How do electronic composers layer sounds?
Electronic composers will often think of sounds in three distinct layers:
- Foreground – the sounds which are most prominent
- Midground (middle ground) – the sounds which are somewhat prominent
- Background – the sounds which are somewhat buried in the mix
How does this work in a real life example?
Here’s a familiar example with a new melody added. Let’s label each part as one of these three layers.
- Foreground – melody and bass groove
- Midground – percussion loops
- Background – synth pads