TN:167 Kae Tempest & Fraser T. Smith

Oct 29, 2025

Guest

Fraser T. Smith

Guest

Kae Tempest

Kae Tempest, a powerful spoken-word poet and acclaimed recording artist, teams up with Grammy-winning producer Fraser T. Smith to dive into their collaborative album, Self-Titled. They discuss the joy of building songs using ProTools, the creative chemistry that emerged during their sessions, and the impact of production choices on tracking direction. Kae shares insights on how his various artistic forms influence songwriting, while Fraser offers studio etiquette tips. Their conversation reveals how love and emotion are interwoven into the album’s rich textures.

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ANECDOTE

Scrapping A Finished Album To Start Fresh

Kae Tempest scrapped a finished 12-track album and started fresh after consulting Fraser T. Smith.
They spent a few days generating loose demos, ending with a batch of strong song ideas that shaped the record.

ADVICE

Generate First, Edit Later

During early writing, generate many unfinished ideas without over-editing.
Move between ideas once each feels roughly formed to let the strongest ones reveal themselves.

INSIGHT

Ableton As The Creative Putty

Fraser used Ableton as a malleable sketchpad before moving to Pro Tools for live recording and final editing.
They combined in-the-box production with live playing, cassette processing and MPC drums to create a hybrid, tactile sound.

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