The Philosophy of breakcore

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The Philosophy of breakcore

Postby Skornsteen » Thu May 28, 2009 4:57 pm

Hi, here's my view on making electronic music (breakcore, IDM, DnB, minimal)

My philosophy on breakcore

Forword
This tutorial is not about, how to mix your breakcore, not on how to stack effects, neither is about what program you should use, or I think is best. This tutorial is on how It works in your mind, or in this case, my mind when I make a breakcore song.

Samples
Ok this part is about how you can get a hold of good samples which will fit in your music.

First of the drums
The samples I use are a mix of samples from library's, breaks, and just music from the radio.
To get samples it's easy to have a program which allows you to cut samples out music.
You'll have to expiriment with this a bit, and sometimes some effects need to be used to make the sample sound full.
Also something that works good for me, when you're having a hard time getting your hands on some good ghost snares, try and put up a mic and just tab your fingers on objects. This also counts for effect sounds.
Also try to think out of the box, this is what breakcore is about.
Use anything you can think of and sample it to use in your drum tracks, don't be lazy!
If you want some groundbreaking stuff you've got to work hard!
Some examples, I've used a breaking glass bottle as a snare drum once, my keys as hihats and my fist smashing on a table for a kickdrum.
The good thing is, there are so many objects in the world, this sampling technique will never grow old.

What I do with the samples, when I start of with a song, I get some CD's from different genre's. jazz, hardrock, that kind of stuff.
I just scroll trough the song, when I hear a sound which I like, I load it in my program and I cut it out.
Just basic stuff.


Vocals
Vocals are tough, the best way is to just get some random movies.
Don't look for a particular sample , almost every movie has samples you can use.
So just go to your local store and buy some cheap ass movies, or download them, whatever you want.
Look for some funny quotes and save them.
Some songs only need one sample which is powerfull enough for the whole song, some songs need a whole load of samples.
Good genres to look in are very old splatter zombie films, sci-fi and movies about drugs and that kind of stuff.
Also some action movies are good, or just random freaky films.
Don't be afraid to make samples yourself, like screams of agony, or fear.
Also when a friend of yours something.. really funny, write it down, and let him say it again, in front of your microphone.
Also, you could go to church once in a while and sample some of the preaching, it sounds pretty cool sometimes.
But that part could be pretty difficult, being in church is pretty boring, to me atleast, but hey, you've got to suffer a bit to put real emotion in your music right?
What also works well sometimes is to just put on the News, or random commercials and record them sometimes there's some pretty funny or even good stuff in their.
Don't search the internet for pre cut samples, you should realize these samples have already been used for atleast a 100 times, you don't want people to think, hey that sample is in that song too, that's kind of a ripoff..
If you have a good singer but you have trouble gettings good lyrics, just use lyrics from other songs, people can coop with things they know.


Fx:
To get some more life in your music you should have a lot effect sounds,
Same as for the drums, sample anything around you, a car starting, a woman in high heels walking trough a large hall,
a chair scraping over the floor.. anything can really be used, you can even Re-use samples if you put some effects and stuff over them.
You can also use your own mouth for some great effects.

The Discipline.
When you are in the process of making a nice tune, and it sounds OK, it's ok.
But do you want OK songs?
You want perfect songs.
You shouldn't push it too far, like spending 5 months on a song which only takes 10 seconds, if this happens, you are being to perfectionistic.
But of course a little perfectionism is good for us all.
When you make a song, don't be lazy, when something doesn't sound right, don't put it in, and don't be afraid to delete it, from the song.
Although when it has a current feeling to it, you should keep it, maybe it's good stuff for another song right?
When you come at the point your composition is perfect, and the mix isn't, work hard to get the mix as you want it to sound,.
People want your soungs to be able to be listened to at any volume.
Also when working on a song, and it doesn't work out, don't be dicouraged, just save what you have and wait for that magic moment that your thoughts tell you; 'OH I have to put this and that there and put this effect over that sample'
If this moment doesn't come just start on something new.

The Network:
Try to expand your network not only by people you don't really know on myspace, try to find active and interesting musicians in your area.
Maybe you can cooperate with them?
Singers, drummers, pianists, guitarists, anything is possible.
Also don't be afraid to step to proffesionals with your music, just to ask them some tips on the mixing, or composition.
Another thing, when you've made something you're not completely satisfied with, DON'T realease it in anyway, the first impression is the one people will keep, when they hear something and it sounds like crap, there most likele;y to look your music up again.
Also, don't spamm other people because they wont like you that way they'll just find you anoying.

The composition.
How I do it?
I make patterns in fruity loops. Plain from effects.
My drums go trough a tape recorder, for that old vintage sound that I am looking for, my synths and basses go trough an analog delay put to 1 for a phat sound.
When this all is done, I put them together in cool edit pro, and then I process them, mix them and master them to finally export them.
This is just one of the million ways you can make your songs.
First off, use a program that works for you, don't use a program because, 'Everyone uses it'
don't use a program because, someone tells you you should.
And especially, don't use a program because your favorite musician uses it.
Use a program that fits with you, and second, it's not wrong to use multiple programs, this happens a lot in the industry too.
Don't be afraid to try new things, and be creative, also make sure the place where you are making your music comforts you, for instance I wouldn't like making the music I make in my parrents living room, you catch my drift?

Keep in mind you can use anything and use it in anyway to make your music. Don't be a clone of some respected musician, do your OWN thing.
Also, everytime you make a song, it's not aquired to do it the same way everytime.
As I put above:
I quote: 'My drums go trough a tape recorder, for that old vintage sound that I am looking for, my synths and basses go trough an analog delay put to 1 for a phat sound'
Of course I don't do this to every single song, I do this to some of the songs I make when the sound I have doesn't satisfy me, and even then I don't always do that.

Some general tips/FAQ
I have problem making my drums sound 'breakcoreish'
First of all, take the time to write your drums and be patient, don't expect to be able to make the nastyest breaks in the time of a day.
A second tip, turn the BPM down a bit, make your drums sound funky, and if you have enough patterns speed them up, and you'll notice they'll sound a lot more breakcorish then you expected.

Making cool leads, basses etc.:
You can use plugins, keyboards, but also parial melodies from other songs,
from only one sound, you could make a whole melody, by just pitchbending it now and then, and putting it down rhytmically.

Bringing structure in your songs.
Ok, so you made a song, the loose patterns sound brutal as hell, but when you put them together it sounds like random noise.
To me, the drums need little structure, I use the lead and the bass to bring the structure in my songs, for everyone it's personal, just find this one part in your music which you can listen to more then 3 seconds straight and bring it back in your soungs.
Also try to call back to the old rules of making music, try and make a verse, a bridge, intro, outro, breakdown and that kind of stuff, and put those in whole parts together to make your song more structured.

Also a good tip:
When you want to improve your skills in a curtain instrument, try to look in to that instrument, do some research and make sure you understand the instrument so you can make it sound that little bit more musical.

But always keep in mind, music has no official rules, you set your own rules and you make your own music, feedback is usefull but when you don't want to do something, don't do it.
Only do things you support 100% yourself.

Any questions?
Just ask.
I might have a good awnser for you.

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Postby asleepingsun » Fri May 29, 2009 1:33 am

Thats a cool philosphy, so do you track your drums live?

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Postby Skornsteen » Fri May 29, 2009 7:24 am

I used to do that in the past, but now I don't do that anymore.

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Postby larsby » Fri May 29, 2009 7:47 am

I learned to play the electric bass to make better basslines.

then I forgot how to play the electric bass, but my programmed basslines improved!

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yeahhhhh crashin glasses

Postby yonosoyelquesoy » Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:08 pm

...verry interesting stuff. A million questions can I post but what would be the point?
Thanks for the post.

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Postby phleg » Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:59 am

cmon man...dont be prisoned by your own mind...its BREAKCORE, right?

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Postby HORSE FORCE » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:09 am

my philosophy:

i listen to a lot of shit during the day. then i chop shit up. then i get drunk in the night and sequence. if it doesnt fuck everyone up, then i delete and try again.

breakcore is about fucking people's brains up, just like classical music used to do back in the day and jazz did in the 50s and 60s.

if you are making shit that fucks me up, then i will like it. but if you are making shit to make your tight-jeans-wearing art school friends put on in the background of their wine parties, then keep listening to your idm shit and ill go listen to something else.

sorry, i am a little drunk

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Postby yonosoyelquesoy » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:56 pm

HORSE FORCE wrote:my philosophy:

i listen to a lot of shit during the day. then i chop shit up. then i get drunk in the night and sequence. if it doesnt fuck everyone up, then i delete and try again.

breakcore is about fucking people's brains up, just like classical music used to do back in the day and jazz did in the 50s and 60s.

if you are making shit that fucks me up, then i will like it. but if you are making shit to make your tight-jeans-wearing art school friends put on in the background of their wine parties, then keep listening to your idm shit and ill go listen to something else.

sorry, i am a little drunk


There is more phylosophy in a glass of whiskey than all the books of Nietzsche

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Postby jimmusician » Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:13 am

larsby wrote:I learned to play the electric bass to make better basslines.

then I forgot how to play the electric bass, but my programmed basslines improved!

lol and ironically it's the bassists that make the strangest music in composition.

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Postby Draegg » Mon Aug 24, 2009 4:11 pm

Thnx for this, really interesting thoughts dude. :)

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Postby brutalchrist » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:31 pm

Tnx 4 the Info ;D

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Postby czar3030 » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:33 pm

HORSE FORCE wrote:my philosophy:

i listen to a lot of shit during the day. then i chop shit up. then i get drunk in the night and sequence. if it doesnt fuck everyone up, then i delete and try again.

breakcore is about fucking people's brains up, just like classical music used to do back in the day and jazz did in the 50s and 60s.

if you are making shit that fucks me up, then i will like it. but if you are making shit to make your tight-jeans-wearing art school friends put on in the background of their wine parties, then keep listening to your idm shit and ill go listen to something else.

sorry, i am a little drunk


Hey HF,
What do you use to chop and sequence?

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Postby Yuks » Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:20 am

great info!

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Postby kosmonavt » Fri Sep 04, 2009 5:10 pm

i just take the amen and dblue glitch and magical8bit plugin
then i put my song on my myspace where i have venetian snares as one of my top friends

and i use a lot of plugin presets because they rock!!!

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Postby HORSE FORCE » Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:31 pm

czar3030 wrote:
HORSE FORCE wrote:my philosophy:

i listen to a lot of shit during the day. then i chop shit up. then i get drunk in the night and sequence. if it doesnt fuck everyone up, then i delete and try again.

breakcore is about fucking people's brains up, just like classical music used to do back in the day and jazz did in the 50s and 60s.

if you are making shit that fucks me up, then i will like it. but if you are making shit to make your tight-jeans-wearing art school friends put on in the background of their wine parties, then keep listening to your idm shit and ill go listen to something else.

sorry, i am a little drunk


Hey HF,
What do you use to chop and sequence?


i use reason 3 (4 sequencer is bad) and audacity for choppage. i am trying to learn renoise 2 tho, but who knows if i will ever put enough time in that. i have a job job now where i work about 60 hours a week, so my free time is going away. someday, i will be able to make music all day.

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