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Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Producer's Diary - Creating a Hardcore Techno Album to be Released on a Label (Nocturnal Missions)

People! We've been told you are especially interested in a certain topic:

The production of Hardcore tracks and sounds.
So we were decidedly happy when Low Entropy sent over a Producer's Diary, kept for a brand new album.


My Producer's Diary - Creating a Hardcore Techno Album

Hello,
In light of my latest release - the "Nocturnal Missions" album on Gabbaret Records - I decided to keep a producer's diary about it.
In it, you will find details, information, and video logs, about the production process.

"Nocturnal Missions" is an album in the Hardcore Techno genre; not "mainstream" Hardcore, mind you, but more on the underground, oldschool, down dark and dirty side of things, bordering into such sub-genres as Doomcore, Acidcore or even Speedcore.

You can listen to the completed album here:



BTW: The entire album was created in Jeskola Buzz Tracker!

But anyway, here we go.



First Entry
Live producing an Acid Techno track in Buzz Tracker


Over the years, I've often been asked: how do you produce tracks? how do you record them, how do you do sequencing? can you share some hints / tricks / suggestions / techniques?
I've often shied away from answering these questions - guess I'm a shy person at heart, after all :-)
But anyway, here it is: my recording technique.
This is how I do 99.999% of the tracks I produce.
Generate multi channeled loop of around 30 seconds.
Hit record and play that loop.
Then switch channels on and off, and manipulate things a bit, while the loop is playing.
And the track is finished!
Voila.
Hope you enjoy this little video!

This track here is a new edit of "Really Into The Space Stuff", which was released on Zuur and Arcane of Core in different versions.
So this little recording technique above can even get you on a vinyl release.
Just so you know!

Note: seems that the screen recorder didn't capture the boxes where the live fiddling of knobs is going on. Means you're missing half the fun here. It also makes it look easier than it actually is. But yeah, can't help it.



Second Entry
Live producing an Acidcore track in Buzz Tracker


This track here is a new edit of "I took the entire arm off".
It is an Acidcore track at heart, but also has elements of Doom and Techno.
Once again, improvisation, modulation, and transmutation is the productive key here.



Entry #3
Live producing an Epic Doomcore Techno track in Buzz Tracker


This video shows me live producing the track "Dream your Destiny (Nothing is Impossible mix)" in my DAW which is called buzz tracker for my album "Nocturnal Missions" on Gabbaret Records.
Unlike the first 2 entrys of my producer's diary, this track is on the darker, harder, and more violent side - an "epic" doomcore track.
Gloomy basslines, synths, vocals and drums dominate it.



Entry #4
Live producing a Trancecore / Ravecore Track in Buzz Tracker


This time it's a "Ravecore" track - oldschool trance synths, acid lines, frantic percussion, and of course, very hard bassdrums.
It packs over 8 minute of sounds with plenty of different phases and sub-parts.



Entry #5
Live producing a Dark Speedcore Track in Buzz Tracker


This one shows me live producing the track "Heaven Sent (Top edit)" in my DAW.

It's an Oldschool Speedcore track, built around a dark / melancholic melody part.
Lots of noise, distortion, speed changes!

As for the "production technique" itself, its actually quite like the first four - hitting "record", switching channels on and off, and twisting virtual knobs.



Entry 6:
Hamburg Hardcore Anthem (Godfather Death Revisit edit) - 03:48



A new edit of this classic anthem.
The bass packs more punch, effects, sweeps and noises have been added - and most importantly it's more than 25% faster, pushing the track way into terror territory.



Entry 7:
Your Suffering (Tweaked edit) - 05:04



This track was part of my "90s Gabber Revival" release... as the name suggests, I added some new tweaks and edits to it.



Entry 8:
Fuck the Government (Short Size edit) - 03:09



Yes, we hate the government, right?
At the core, this track is another "live improvisation" by me. But a hyper-speed, super-distorted one.



Ninth Entry:
Just Noone (Slow 2 Speed mix) - 04:08



Slowcore turns into Speedcore in just a few minutes. "Transformation through filters" is a core concept here.
You can actually hear my voice in this track! Hope it's not too squeaky... hehe.



Tenth (and final) entry:
200 BPM Drum Only DJ Tool - 09:09



9:09 is s good timecode for a track like that, right?
In a production nutshell: modulation on a drum loop.

And with this track, the album and my diary ends. Hope you had a good time, and maybe you could learn something.


Btw: "Nocturnal Missions" can mean various things: Military operations, nightly parties... but the title of the album is also tied to this producer's diary: Because I decided to keep this diary, I saw it as a kind of "mission" to work on the tracks and write new diary entries at night.

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