One of the most frustrating parts of music production is getting stuck in a four or eight bar loop.
Over and over it goes….The more you listen to it; the more critical you become – swapping out sounds, melodies or other elements until you get sick of the very tune that you thought was an absolute killer a couple of hours ago (or, it’s changed by all recognition and you’ve lost the original vibe)!
Layering kicks in electronic dance music is a tried and tested way to get control over arguably one of the the most important foundations of your track.
What happens when you LOVE the low-end “thump” of a kick sample, but it just doesn’t cut through your mix? Sure, you could swap it for a sample with more high-frequencies, but then you could be sacrificing the bass…
Do you ever get bored with using similar chords all the time, or listen to tracks like “I Remember” by Kaskade and Deadmau5 (absolute classic) and wonder how they write their chords? Maybe you love the deep house vibes of Disclosure?
In this short video, I share the secrets of creating beautiful chords in your music…
Imagine this: You look out over the dance floor, the crowd is loving the tune, you’re loving the tune and everyone’s on the same level. This is bliss, and the tension & energy are building. They know it’s coming; you know it’s coming, you wait…wait…wait…then POW! The drop comes in and the room goes crazy.
That is the best feeling in the world, and it’s what I love so much about Electronic Dance Music (and DJing); the excitement, the energy and the insane goosebumps. So, what is it that causes those peaks of excitement, and keeps our interest engaged?
Mixing EDM in a bedroom studio (or any home studio) can be tricky, but there are plenty of steps we can take to help us create professional sounding tracks.
This is a guest post from Luke Prosser (founder of Learn Music Tech) – and he has shared his 14 top tips for making sure you’re getting the best from your mix downs…. Continue reading
The biggest problem with making EDM is getting music finished! Find out how here…
Weirdly enough, two of the most common questions people ask me are 1. “How do you find the time to make music? I’m so busy!” and 2. “How do I get tracks finished?”. So how do we find the time to make music, and – once we have – how do we actually finish the tracks we start?
The Chainsmokers – “Closer (featuring Halsey)” was undeniably one of the biggest smash hits of 2016. It’s infectious melody and catchy groove works in clubs, in festivals, and on the radio, but what makes it so damn effective?…
Below is a detailed track analysis for you guys to get some exclusive insights into how “Closer” was made. If you want to learn some of The Chainsmokers production secrets, read on…
This week is a video (rather than a post) about EDM chord progressions, how they work, and how you can use them in your tracks.
You can check out the video here, and download the chord progression cheat sheet (that compliments the video) below. If you want more info on how to make chords, check out this post, this post, and this post:
Although it doesn’t sound like the most exciting topic, “gain staging” is one of the most overlooked, simple, and SUPER-IMPORTANT concepts of getting the best from your mix…
Once understood and implemented, it can take your mixes to the next level, giving them more clarity, punch and loudness.
It might sound like an ancient brotherhood of knights, but the “Circle of Fifths” is actually a really useful tool in music composition. If you want to quickly find which chords work together, or which notes to use, this little circular diagram can be your best friend…