I made this using FL Studio!
This was a part of my challenge this week to make a song without any assistance. By assistance, I mean watching a tutorial or using any help. I wanted to make something from scratch that I could say came solely from my own ideas.
The first sound I made was this muddy little 8-bit sounding synth. It wasn’t particularly clean or polished, but it immediately had a character to it. Instead of trying to fix it, I leaned into it and built everything else around that sound.
I think my inspiration mostly comes from the production on albums like J Dilla’s Donuts, but I’m not really sure. I’ve always liked how those records weren’t afraid to sound rough around the edges. They felt human.
Finding the Rhythm
Everything in this track is played by me. There are no samples.
The drums came together surprisingly quickly. I wanted something that felt relaxed without dragging, almost like a character wandering through an old RPG town after everyone has gone to sleep. Once the groove felt right, I tried not to overthink it.
The synth sits at the front of the mix with very little competing for attention. That became the identity of the song.
The Trumpets
The trumpets were run through EQ along with a few other effects to push them into the background and give them a hazy, almost dreamlike quality. They have this whiny but stepping sound that reminds me of old game soundtracks trying to imitate real instruments with limited hardware.
They ended up becoming my favorite part of the track.
Building the Track
I tried to resist adding more instruments just because I could. Every time I opened another plugin, I asked myself if the song actually needed it. Most of the time, the answer was no.
I wanted the track to feel like a place you could stay for a few minutes. Hopefully it’s the kind of beat you can throw on while playing a game, studying, or just letting your mind wander.
More than anything, this track proved to me that I don’t need to rely on tutorials every time I sit down to make music. Sometimes the best thing you can do is trust your ears.
Continue? is available to stream for free on YouTube or the Music page.
Interested in licensing or collaboration? Email me at nickstambaugh@proton.me