Studio

Drum and bass, mostly. Ableton Live, a Push, and a growing folder of eight-bar loops that are trying to become songs.

In progress

• Promises (Nero) DnB remix
• Bandoleros DnB remix
• Mask Off DnB remix
• The old Odesza USC marching band track DnB remix

How I get from a loop to a song

Start with drums, bass, chords and one lead or vocal. Copy them into separate eight-bar sections and add or take away two elements each section. Something new every eight bars: an effect, an instrument, a counter melody. Build tension into every transition with filters and rising arps.

Small things that keep working: sidechain the closed hats to the kick and snare for groove, and build bassline templates by running Audio to MIDI on samples I like.

Reference

• Maribou State DJ set, about 41 minutes in. The jam I keep going back to.

Album names, reserved

Fuck It We Ball. Czech Force 9.