Andy Cole, Didier Drogba, and Paul Gascoigne have all given music making a shot in the past and predictably, they quickly returned to their more successful careers on the pitch. Their mistake, however, was attempting to rap and sing rather than using the skill they’re known for: kicking balls. Now, internationally acclaimed Detroit DJ and producer MK has teamed up with three Chelsea F.C. soccer stars to capture unique and unrepeatable sounds for his latest single and right the wrongs of those that have come before them.
As part of the Beatball project, Chelsea players Thibaut Courtois, David Luiz, and Antonio Rudiger assisted MK in recording the sounds of soccer balls being struck against various objects and surfaces at Shepperton Studios—a famed British film studio involved in the production of A Clockwork Orange, Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, the Avengers franchise, and many other films.
In order to create samples that harmonize with MK’s style and that could be transformed into club-ready basslines, the players took aim a series of metal, plastic, and even water-based surfaces. “We used the players' skills and my studio process to create the sounds and textures I wanted,” explains MK, who is best known for tracks like ‘Piece of Me’ and his remix of Storm Queen’s ‘Look Right Through’. “Even just one sound can create a new track, so by layering it with drum sounds, it sounds very beat-heavy, and pretty dope!”
Check out the video above to go behind-the-scenes on the production process and find out exactly how the new track was made. Keep up to date with all the latest from MK on Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud.
