When I listen to hardstyle, particularly Defqon 1 and Q-Dance radio, I really love the many wondrous kicks, basses, and various FX they have to assault my ears with. Something I usually respect most is the kick. Those kicks, man. They’re always just right. How in the world do they pull them off?
I can never get the same kind (quality) of sound. I’ll spend hours and hours manipulating samples and sounds and effects and whatever else until I get something I think is a’ight. Then I’ll go and listen to Q-Dance radio, and realize it’s pretty meh. Lather, rinse, repeat pretty much every time.
I’ve been trying to pay a little more attention to the way professional hardstyle and hardcore tracks are stitched together. I try to pull them apart in my head, and understand just how they tick. It took me far too long to realize something that should have been painfully obvious: when I thought of the bassdrum to a particular hardstyle or hardcore track, I was thinking of the kick AND the bass. The bass.. the bass! That’s what I didn’t consider. It’s separate. That’s one I never took into consideration: the kick and bass aren’t the same thing.
As simple of a concept as it is, I’ve been hearing some tracks with this recent realization, and it’s easier to discern what the kick actually is. In fact, in some hardstyle, the kicks of choice have quite surprised me with their simplicity. The bass is doing all the work!
Anyways, if you haven’t checked out the Q-Dance Radio before, you should: Q-Dance Radio
