Looped
Build a club loop around one piano-like chord figure, add the beat one layer at a time, and keep the low end light.
What Kiasmos said
Janus Rasmussen called Looped an experiment in putting piano and strings into a club track, and said the piano chords are pretty much the only thing in focus for most of the song. It runs at about 120 BPM.
One idea, many layers
Instead of writing new parts, keep one idea and let other layers arrive and leave around it. Each new layer is one step up in energy, and the ear stays with the idea.
Low chords, light bass
Ólafur Arnalds explained that because the piano chords sit low, the bass line can be lighter. Two busy parts in the same low range crowd each other.
Song study
- Looped.
- In this lesson you will build a club loop around one piano-like chord figure, add the beat one layer at a time, and keep the low end light.
Looped keeps one thing in focus
The piano chords. Everything else comes and goes around them, and each layer that arrives lifts the energy a step.
Switch through the three versions while it plays.
The chord part never changes. Only what surrounds it does.
With the beat under it, the same chords feel faster and more urgent.
When the chords sit low, a busy bass fights them for the same space. Compare the two and listen to the chords, not the bass.
With the light bass you can hear each chord ring out.
Go to this study's own pattern
- Hold PATTERN, press T3 (bank C).
- Then press 1.
- If anything plays there, clear it with FUNC + PLAY.
- Press TEMPO, set 120 BPM with LEVEL/DATA, and press BACK.
C01 on the screen, at 120 BPM.
- Set the machines this study needs, the same layout as your course track: T1 KICK, T2 SNARE, T3 METAL, T5 TONE, T6 CHORD.
- For each: hold TRACK, press the pad, press MACHINES, turn LEVEL/DATA to the machine and press BACK.
Make the piano chords
- Press RECORD, select T6.
- Turn SHAPE until the screen shows minor, PITCH down to -12 to sit low, and DECAY up to about 90 so it rings.
Tap T6: one dark, low chord.
Give it the figure from the drawing
- On T6, place chords on 1, 7 and 11.
- Press PLAY.
A short, off-balance chord figure. This is the whole idea of your loop.
Add the beat
- On T1, kicks on 1, 5, 9 and 13.
- On T3, hats on 3, 7, 11 and 15 with DECAY turned up so they ring open.
- On T2, a snare on 5 and 13.
A club beat around your chords.
Add a light bass
Select T5 (TONE), turn PITCH down to -24 and place notes only on 1 and 11.
Just two low notes. The chords already fill the middle.
Play the build
- Press RECORD to leave grid recording.
- Then mute T1, T2, T3 and T5 (FUNC + each pad) so only the chords play.
- Every 8 bars, unmute one more track.
- Save when you're done: hold FUNC and long-press SETTINGS.
The loop never changes, but the energy keeps climbing.
What did Kiasmos keep in focus for most of Looped?
Answer
The piano chords. Janus Rasmussen said they are pretty much the only thing in focus for most of the song. The beat builds up around them.
One strong idea, with layers arriving around it one at a time.
This lesson's challenge
Listen to Looped again and notice roughly how long each new layer waits before it arrives. Play your mutes with the same patience.