The chorus then brings us a beautiful falsetto, one distorted to the perfect breaking point of saturation, with a reverb hitting us on certain key phrases (“ahead,” “forever”). Some stabbing chords are bathed in processing that belies their origin-in the third verse, are those guitars or strings? Or are they a synth of some kind? The mystery is in the sound choice, but it’s abetted by the mix.Īnd, of course, those vocals-so bright and clean on the verses, with the appropriate number of delay throws and discrete echoes. You’ll hear elements that hit on the left, but reverberate ever so slightly on the right, showing you how to make stereophonic space with delays as you add effects to your own projects. The harmonic synths and natural instruments sit in the midrange, swirled by filters that emphasize different parts of the frequency range at different times. The snare element isn’t overly bright, yet still cracks. It fills out the low end of the mix without overwhelming us. The bass drum is harmonically tuned to the song. Note how the drums are clean and defined in the face of distorted vocals and modulated synths. So, for a great example of how to handle atmosphere in a classy and blissful way, check out this gem from Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. (Think “ Goodbyes” from Post Malone, for instance). Pop of today is often a moody affair, with a ton of evocative elements mixed into the soundscape. Listen to this vocal as you set above your own distortion in accordance with modern times. His tone is pure, almost Jacksonian, in timbre. It would do you well, when referencing this mix, to notice how distortion is implemented on the chorus’s vocal. His voice hovers above, unaffected, largely from the distended booming of the low end bass and kick. Somehow the vocal stays present over the fray. And yet, the kick knocks past the bass forcefully, without sounding muddy or clouded. Observe how these elements are placed in the mix, from the weird reverberating keys in the right speaker, to the scream that presages the chorus.Īs for the chorus, you can see it in the Tonal Balance Control analysis above: the bass overwhelms.
In the second verse, listen to how sonic flourishes create an atmosphere of dread. So what is it about this mix that makes for great referencing? Let’s dive in. Indeed, it’s telling that this song became the standout hit off the record, when all business-related signs pointed to “ Can’t Feel My Face” as the breakout single. Much of what people seem to like about the dirty, distorted timbres of today-the stuff that seems to break all the rules of mixing-can be traced to this mix. To my ears, you can’t find a better inspiration for our current sound than this smash hit. Look at the enduring hits right now on iTunes, Spotify, and Billboard and you’ll note a trend toward the downtempo, the atmospheric, and the distorted.
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