When does self-doubt overtake the creative process? On this episode of Doing Music, L'Rain's Taja Cheek tells Craig Schuftan and co-host Christa Belle about the doubt she faces down when committing her musical ideas to a recording, especially when she’s working with others. A New York-based multi-instrumentalist with a mercurial twist on electronic soul, Cheek tells us about the various stages of her music making, from quick-fire voice notes and being alone in busy places to her love of lo-fi sound. It's a fascinating insight into the inner workings of a musician who prizes the patient art of the album to convey her ideas more deeply.

Explore further:

National Sawdust Artists in Residence Program

Terry Riley - Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band

Everybody Shut Up by DJ Pacman

Keep up with L’Rain on Instagram and via her website — and check out her music on Bandcamp.

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Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

When you flip a sample for a Hot 100 hit, are you trading on nostalgia or breaking an iconic sound to the next generation? In this episode of Doing Music, Malibu Babie tells Craig Schuftan how she approached the big samples that turned into big hits for artists like Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion. As a producer toying with the space between pop, rap and club music, she explains the exciting results that come from crossing over styles and shopping them out to unlikely artists, and the ways she'll try to get a collaborator in the right headspace before getting into the beats.

Explore further:

I’ll Never Write My Memoirs by Grace Jones and Paul Morley

Elizabeth Gilbert - Big Magic and her Ted Talk

Lil Jon feat. E-40 and Sean Paul - Snap Yo Fingers

WhoSampled: Missy Elliott feat. Ciara and Fatman Scoop - Lose Control

Keep up with Malibu Babie on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com

Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.

For Lukid, bouncing out unfinished sketches is an essential part of the music-making process. In this episode of Doing Music, host Craig Shuftan finds out how Luke Blair drew on a well-stocked archive of ideas to revive a past project after a 10-year hiatus. Along with his untrained melodic process and many-sided approach to sampling, Blair opens up about the existential dread that pushed him towards finishing new music, the art of forgetting and the strange allure of working within constraints.

Explore further:

Philip Guston - Paint What I Want to See

The KLF - The Manual

Keep up with Lukid on Twitter, Instagram and Bandcamp — and check out his latest album TILT.

Tell us what you think of this episode: doingmusic@ableton.com

Doing Music is brought to you by Ableton. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram.