Learn with me: Darkwave

My first attempt at creating a dark wave track! In this video, I dive into the characteristics of the dark wave genre, focusing on elements like minor keys, electronic instruments, and aiming for a gothic, ethereal feel.

Artists such as Diary of Dreams, Mareux, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Twin Tribes are just a few artists that I’ve been listening to for inspiration.

Starting with setting up drum patterns using the Roland 909 and trying to get the bass right with a real electric bass and effects. I also experimented with using flatwound strings on a guitar for a darker sound and played around with reverse effects using the Avalanche Run.

The video shows my process as the song comes together, adding synths with the OP-1 and even briefly trying out some techno influences. You'll also see me grappling with the mix, adjusting EQ, reverb, and delay to try and capture that dark wave sound.

At the end, I share some thoughts on how the process went and what I learned for next time.

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00:27 - Real electric bass and guitars.
01:00 - Roland 909 for drums.
02:20 - NUX amp Academy for a growly bass.
03:35 - Guitar with flat wounds.
04:12 - Avalanche Run for reverse guitar effects.
08:04 - Layering synthesizers using the OP-1.
16:20 - Briefly incorporating techno elements.
20:50 - Adjustments to the mix.
31:28 - Full playthrough.
35:14 - Reflections on the process.

Hardware Used:
MOTU UltraLite mk5
Fender American Performer Precision Bass
Fender Telecaster Nashville Deluxe
Teenage Engineering OP-1

Pedals Used:
Empress Bass Compressor
Earthquaker Devices Avalanche Run v2
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Light
MXR Smart Gate
NUX Amp Academy
KMA Machines Mandrake

Software/Plugins Used:
Ableton Live
Izotope Ozone 11 Advanced
Waves J37
Waves Magma BB Tubes
Waves Q1