To start shaping the vocals for this track, I wanted them to sound clear and stand out at the front of the mix. The overall aim was to create a vocal sound that felt aggressive  and explosive, matching the  atmosphere of the instrumental without losing the clarity of the lyrics. To achieve this, I built a vocal chain in Ableton using a mixture of dynamic control, tonal shaping and limiting.

The first plugin in the chain was Ableton’s Vocal Control. I used this to split the vocal into separate low, mid and high frequency bands so I could control each area of the vocal independently. This was important because I wanted the low mids to stay controlled and tight without making the vocal sound muddy or overpowering in the mix. I compressed the lows more heavily with a slightly longer release, while the mid and highs frequency's  reacted much faster to keep the vocals sharp and upfront. By doing this, I was able to make the vocal feel very compressed and at the front of the mix. I also added a small amount of output gain across the different bands which helped make the vocal feel bigger and more present throughout the track.

After this, I used Ableton’s Vocal Presence plugin to shape the tone of the vocal further and help it cut through the instrumental. I boosted some of the upper mid frequencies around the 2–4kHz range which added more presence and helped bring out the detail in the words being performed. This was especially important because the track already had a lot happening instrumentally, so the vocal needed to remain clear without sounding disconnected from the mix. I also rolled off some unnecessary low frequencies and slightly smoothed the top end so the vocals would not become too harsh after all the compression and processing. This plugin played a big role in helping the vocal feel aggressive and forward whilst still sounding controlled enough to listen to comfortably.

Next in the chain I added a limiter to control the peaks and keep the vocal sitting consistently at the front of the mix. I did not want the vocal levels jumping around too much because the track relies heavily on maintaining intensity throughout. The limiter only reduces a few decibels, but it helps glue the vocal together and gives it that constantly loud and in-your-face feeling which fits the manic tone of the song. I also kept the release relatively fast so the vocals still had energy and punch rather than sounding flattened or lifeless.

Finally, I added a de-esser at the end of the chain to control the harsh “S” and “T” sounds that became more noticeable after boosting the upper mids and heavily compressing the vocals earlier in the chain. This helped smooth out the sharp frequencies without removing the aggression or brightness from the vocal performance. I kept the dry/wet mix fully applied because I wanted the de-essing to sound transparent whilst still controlling the harshness effectively.

 

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From bar 69 of the track, I decided to strip the instrumental back and focus mainly on the vocals to create a more spacious and atmospheric section before the first drop. This was done to build tension and give the listener a short moment of release before the track becomes heavy and intense again. By reducing the amount of instrumentation playing at this point, it allows the vocals to become the main focus and creates a feeling of anticipation leading into the drop.

To help achieve this effect, I used a large amount of reverb on the vocals. The reverb settings were adjusted to create a wide and distant sound which contrasts heavily with the dry and claustrophobic vocal tone used throughout the rest of the track. I increased the decay and size settings so the vocals would stretch out and fill the empty space in the mix, helping the section feel more open and cinematic. This also helped emphasise certain lyrics and made the transition into the drop feel much more dramatic.

Alongside the reverb, I also used Ableton’s Vocal Control plugin to maintain consistency in the vocal levels whilst still allowing the vocals to feel softer and more atmospheric. The processing kept the vocals smooth and controlled even with the large amount of ambience added through the reverb. I wanted this section to feel almost isolated and floating compared to the aggressive energy in the rest of the track.

The vocals in this section were also layered and slightly separated in the stereo field which added more width and depth to the mix. This helped make the breakdown feel larger and more immersive without needing to add extra instrumentation. By creating this spacious moment before the drop, it makes the impact of the instrumental returning feel much heavier and more explosive when the drop finally comes back in.

Overall, this section was important for controlling the energy and pacing of the track. Instead of keeping the same intensity throughout, the breakdown at bar 69 gives the listener a moment to breathe whilst also building suspense and tension for the first major drop.

For the kick drum in this track, I wanted it to sound hard-hitting and aggressive whilst still feeling controlled enough to sit properly in the mix. To achieve this, I layered together the one-shot kick drum that I had recorded earlier in the live drum studio with a Makina-style kick sample. I felt the live one-shot had a natural punch and texture to it, but it lacked some of the low-ends and consistency needed for the style of track I was creating. By layering it with the Makina kick sample, I was able to combine the raw acoustic feel of the recorded kick with the sharper attack and heavier low end of the electronic sample.

To help blend both kick layers together properly, I used FabFilter Pro-Q 2 to EQ the recorded drum sound so they would complement each other rather than clash. I boosted some of the low frequencies in the recorded kick to bring out more body and warmth, whilst cutting certain muddy frequencies in the low/mids to stop the kick from sounding too boxy.  This EQ work was important because it allowed both kick layers to occupy their own space in the frequency spectrum whilst still sounding like one solid drum sound overall.

After the EQ, I used the Punchy Driven plugin to add extra energy and aggression to the kick. I mainly used this plugin to enhance the attack and drive of the drum so it would hit harder throughout the track. The saturation and transient shaping from the plugin helped give the kick more presence and character without making it sound overly distorted. It also added extra harmonics which helped the kick stand out more clearly against the bass and synth elements in the mix. This was important because I wanted the drums to feel powerful and energetic whilst still maintaining clarity.

Alongside this, I also used limiting to control the peaks and keep the kick sounding loud and consistent throughout the track. The limiter helped glue the layered kicks together and stopped any unwanted clipping whilst still preserving the punch and impact of the drum.

The hi-hats were an important part of the mix because in Makina music they help keep the energy high and make the track feel faster and more aggressive. At first, the hi-hats sounded quite weak in the mix, so I boosted the higher frequencies in the EQ to make them sound brighter and sharper. This helped them stand out more and cut through the rest of the track without getting lost. I wanted the hi-hats to sound snappy and energetic, so I adjusted the EQ until they had the right amount of presence without sounding too harsh. This helped keep the rhythm moving and added more intensity and energy to the overall track. 

The snare drum was an important part of the mix because it needed to feel aggressive and energetic enough to sit properly on the build up to the drops throughout the track. The original snare one-shot sounded too weak on its own and lacked the punch and brightness needed to cut through the mix, so it was layered with an additional Makina snare sample to strengthen the overall sound.

The layering process was used to combine different characteristics from both snares. The original one-shot provided some of the body and tonal character, while the Makina snare sample added extra attack, brightness and impact. This helped the snare feel much more powerful without relying only on volume.

EQ was used heavily to shape the layered snare and make space for the rest of the mix. A high-pass filter was applied to remove unnecessary low-end frequencies that were not contributing to the snare sound and could interfere with the kick drum and bass. Some lower-mid frequencies were reduced to clean up muddiness and stop the snare from sounding boxy or overly thick.

 Because the snare was layered, EQ also helped both samples sit together more naturally. Rather than competing for the same frequencies, each layer was shaped to contribute something different to the final sound, creating a snare that felt bigger, brighter and more consistent throughout the track.