“I’m also a musician,” says Oram, who makes hip hop under the N.brahj moniker. “The first song that I released, I remember showing people and playing it through my phone. They’d go, ‘Oh yeah,’ and put it close to their ear, and then their eyes start wandering and they get distracted and they don’t listen to your song. So for me it’s about engaging their eyes so they’re not distracted from the song.”
N.Brahj also offers miscellaneous filming and editing, which could involve shooting a live performance or studio session. It’s a cheaper option than the music video, but still a useful promotional tool for young bands.
“Amber Isles, who I’m now good friends with because of the services I’ve offered, I did a music video with them originally and then they got me back to do the live band practise recording,” Oram says. “That’s the miscellaneous sort of thing that I can offer. I’ve got five or six cameras, including GoPro, so I just set all them up and work through it that way.”
Another N.brahj service is photo shoots. Again, despite the availability of cameras, good photos can be hard to come by. They often require some planning, a professional setup and digital tweaking, all of which is offered by N.brahj.
“You can take an excellent photo on camera phones these days, but [only if] you put that camera in the hand of someone who knows how to take a photo. It’s the same as having a $5000 Cannon, but give it someone who doesn’t know how to shoot it and it’s not going to look good.”
Song recording and beat production are also available. Oram has spent plenty of time in recording studios, which has given him some know-how on technical production. The song recording service covers vocals and music with the option of programmed drums, or acoustic drums at an extra cost. The aim is to create a comprehensive demo so as to fast track the recording process once the musicians enter a pro studio.
“I had my friend record me, and he had his computer set up with an audio interface. After that I went to a studio in Brisbane called Alchemix, and the amount of money I saved going with a song that was prepared – I knew what I wanted already and it was just repeating the same thing in a new studio. It was just first take for everything. It saved so much time and money.”
As well as song demos, Oram’s friends helped him with film clips and live recordings in the early days of the N.brahj project. This generosity is what led to the advent of N.brahj Media Productions.
“I had a friend originally just film me with his camera and the sound on that was the recording. I put that on YouTube and then a friend said, ‘Hey do you want me to record you properly?’ And he had Logic Pro, recorded me, and then someone was like, ‘Do you want me to do a music video?’ So I had all these friends just offering their services. Then I decided to leave Central Queensland and come to Melbourne, and I left all that behind. Then I started looking into recording and getting music videos done by professionals, and they were chasing upwards of five grand for a music video. That’s not something that everyone can just do.”
BY NORTHMORE PUGIN
