TimeCop1983 is one of the most revered synthwave producers of the last decade. I’ve analyzed dozens of his tracks to find out what makes him so successful. Here are 5 of his production techniques you can apply in your synthwave tracks today:

Technique 1: Simple Drums

TimeCop1983 ‘s drums are typically very simple

• The same groove from beginning to end
• Kick on the 1 & 3 (with 8th/16th notes for flavor) or four to the floor
• Snare on the 2 & 4
• Simple hi hats (often he doesn’t use any)

Technique 2: 8th or 16th Note Bass Lines

TimeCop1983’s bass lines are typically very simple

• For slow to mid tempos, he favors continuous 16th note lines
• For mid to fast tempos, he favors continuous 8th note lines
• He uses root notes in his bass lines predominantly

Technique 3: 16-Bar Sections

TimeCop1983 often arranges his tracks in 16-bar sections

• 3-4 sections with the same drums and bass
• Main lead + harmonic accompaniment for each section
• The vertical stack of his sections typically has no more than 4-5 voices

Technique 4: Gradual Introduction of Voices

He has a strong tendency to introduce voices gradually with filters

• Filters a voice and opens it up towards the middle of a section
• Uses filters in his intros
• Closes filters when dropping a voice from a section

Technique 5: Simple 4-Bar Chord Progressions

Timecop1983 uses mostly diatonic chords and 4-bar progressions. He seldom uses borrowed or chromatic chords. Simple chords from the major or minor scale are enough for him (and his listeners worldwide).

• Simple chords from major or minor keys
• 3-4 chords in his progressions and often only 2
• Most progressions are 4 bars long
• Arranges 4-bar progressions into 16-bar sections

If you'd like to watch a tutorial of TimeCop1983's bass line techniques, here's one for you: