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Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:16 pm
by SunkLo
Post who you reference when you're working on arrangements and transitions. Or just whoever you think has really well arranged tracks. Obviously can be any genre.
Today I've been working on a tune that's been progressing nicely but is getting a bit on the long side. I've been referencing Four Tet and Bonobo. They both manage to get these long journeys crammed into a 4 minute song. Great flow that doesn't lag or jump around too much.
So yeah who are your go-to artists?
(can I get a) Chea!!
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:21 pm
by upstateface
Skream
chea!!
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:22 pm
by Basic A
Legend4ry
....
GANJA WHITE NIGHT.
....
Ganja White night...
Oh...
And leg.'s shits pretty well arranged too.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:29 pm
by lowpass
I reference 16bit, kryptic minds, Doctor P,
depends what I'm going for though,
obviously don't wanna be referencing funtcase or flux if I'm goin on a deeper tip do I?
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:37 pm
by Basic A
lowpass wrote:I reference 16bit, kryptic minds, Doctor P,
depends what I'm going for though,
obviously don't wanna be referencing funtcase or flux if I'm goin on a deeper tip do I?
This is why I said GWN...
they have such immense arrangements, and a sound that makes referencing them relevant regardless of deep/wobble/aggro prefernce.
Oh...
And legend4ry's tracks got serious evolution...
And Deadly can crank some out too f I do say so...
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:47 pm
by DZA
lowpass wrote: Doctor P
Sweet shop
Intro-1st drop- intro-first drop-intro
Yeah well good arrangement

Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 6:59 pm
by lowpass
ohhhh my bad I misread I thought you were on about referencing mixdowns.
I picked apart "R u ready" once helped me learn a lot. like where every part came in how it changed throughout the track.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:04 pm
by SunkLo
Lol yeah we're on about arrangement not mixing. The art of moving from one part into another, seamlessly joining together contrasting elements into a stream of perfect ebb and flow of energy
Shit's hard sometimes

Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:07 pm
by joemakin
nero lol
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:32 pm
by nowaysj
SunkLo wrote:Lol yeah we're on about arrangement not mixing. The art of moving from one part into another, seamlessly joining together contrasting elements into a stream of perfect ebb and flow of energy
Shit's hard sometimes

Straight up, the hardest.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:38 pm
by ketamine
16 bit.
Rusko. (
Hate him or not, he can move a tune along like nobody's business).
And, I'm sick of mentioning him, I really am, but I just can't NOT say it: Burial.
Mr Oizo too. His sequencing makes no sense, but is somehow beautiful in its insanity.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:39 pm
by ketamine
nowaysj wrote:SunkLo wrote:Lol yeah we're on about arrangement not mixing. The art of moving from one part into another, seamlessly joining together contrasting elements into a stream of perfect ebb and flow of energy
Shit's hard sometimes

Straight up, the hardest.
So SO agreed!
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:50 pm
by SunkLo
Something I've never really thought of before but am starting to appreciate is the artists who are able to have this crazy flow with very minimal instrumentation. It's easy to pull things in and out when you have a 20 piece band to change the energy levels but the guys who do it with a kick, rimshot, sub and a rain sample have definitely earned my respect (read: Burial)
Now I kind of feel like a twat for having a 16 piece for this track
Oh well I guess I'll just fancy myself as a big band composer or something... Plus Mozart wasn't fucking around with no rain samples

Arranging a shit load of instruments and making them fit together is hella hard too, not to mention mixing. Hopefully the arrangement will help the mixing go smoothly.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:06 pm
by Basic A
joemakin wrote:nero lol
ketamine wrote:16bit, Rusko
No.... I dont regard typical, 32/64 or 16/32 or in the case of 16 bit straight 32's, I dont see that as pushing any envelopes or anything... listen to a few of these, and youll see what I mean... I respect these guys for writing really nice grooves... for makin shit the dj can drop without fail with nice 32 structures that mash perfect with whatevers on the incoming deck... bass groove kinda guys...
but for progression...
http://label.idmforums.com/idmf005-syna ... ifica.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpzzGXBW4GA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJf59JJnHnQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDmhP6n_uC8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Hf3OdU ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6UOraLK1KE
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:21 pm
by legend4ry
Basic A wrote:
And leg.'s shits pretty well arranged too.
Lol, you mad? My arrangements are simple! I just believe that each 16 bars of a tune should have something new, if thats something added or stripped back its still something new.
Some of my favourite type of arrangements are..
Cyrus tends to go really subby 16 bars before the breakdown and slowly brings sounds out. I really like the way it sounds as it brings the "journey" aspect into a tune.
Quest gets really pad/floating sound-heavy when leading up to the breakdown, which I am quite a fan of too.
Ramadanmans "less is more" approach to his progression and how he switches up very subtley but it works SO well!
I also like when wobble tunes don't use 2308290482 different bassline sounds and just slightly alter the main bassline and play different variations of the notation.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 12:52 am
by Depone
nowaysj wrote:SunkLo wrote:Lol yeah we're on about arrangement not mixing. The art of moving from one part into another, seamlessly joining together contrasting elements into a stream of perfect ebb and flow of energy
Shit's hard sometimes

Straight up, the hardest.
Absolutely. Thankfully for me because i produce a 'harder edge' of the dubstep spectrum, i can fill out changes with effects and hits. I do however keep the musicality in tact by making subtle key changes and what not in preparation
before the changes of energy/flow. This is vital for a smooth crossover and energy shift.
Drink red bull
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:15 am
by ketamine
James Blake
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 3:31 am
by deadly_habit
myself the majority of the time
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 3:40 am
by abZ
SunkLo wrote:Something I've never really thought of before but am starting to appreciate is the artists who are able to have this crazy flow with very minimal instrumentation. It's easy to pull things in and out when you have a 20 piece band to change the energy levels but the guys who do it with a kick, rimshot, sub and a rain sample have definitely earned my respect (read: Burial)
Now I kind of feel like a twat for having a 16 piece for this track
Oh well I guess I'll just fancy myself as a big band composer or something... Plus Mozart wasn't fucking around with no rain samples

Arranging a shit load of instruments and making them fit together is hella hard too, not to mention mixing. Hopefully the arrangement will help the mixing go smoothly.
Yeah man I have always wanted to make those tunes where shit never seems to change yet it does constantly, it's so easy to make a tune with the paint by numbers system but at the same time it's the cliche's in dance music that people can relate too. You can make a tune thats totally original like nothing no one has heard before EASY. I hear them all the time but people go MEHH because you just can't wrap your head around it. Listen to some Kryptic Minds, their arrangements are so elementary and that's why people love them so much.
Anyway to answer the question, C4C kinda killed me back in the day so I broke down their tunes and that has kinda stuck with me even through genre change but of course I have made it my own over the years.
Re: Reference Artists For Arranging
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:33 am
by grooki
Forensics has very interesting arrangements. His tracks often don't have breaks, they just build up very subtley to the end of a section, and sort of "sigh" into the next bit. No build up sounds or signalling sounds, it's just as if "the time has come to remove those strings".