / Nord, demonstrates a range of programming tricks and techniques to take advantage of Massive's powerful architecture - no matter what your genre.

Mastering alchemy: The gold standard

Few aspects of the production process are surrounded by as much mystery as mastering. In this masterclass, Matt Colton of Air Studios dispels the myths as you're taken through the processing of an example track in realtime to unveil the science behind the art. Is loudness killing music? Are stereo expanders ever justified? What is M/S encoding? Get the answers from one of the best in the business.

Bass and kick: A pivotal relationship

A solid relationship between kick drum and bassline is fundamental in almost every electronic music genre. Get it right and other production decisions follow naturally; get it wrong and a track invariably falls at the first hurdle. In this packed session producer and lecturer Bruce Aisher showcases a range of techniques for generating a showcase low-end. Compression, EQ, parallel and bus processing, choice of sounds, layering and the use of side-chaining are discussed and illustrated with on-screen walkthroughs.

Mix bus processing

Clever use of bus processing can make a good mix great. Whether you're using buses to simplify process subgroups, or for more complex parallel processing duties, bus processing can both refine workflow and increase the clarity and punch of a mix. Bruce Aisher mans the controls and guides us through the theory and practice. This session is aimed at intermediate and advanced producers and assumes some knowledge of mixing and compression.

Taking dance music live

WWith the technology to support live dance music more bountiful than ever, the challenge of designing and co-ordinating a live show can seem like a daunting proposition. As Musical Director for Dizzee Rascal's live show, and with credits alongside David Guetta, Steve Angello and Eric Prydz, Hal Ritson of The Young Punx is no stranger to taking dance music live. In this fascinating discussion, Hal will mix insights into the hard-edged reality of life on the electronic road with personal anecdotes, showcasing how to put on a 5-star live event - fielding questions from the floor along the way.

Songwriting and producing for the stars

Collaborating is one of the dubious pleasures offered by the music making process, but what's it like songwriting and producing for A-list artists? Dom Search from The Nextmen has worked on projects with chart stalwarts as varied as Plan B, Ms Dynamite, Groove Armada, Cutty Ranks and Jess Mills. Here he discusses how the collaborations worked, how the songs came together - and how the egos were managed.

Drum programming

Irrespective of genre, it's the drums that provide the backbone to the dance record. In this beat-blitzing session, Marc Adamo demonstrates to build drum parts from the ground up. Every step is covered, from choosing the right original hits through layering, swing and programming to beat production in the never-ending quest for the perfect beat.

Music business for the freelance musician

Setting up your business as a musician can seem like a daunting task, but in today's economic climate it's more important than ever to get your financial house in order. This session answers all the toughest questions: Sole trader, partnership or limited company - which legal entity should I be? Should I register for VAT? What are my obligations to the Revenue and my clients? And what happens when things go wrong? The Musicians' Union are our expert guides on what could be one of the wisest time investments around.

Working the blogs: The PR machine

A great record is only part of the story. The rest is hype. And where magazines and fanzines used to bestow the buzz, it's now the job of an increasingly influential bloggerati. This session discusses which blogs matter, how to build strong relationships with them, and how to optimise your campaigns for maximum exposure. Marketing mastermind Nathan Taylor of Anorak London (Basement Jaxx, James Blake, Mount Kimbie) reveals the tricks of the PR pros.

Getting more from SoundCloud

Five years is a long time in social media. Back then MySpace was the musicians' social weapon of choice, with SoundCloud still a two-person startup based in Berlin. Now it's the world's leading social sound platform used by millions of musicians worldwide for promotion, collaboration and A&R. At its simplest, it's a great way to showcase tracks. But there's also a lot beneath the surface. SoundCloud's VP of Business Development Dave Haynes reveals how to use its more advanced features and analytical tools to increase your profile, drive plays and make new contacts in this 101-style guide.

10 things to look for in a record contract

Many record contracts are signed without proper legal advice - and a good number of people end up regretting what they signed. In this essential session, music lawyer and Sound On Sound legal writer Richard Salmon hones in on ten typical clauses that you should ensure are definitely in (or out!) of your contract. It will be followed by questions from the floor.

The perfect team for the the solo producer

It's a lonely world for the solo dance musician. And unless you're an exceptionally gifted mix of accountant, marketeer, plugger, designer, manager and agent then it's likely you're going to need access to a small team at least. How do you get in touch with the right people at the right stage in your career? And how do you make the best use of third parties without breaking the bank? Music lawyer and journalist Richard Salmon sorts the necessary from the luxury in the quest for the perfect team.

Six ways to make money in the industry

With record sales no longer delivering useful revenues, labels and producers have to find other ways to lift the bottom line. This session will identify six of the best - from live performance to sync licensing via writing for TV and third parties. Music lawyer, producer and writer Richard Salmon is your man at the financial helm.

Identity & branding 101

What makes a great album cover? How important is a logo? How does design impact on brand? Does physical product still have a place in the modern industry? John Gilsenan, Director of IWANT Design has been creating award-winning design for labels and brands in the music industry for two decades, with clients as diverse as The Script, Tracey Thorn, Buzzin' Fly and La Bombe. In this session he outlines a typical identity briefing process, discusses techniques for (cheaply) grabbing attention and answers your questions on all aspects of creating memorable visuals.

The Toyshop

An Aladdin's cave of high-grade audiophile gear to explore. Discover Arturia's array of hardware and soft synths, including the Spark hybrid drum machine and brand new Oberheim SEM-V, with Alex Theakston. Delve into the all-new Studio One DAW with PresSonus' Rodney Orpheus and experience sound like never before as Steve Fisher demonstrates the full range of Genelec and Event monitors, UAD plug-ins and Moog synthesisers.

Propellerhead Reason 6 Masterclass

Propellerhead's chief product specialist and renowned computer game composer Mattias Häggström Gerdt guides you through Reason 6's new audio tools in this in-depth session of hints, tips and techniques designed to get your creative juices flowing. From the new Echo, Alligator and Pulveriser effects and the creative use of the Neptune Pitch Device to the re-modelled mixer and beyond, gain unparalleled insight into the near limitless sound design capabilities of the new-look Reason 6.

  • Sat 18 Feb 2012
  • Sun 19 Feb 2012
  • 9.30-10am Registration. Tea / coffee Tea/Coffee
  • 10-10.30am Welcome Welcome
  • 10.30am Session 1 (Hover for options)
    Six ways to make money in the industry
    Songwriting and producing for the stars
    Drum programming
    Mix bus processing
    Reason masterclass
    Session 1 (Hover for options)
    Music business for the freelance musician
    Taking dance music live
    Drum programming
    Mix bus processing
    Mastering alchemy: The gold standard
    Reason masterclass
  • 12 Midday Session 2 (Hover for options)
    Ten things to look for in a record contract
    Songwriting and producing for the stars
    Bass and kick - A pivotal relationship
    Synth programming with Massive
    Reason masterclass
    Session 2 (Hover for options)
    Music business for the freelance musician
    Identity and branding 101
    Mastering alchemy: The gold standard
    Bass and kick: A pivotal relationship
    Synth programming with Massive
  • 1.30-2.30pm Lunch Lunch
  • 2.30-4pm Session 3 (Hover for options)
    Ten things to look for in a record contract
    Working the blogs: The PR machine
    Mix bus processing
    Drum programming
    Session 3 (Hover for options)
    Getting more from SoundCloud
    Taking dance music live
    Mastering alchemy: The gold standard
    Identity and branding 101
    Drum programming
    Bass and kick: A pivotal relationship
  • 4-5.30pm Session 4 (Hover for options)
    Six ways to make money in the industry
    Working the blogs: The PR machine
    Synth programming with Massive
    Reason masterclass
    Ben Watt - In conversation
  • 5.30-6pm Tea/Coffee Tea/Coffee
  • 6-8pm OPEN PANEL: Building an Electronic Brand OPEN PANEL: How to survive (and thrive) in today's industry
  • 8PM-LATE Bar Bar

London Electronic Music Event

Alchemea
The Windsor Centre
Windsor Street
London
N1 8QG

Angel Tube

+44 (0)20 7359 3986

Is £140 price for both days?

Yes, £140 pays for your attendance at LEME for the whole weekend - including access to all eight sessions and the two evening open panels, plus the marketplace, Toyshop, Demo doctor and evening networking sessions.

Are single day tickets available?

No, the tickets are only sold as a full weekend package.

What does my £140 buy me?

The ticket price includes: Access to the entire weekend event; Access to each of the evening panel talks, and seven daytime sessions of your choice; Free drinks tokens for the evening bar; A submission to our expert Demo Doctor panel; Entry into our £1,000 prize draw; Access to the discounted shopping marketplace; Access to the gear Toyshop; plus free exclusive goodie bag.

How do the LEME sessions work? When do I choose which sessions to attend?

The LEME weekend features two Open Panel sessions and then eight daytime breakout sessions, one of which - Ben Watt's Q&As - everyone is invited to attend. Of the remaining seven sessions delegates choose from the full list of sessions to create their own tailored programme for the weekend. This allows you to pick a mix of subjects to reflect your own interests.

I only want to attend production sessions. Do I get to choose which sessions I attend?

Yes. In early February all delegates will receive an email asking them to select from the choice of 25 sessions which seven they wish to attend. If you prefer production, you can pick seven on production. If your interest is marketing and branding then you can pick these. LEME is about YOU - your choices and your interests. You choose the sessions.

I've bought my ticket but haven't received confirmation.

All LEME ticket sales are processed by Alchemea College. You will receive an email confirmation from them when your order is processed. You will next hear from us in early February when we will send out the options for sessions and further delegates' information.

Where do I stay?

LEME takes place in Angel, North London. There are a host of well-priced hotels in the surrounding area - including Kings Cross and Old Street. More information on them will be sent out with the first delegates pack.

When is it?

The Event takes place on Saturday and Sunday 18-19 February 2012. Each day kicks off at 9.30am with registration and formally ends at 8pm - although the bar and venue will remain open until 10pm.

Where is it?

The Event takes place at the award-winning Alchemea college in Angel, North London - First Floor, The Windsor Centre, Windsor Street, London, N1 8QG Alchemea is just five minutes walk from Angel tube. A map is included later in this pack.

Angel station is on the Northern Line, one stop from Kings Cross, London's biggest transport hub. Angel is served by the following bus routes: 394, 4, 43, 56, 205, 214, 19, 38, 153, 341, 274, 476, 30 and 73 buses. For help planning your journey visit www.tfl.gov.uk.

Sessions take place in a range of spaces within the college, including the Euphonix Control Room, Dubbing Theatre, Live Room and more. You can get a flavour of the spaces at: www.alchemea.com/spec.

How the event works

The Event consists of two evening open panel sessions and a Q&A with Ben Watt for all delegates, plus seven breakout sessions over the weekend. A full timetable is attached at the end of the Welcome pack.

YOU choose the breakout sessions you want to attend. To make your choices fill in the form at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YZNMYP2

For full details of each session go to sessions. If you want any help in making your choices then you can email francesca@samplemagic.com.

There are short tea and coffee breaks in the timetable as well as longer breaks for networking, checking email, shopping and visiting the ToyShop - or just getting some fresh air.

Food and drink

Tea, coffee and water will be provided throughout the day to all delegates. Snacks are available from a vending machine. For lunch and evening meals there are a wide variety of local eating venues, from take-aways to top-notch restaurants, within five minutes walk of Alchemea. Details of our choice picks are included later in the pack. Delegates get an hour for lunch. A licensed bar will open each evening selling a range of drinks.

The Sunday night sessions, Demo Doctor awards and raffle draw will take place at the Wenlock & Essex Bar on Essex Road, two minutes walk from Alchemea, which has a good food menu. This will be followed by an Event after-party - with music from the Snap Crackle & Pop Collective. All delegates will receive two free drinks tokens for the Saturday night bar.

WI-FI

Wi-fi will be available at the Event. Details and passcodes will be included in the LEME goodie-bag.

Demo Doctor

Before and throughout the LEME weekend, delegates are invited to submit their best unsigned track (JUST ONE PLEASE!) to the LEME SoundCloud dropbox. Entries will be judged by the esteemed LEME panel - including Ben Watt - with the top track earning its writer / producer a bottle of bubbly and public play at the Sunday night session.

Submitting questions to LEME panels

We have four open panel events when we will be taking questions from the floor: Ben Watt's Q&A, Building an electronic music brand with Toolroom Records, Music business for the freelance musician and How to survive (and thrive) in today's industry. To submit questions in advance (or during the Event!), you can use the LEME Twitter Hashtag #leme_2012.

What should I bring?

You don't need to bring anything but yourself to LEME. But if you want to make notes during sessions you are of course very welcome to do so. Tea / coffee and water are provided but you may also want to bring additional water and snacks. Discount shopping for books, sample DVDs and other products will be available - so some cash might be useful. There is NO CLOAKROOM at LEME - so be prepared to take coats / bags / laptops with you to sessions.

Where to stay

London hotels can be expensive. Here are a few nearby options from the affordable to the premium to suit every budget:

Clink 78 - Clink 78 is a 1-star stylish hostel set in a former courthouse. This may be ideal if you are travelling in a group or would like somewhere more affordable to stay. The rooms are shared with others and there are luggage locking facilities as well as a free internet room and bar. The hostel is based in Kings Cross which is just one stop from Angel on the Tube (Northern Line). Shared rooms start from approx £20-£50 per night.

The Budget Guest House - This guest house is ideal if you are on a budget. The rooms are basic but comfortable with shared bathroom and showering facilities. It is approximately a 15-minute walk from Kings Cross Station and the Eurostar at St Pancras. It offers free Wi-Fi and has multilingual staff at reception. Guests can make use of tea and coffee facilities and a TV. From £40 per night.

The Holiday Inn - The Holiday Inn is located on the doorstep of Hoxton Square's bars and nightclubs, with colourful Brick Lane a 10-minute walk away. Old Street tube is around 2 minutes walk from the hotel. Double rooms from approx £90 per night (inc. breakfast.)

The Hilton Hotel - Four-star hotel in the heart of Islington - around five minutes walk from Alchema. Double rooms from approx £90 per night. (Hilton is having a sale until the 31st of January. Book now to get 33 per cent off.)

Places to eat & drink in Angel

Angel is one of the best areas for eating and drinking in London with a wide and eclectic mix of venues to choose from. Here are some of our top suggestions just around the corner from LEME:

For a quick bite:

Chilango - Fresh Mexican Kitchen with burritos and tacos, eat-in or take-away. 27 Upper Street, N1 0PN
Pret a Manger - Freshly made sandwiches, wraps, salads, desserts for eat in and take away. 27 Islington High Street, N1
Yo Sushi! - Fast, fresh Japanese food. N1 Centre, 39 Parkfield St

For a sit-down meal:

Byron Burger - If you're looking for the perfect burger look no further. 341 Upper Street, N1 0PB
The Old Queen's Head - Although originally a pub and live music venue, they do great British food! 44 Essex Road, N1 8LN
S & M Cafe - Sausage & Mash Cafe - the 'designer greasy spoon' - authentic British food. 4-6 Essex Road, N1 8LN
Sedir Restaurant - Authentic Turkish cuisine. 4 Theberton Street, N1 0QX
Antonio's - Classic Italian family-run restaurant and pizzeria. Rear of 137 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1QP

Local bars and pubs we recommend:

The Old Queens Head - Two minutes walk from LEME with a great vibe. They have live gigs followed by DJs at the weekend. 44 Essex Road, N1 8LN.
The Old Blue Last - Pub owned by Vice Magazine. Has a buzzing live scene and turns into a club later at night. Closest tube is Old Street (only one stop away from Angel on the Northern Line). 38 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3ES.
Barrio North - Great little bar with a chilled out atmosphere, vibrant music and some of the best cocktails in town. Nibbles and bites are served too. 45 Essex Road, Islinton.
The Keston Lodge - Located in the heart of Islington. Offers a range of great drinks and cocktails. They have regular DJ nights and attract a young crowd. 131 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1QP.

After-event parties

Here are a few LEME after-parties we recommend:

Saturday 18 February: Fabric, Basing House, Cargo, The CAMP (City Arts & Music Project), XOYO, East Village.

Sunday 19 February: Fabric, The Horse & Groom, Big Chill Bar.