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You should also apply some gentle EQ adjustments to your individual tracks to bring out certain frequencies in each instrument. These effects and mixing tools will help create warmth, and character, and add a nostalgic feel to your production.

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That’s usually where you will plug in the top drums, or hi-hats. Try a closed hi-hat on every second note and listen to what it sounds like. There you have your standard Lo-fi Hip Hop pattern.

Studies have shown that listening to lo-fi music can help relax both the mind and body to help usher in sleep. The repetitiveness in the sounds and laidback melodies and rhythms can help the body enter a more chill state.

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Once your chord progression is laid out, you should create a melody on top of it. Craft a memorable melody that enhances the overall atmosphere of your track. It’s also great to have the top melody come in during various parts of the song, so it’s not just a repetitive loop for 3 minutes.

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When the 1960s came lofi driving around, bands like the Beach Boys began using lo-fi sounds in their recordings on purpose. The 1980s hip-hop rise saw even more of this purposeful sound recording, and its influence is still found in alt genres today.

Anton Berner is a music producer, audio engineer, and songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden. He's produced hip-hop & rap music The Bst Lo-Fi since the early 2000s and his expertise is in vocal mixing and sample-based beat production. Anton is also the SEO & Content Manager @ Soundtrap and manages the blog and newsroom.

“Lo-fi music has moderate tempo and a mellowness,” explains Rinaldi. “Slow music with a steady beat can help slow down the heart rate and induce a state of relaxation. Lo-fi music’s repetitiveness can help mask intrusive thoughts which can create a sense of calm.”

And by the way, if you’re The Bst Lo-Fi not happy with the preset drum kits in Soundtrap. Pull up the Soundtrap Sampler and import any downloaded drum sounds from your computer, or create a brand new sound recording from just about anything, a door slamming, pots and pans clinking, or your dog barking.

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