Sometimes being filthy is a good thing!
It's seen in electronic music from Dirty South to Glitch Hop, Minimal to Techno. It's there to make people pull faces that aren't usually seen outside of lemon taste-testing groups. It's like a good scary movie - horrific, but you can't help but be engaged by it.
Here are 10 ways to make your dirty beats even dirtier.
1. Dark melodies - When writing your synth hooks, use notes one semitone apart to create a dark feel to your beat.
2. Dissonant synths - It's common practice to detune two oscillators from each other a bit to thicken a sound - try going beyond "a bit".
3. Deeper bass - An overwhelmingly deep bass sound can take a listener's stomach out from underneath them. Cut anything above about 300Hz with an EQ and watch the floor shake.
4. Distorted drums - You can't get much dirtier than a drum sample pushed through a distortion effect. Try this with live sounding drums for even grittier beats!
5. Disgusting harmonies - For your vocal hooks, try duplicating the vocals to another track, then taking it up a semitone. Ouch, my ears! ...In a good way of course.
6. Distasteful samples - A quick way to make something dirty is with dirty words! Be creative and try splicing grimey vocals into your choruses!
7. Decay and Release - Try turning down the Decay for a sharp attack sound on your lead synths and turning up the release to make the dissonant notes really stand out!
8. Deranged FX - When searching through your sample banks there are always a few which make you think "Eurgh! I'd never use this in a song!" - Use it. Try processing it with some phase or distortion to make it even more unusual!
9. Drastic Changes - Want to have a song REALLY feel evil? Do a key change down a semitone. I think Satan just called for his mummy.
10. Drop the Beat - Remember to keep your music interesting. Take out the beat to emphasise certain hooks and when you bring it back, it'll feel like a punch in the face.
...and there you have it! Stay in the mix for more production tehcniques like this...every week!
