Simple Tips in Techno Structure

Yan Cook has been doing some really great tutorials. It’s Ableton based, but you can most certainly apply the tactics to other medians. I’m just linking a random one so that you can access his others. He also has several videos using Elektron gear.

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He’s a master! I’ve been following for quite a while. He does A4 and digitone as well.

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I think that techno is the less “boxable” genere that can and should be think of… a great example is the Marco Carola “Open System” released in 2001.
I still consider that album as a techno masterpiece reference for the variety of tracks and styles surrounding the word “techno”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzpmyPDZaBk&list=PLJwWgpqJtMRgMy5y2rfnm9QioTObTNKon

The cool thing about techno is that all about experimenting, not only with sound design, but also with structure.

Both techno, radically different:

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Indeed, take this PAS example, dead simple, but everything fits so well that I could listen in repeat all day long :zonked:

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Really like his videos. He did a few on electro recently which were quite entertaining

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Techno comes with feeling and not with knowledge in the first place. Yes, 1/2- or 1-loops are important in theory, but the approach is important. Ableton prevents me from getting in the flow. Hardware like drum machines and synths helped me to understand Techno by not analysing the perfect formular. Instead it helped me focusing on the flow and that’s the key I guess.

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I agree…and would like to add… make a couple of loops on your machines and leave them run for some hours and don’t tough anything … things get more groovy with the time passing . Sometimes it’s a very minimal difference , like vague shape shifting , … the kind of vibe which a DAW could never recreate …

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Feeling is the most important part for making an arrangement. Thats why ia am working on my live techno project again after my recovery from brain surgery… When working on a track i find myself making my tracks way too short an rush thru the arrangement. In a live situation you often can stretch it longer an people do net get annoyed as fast as i do.

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Listen to this track. Forget about intro or outro, loops or build up. The tension is what makes it interesting.

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This is definitely house, but also a good tutorial:

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FYI

That silly structure I made up in my top post was completely made up
If anyone does try it and it works I’ll be amazed. I was barely awake.
I also like
Luke slater , hardfloor, fear ratio , some underground resistance , knights of Jaguar , public energy type stuff

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How can we be sure you really like those after all and they’re not made up?! :grinning:

I have found this on reddit a few weeks back:

The most common arrangement would be:
-Intro 16 bars (Some high pass the kick)
-Into 16 bars (new elements are added ( Kick can be normal )

-First drop 16 bars (Verse)| try not to reveal all the elements that you have in your entire track but save them for later.
-First drop 16 bars| Add some new elements to keep the listener focused like a faster high-hat or a extra pad or lead and build some tension towards the break.

-Break 16 Bars| Remove a lot off elements such as bass and kick but keep the percussion going for example build some tension with pads, synths, fx ect towards the drop.

-Second drop 16 bars| Depends on what you’re aiming for you can bring back the energy and drop it with a nice grove or you can go nuts on the synths,
-Second drop 16 bars| Add some variations add or remove elements from your track to keep it interested.

Break 16 bars| depends also on taste but i like it when there is almost nothing left only some elements.
Break 16 bars| Try to add the elements back and build some tension again and make it drop.

Drop 16 bars| you can choose if its an energetic drop or bringing back down to earth.
Drop 16bars| Try to remove some elements as you were building towards the outro.

Outro 2X 16 bars| Make it simple and clean remove the bass and pads or something that can clash when the DJ tries to mix in the new track.

maybe it helps!

My problem with this: How would I transfer that knowledge to my Elektrons which live in a 4-bar-world… seems like the only way to achieve this would be to either salvage alone 4 patterns for the intro (and verse and so on) or what Elektron boxes seem to be made for: performing (work with 4 bars and stretch them with manual labour to 16).

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909 cymbal ride on the kick pattern/ 909 clap on the kick pattern when the acid filter is peaking.
:alien: :skull:

Depends on your definition of Techno.

I ascribe to the idea that techno does not have ‘drops’.

You’re not locked into a 4 bar world, elektrons have 4 pages. They dont have to be bars.

Some techno doesnt have recognisable bars anyway, its a flowing continuum.

Shapes colours and textures man…

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Trig conditions, and you can prolong the overall patternlengths, as well as work with polymeter (different track pattern lengths) to keep things interesting. Needs some practice to find a) what works for you and b) what sounds right for you.

So… Practice.

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That said, I’ve noticed that if you are roughly in a bar structure, and then let something run too long, your brain notices there’s something wrong.

Depends when and how you twiddle the knobs. Even the slightest of knob twiddles can make even the most repetative of patterns engaging.

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Some of these structures look more like pop music to me than techno.

Make your own structure.

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nice advice! i like to think of intensities and intent of the indiviual samples to each other, and thinking in moods is really a good approach too. like “how you feeling today?” - “well, a bit driving and bumpy” :grin:

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Tips are do what feels right, formulaic arrangements where you can predict every element are the epitome of boring, if you can’t listen to a loop for a few minutes without getting bored trash it because it is boring.
Don’t watch shit tutorials about what one persons idea of a good arrangement is, no matter how important they or you think they are.

Feel it.

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