I loved this bass sound I found so much, it had to be the centerpiece of this track! Definitely a more introspective type of beat.

I was mangling a sound for another track, and got kind of deep in making a custom sample – that new sample became the backbone of this track! It sounded so digital and computerized and robotic, like a robot gone haywire, I knew it had to be called “Bad Robot”! While not a typical trap beat, it’s more funky in its style.

This beat had sat around a while. I think it has a lot of potential as a crossover type of beat. It’s got a bit of R&B and older hip hop style along with some gospel and church vibes.

This beat started as an experiment of an easier way to create pitched snare and hi-hat rolls. I found that the outer pitch range for the snare sample I settled on was unique and that lent the Caribbean or tropical feel. I always like a good Dancehall style tune and while this might not be exactly in that genre, it was definitely an inspiration.

In trying to find a new sound, I connected with a rapper from the UK with an innovative style. I tried to find the common elements in the beats he usually used, and found that they were lower tempo than what I usually go for, had more of a traditional boom bap rhythm pattern, and tended to use muted pianos, acoustic guitars, or other traditional hip hop sounds. Some also had somewhat of an Arabic feel to the instrumentation. The drum sounds also tended to be not so modern and funkier in style. I plan on experimenting more with these types of sounds, but this is what I came up with right away.

I have to admit, I wasn’t so sure about the kick drums on this one (there’s two different ones). They have a lot of push and pull. In the intro, it sounds off the beat, even though it’s actually not (just because the release on the one is longer than the first – I shorted it quite a bit too). Overall, I think it does give it a unique swing, so I went with it and this is the result.

This one is dear to my heart… it’s one if the first beats I made on the MPC Live, and I felt quite creative in how I made the scratchy sample that gives it character. (hint: it involved a LOT of time stretching!) The melody and the countermelody fell into place and that gave it the sound that I enjoy.

This was an exercise in keeping the bass in sync with the kick and also still punchy and clear in the mix. Did I succeed? All in all, I like the dark and commanding tone this one took on; while it’s a laidback beat it still has an authoritative stance.

Pop quiz – did I make this on the MPC or the Maschine (or neither)? Answer: It’s in the title, of course! I was simply trying some new ways of integrating the Maschine Mk3 into my Pro Tools workflow, and in trying the feature of dragging the audio wave samples directly from the plugin window, I ended up playing with some of them and glitching them up, which went well with the eerie and spooky sound I had going on.

This is a sort of EDM type beat with a breakdance groove. Not quite sure how I came up with those chopped up snare patterns but it just came together quickly.