By Butlertron:
We started sketching out this tune by writing the chord progression for the introduction using a simple pluck patch. We knew we had something solid when we lost ourselves jamming out on keys over this loop, so we recorded a couple lead lines and moved on to the drop.
I setup sidechaining over a four-to-the-floor kick loop and pulled up Massive to create a pumping bass sound. It is amazing what some detuned saws, a little distortion, and EQ can do. Layering that with a fuzzier, more distorted bass patch, we tweaked the filter and sidechain settings until we found that groove. After adding another wobbly bass patch and a supersaw for chords we started tracking out the drop, experimenting with different forms and melodies. We kicked the chords up a notch by automating the vibrato and drowning them with reverb, keeping them tight by cutting off the tails. By this point we
knew the track had potential but it was crying out for vocals.
So we thumbed through our collection of...
acapellas culled over the years, trying everything from the Beastie Boys to Rihanna, until we found this line from an old Baby Bash song that was perfect. We twisted, chopped and massaged the sample, drawing on a little trap style.
Playing an early demo version for the crowd at Wonder Bar last month gave us some great feedback. People went crazy for the drop but found it difficult to dance to the intro. Back at the studio we totally
rewrote the beginning, adding a high passed drum break to provide some natural hi hats, while keeping the same chords but changing much of the instrumentation. We brightened the start using an orchestral
library for cello and french horn and created a new hard buildup that perfectly sets up the drop.
After a few more days doing the final mixdown and mastering, we're proud to present our first mid-tempo banger!
What do you think? Any questions about specific parts of the song or our process? Ask us on the Butlertron Official Facebook page. We'll release the full track in a few days.
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