Keep it minimal
Twenty years ago, producers used hardware samplers with limited sample memory, which forced them to strip tunes back to the bare bones. In contrast, today’s bedroom musician can easily pile up channel after channel in the search for a ‘pro’ sound. But it’s always the more minimalist productions that sound incredible over huge soundsystems, and thinking logically, it’s easy to work out why: each element is performing its own role in the mix, progressing and evolving over time. And there’s less going on, which means more headroom and loudness potential.
That’s why, if you want to produce and/or mix amazing club tunes, it’s a good idea to remove unnecessary layers and strip back elements. The less that’s going on sonically, the more powerful the track will ultimately sound – and, again, the ‘louder’ you’ll be able to push everything if you need to.