Production insights, cultural research and excavation logs from the Sound Archaeologist — melodic techno and tribal electronic production techniques.
Nine Minutes That Made Me Want to Create — · Sound Archaeology. AVIRAL explores Eric Prydz’s Opus, a work that inspired him to create, with a guided listen to anticipation and the arrival around 3:44.
Why Cold Sounds Cold: Sound Archaeology of Cold Without You — · Sound Archaeology. Coldness in music isn't a plugin. It's distance, thinness and a missing body — three tricks humans have used since the first cave reverb. Here's how I built them into my new single.
Repetition in Techno: What the Passacaglia Taught Us — · Sound Archaeology. Repetition in techno music theory starts with the passacaglia. Learn six studio moves that transform a loop over time so it hypnotises instead of bores.
Darude Sandstorm Music Theory: Inside E Aeolian — · Sound Archaeology. Darude Sandstorm music theory, explained: see how E Aeolian, an ancient scale of longing, was turned into pure euphoria, and how to use that trick yourself.
Musical Modes in Electronic Music: The Ancient Code — · Sound Archaeology. Musical modes in electronic music, genre by genre: learn which mode drives psytrance, techno, house and melodic techno drops, then apply the blueprint.
Sad Chord Progressions: Why Some Chords Make Us Cry — · Sound Design. Sad chord progressions in music, decoded: learn why Adele's appoggiatura and Coldplay's slow build make people cry, and how to write chords that hit as hard.
Why Vivaldi's Winter Gives You Chills: Frisson Explained — · Sound Design. Frisson in music: why chills happen. Learn how Vivaldi's Winter triggers shivers, how EDM sub-bass and sidechain recreate them, and how to build them in.
5 Sidechain Methods for a Clean Low End — · Mixing. Have you ever felt like your kick and bass are fighting for the same spot? Master 5 different sidechaining methods—from classic to surgical—for a professional mix.
Adagio for Strings: A Psychoacoustic Timeline — · Sound Design. Adagio for Strings psychoacoustics, from Barber's 1936 grief to Tiësto's 2005 release: see which sound mechanisms make it devastating and how to reuse them.
Psychoacoustics in Music: How Sound Shapes Emotion — · Sound Design. Psychoacoustics in music emotion, decoded: learn how roughness, harmonicity, modes and chords trigger feeling, so you can design tracks that move a room.
Kick and Bass Separation in Melodic Techno — · Mixing. Sidechain compression is necessary but not sufficient. Learn why the real solution is architecture, not processing—and what high-level practitioners actually do.