Learn to Make Dark Pop Music Like Billie Eilish (VIDEO)

Dark pop music combines minimal yet impactful arrangements with haunting atmospheres – a style popularized by Billie Eilish and her producer brother Finneas – using creative layering, dynamics, and textures.

Inspired by the latest video on our YouTube channel, this guide will help you create a dark pop track in Ableton Live using free samples from Sample Focus.

What You’ll Learn

Setting the Mood:

How to use melancholic piano samples and cinematic textures like thunder, rain, or vinyl crackle to craft an emotional foundation for your track.

Billie Eilish-Style Vocals:

Techniques for recording soft, intimate lead vocals, creating haunting harmonies, and adding whisper tracks for an eerie effect.

Minimal but Impactful Drums:

Crafting dynamic drum patterns using dry kicks, thunderclap snares, and stretched high-hat loops for a unique rhythmic groove.

Dynamic Arrangement Techniques:

Alternating between heavy verses and subtle choruses, using silence for tension, and building progressive layers for contrast.

Polished Mixing and Final Touches:

Using EQ, volume automation, and reverb to give each element its own space, enhance dynamics, and create an immersive listening experience.

How To Make Dark Pop Music

1. Setting the Mood

• Piano Sample:
  • Start with a melancholic piano sample to set the emotional tone.
  • Technique: Duplicate the track, pitch up one layer, and add reverb for richness. Use EQ to remove unwanted low-end frequencies.
• Ambient Textures:
  • Layer sound effects like thunder, rain, or vinyl crackle for a cinematic atmosphere.
  • Adjust pitch and add EQ to balance these effects without overcrowding the mix.

2. Vocals: The Billie Eilish Signature

Lead Vocal:

• Record a close, soft vocal performance to replicate Billie's intimate style.
• Use EQ to shape the sound and apply compression to emphasize clarity and intimacy.

Harmonies:

• Record two additional takes and pan them hard left and hard right. Lower their volume in the mix for subtle depth.
• Add reverb to create a haunting, airy quality.

Whisper Tracks:

• Record whispers for an eerie effect. Double and pan these for stereo spread.

Proximity Effect:

• Mimic Billie's soft delivery by staying close to the microphone. Use EQ and reverb to enhance the effect.

3. Drums: Minimal but Impactful

Kick and Snare:

• Use a dry kick sample and layer it with a thunderclap for a dramatic snare effect.
• Add distortion and reverb for grit and texture.

Hi-Hats and Percussion:

• Find interesting loops and samples, stretch their timing, and layer them for unique grooves.
• Use panning to make the percussion dynamic.

Transitions:

• Reverse a thunderclap with reverb to create a riser effect between sections.

4. Dynamic Arrangement

• Contrast:
  Inspired by Finneas’ style, verses feature minimal instrumentation (piano and textures), while choruses reintroduce layers for a richer sound.
  • Alternate between heavy verses and subtle choruses. For example:
    • Verse: Minimal piano and ambient textures.
    • Chorus: Add layers back for a fuller, richer sound.
• Silence for Tension:

Silence is used strategically between sections to build anticipation and maintain movement.

• Cut parts of the instrumental or vocal to create pauses that build anticipation.

5. Mixing and Final Touches

• EQ and Space:
  • Use EQ to give each element its own frequency space. For example:
    • Remove low-end rumble from effects.
    • Boost the kick slightly to make it cut through the mix.
• Volume Automation:
  • Automate volume levels to enhance dynamic shifts and keep the mix fluid.
• Reverb and Texture:
  • Apply reverb sparingly for atmospheric depth without muddying the mix.

Takeaways

• The Billie Eilish Style:
  • Billie's iconic sound is characterized by layered vocals, minimal production, and moody textures.
  • Finneas often uses everyday sounds (e.g., matches striking or glass breaking) to add unique details to tracks.
• Dark Pop Origin:
  • Dark pop blends moody, cinematic elements with pop structures. It’s often associated with artists like Lana Del Rey and Lorde.

Final Words

Creating dark pop tracks involves balancing minimalism with depth. The track, while a work in progress, highlights Finneas’ creative techniques, blending layered vocals, dynamic contrasts, and cinematic textures. With free samples from Sample Focus and Ableton Live, you can produce music inspired by Billie Eilish’s unique sound.