Replicating "Closed Curve" by Rian Treanor in Beat DJ

Video demonstration

In this session, I set out to replicate the track "Closed Curve" by Rian Treanor from his album File Under UK Metaplasm using Beat DJ. This album has a futuristic and innovative club music aesthetic, featuring uniquely textured percussion sounds reminiscent of plastic or metal rubbing together.

Initial Setup and Inspiration

I began with a clear inspiration: replicating the aggressive and texturally intricate percussion of Treanor’s track. My first recording attempt was marred by poor microphone quality due to a new webcam, resulting in an undesirable echo. Switching back to my condenser mic resolved this issue nicely, despite the setup challenges in my van.

Breaking Down the Track

Kick Pattern

The kick drum was created by searching for a basic kick sound, then applying a rhythmic pattern counting in eighth notes (at 178 BPM) to match Treanor's style. This established the rhythmic backbone for the track.

Bass and Textural Layers

Additional bass textures were layered for complexity:

• Bass Layer: A sine wave generated and shaped using Beat DJ’s g (generate) function with pitch indexing and pattern automation.
• Dissonant Bass: Similar generation method, but shifted four indices for dissonance, creating a rolling effect.

These layers provided an evolving bass texture, simulating Treanor's dynamic sound.

Texture and Pad Sounds

Texture pads and risers were introduced using:

• The generate (g) function to produce riser sounds.
• Applying volume envelopes and rack effects (chorus, reverb, and high-pass filters).

These elements added atmospheric depth and cohesive texture.

Percussion and Lead Drum

For the complex, chaotic percussion characteristic of Treanor’s track, I employed:

• Precision Splitter for rhythmic complexity.
• Random roll and scheduled commands for variability, mimicking Treanor’s organic knob-twiddling effect.

This resulted in dynamic, evolving percussive rhythms.

Effects and Automation

Heavy distortion and compression effects were applied on individual sounds and effects racks to emulate the aggressive mastering style of the original track.

Putting It All Together

Sounds were organized by frequency and introduced progressively during recording to maintain interest and dynamic evolution. Here’s how I structured the performance:

• Gradual introduction of kick and bass textures.
• Progressive layering of pads, risers, and noise textures.
• Introduction of complex percussive elements and lead drum toward the climax.

The final recording captured a subtle yet effective replication, ready for further mastering to enhance its energy.

Final Thoughts

Creating this track in Beat DJ within an hour was an exciting challenge that highlighted both the capabilities and limitations of the software. The outcome, while slightly subtler than Treanor’s original, captures the essence of his innovative percussive style.

Feel free to download Beat DJ and experiment with your own recreations:

Download Beat DJ Here

Explore the original album for more inspiration:

Listen to Rian Treanor - File Under UK Metaplasm

Let me know in the comments what other tracks or artists you'd like me to replicate or explore in future sessions!