Madlib Produced All of Bandana's Beats on an iPad

The producer tested a new workflow on his Piñata sequel.

After months (years?) of sample clearances, Madlib and Freddie Gibbs finally released their second collaborative album, Bandana, on Friday.

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And while Gibbs has detailed his part of the album's creation in interviews and statements that date back as far as 2017, Madlib has been characteristically quiet about how he shaped the sounds that would become the unanimously-approved Piñata follow-up. But last night, the Oxnard producer broke his selective silence in a tweet, sharing what could be the only morsel of behind-the-scenes info we'll get about the album's sample-heavy production.

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According to the loose transmission, Madlib ditched his usual SP-303 workflow for a streamlined and mobile production suite, claiming to have "made all of the beats for Bandana on my iPad." He even gave us a little clue on the tail-end of "Crime Pays," where a set of stock iMaschine keys closes out the track.

It's hardly a surprise, though. App-based production software has evolved beyond the point of cheap and quick experimentation in the last few years (lest we forget, Steve Lacy notoriously made Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. standout "PRIDE" on his phone.) However he stitched it all together, Bandana's fluidity was never compromised. And iPhone beats are clearly here to stay.