How I Built the Drum Groove on That's What I Want to Do

That's What I Want to Do by T. Nguyen is out worldwide July 23 on all streaming platforms. Preorder opens July 13.

Layering Claps

Clap layering is one of those decisions that sounds small until you hear what it does to the feel of the whole track. For this section, I used a classic 909 clap and layered it with a 909 snare-clap combo. On its own, you can barely hear the snare. Together, they act as a solid reinforcer for the two and the four beats. The main clap still does most of the heavy lifting, but that snare underneath gives it a body it would not have on its own.

That is the point of layering. Not to make something louder, but to make it feel more decided.

Hats on Hats

The open hat layer on this track is another 909, this one with a bit more attack and saturation than the others. By layering it against the 16th notes, the whole groove picks up impact. Each hat layer is doing a specific job. When they ride together, the sum is something that feels alive in a way that a single hat never would.

I find that the best hat arrangements are the ones where you cannot easily isolate what each layer is doing, but you immediately notice when one is missing.

The Electric Piano Sample

I fell in love with a milky electric piano sample from Loopcloud. I have always been drawn to that classic Rhodes character, the warmth and the slight wobble of it. The original sample was close but not quite right for where the track needed to go.

I pitched it down four semitones, started it from a different section of the sample, and added delay send automation alongside the pad. What came out the other side felt like it had always belonged in the record. That is the best outcome with a sample flip. You stop hearing where it came from and start hearing what it became.

Locking Down the Rhythm With Another Open Hat

At a certain point in building the groove, I added another open hi-hat specifically to give the track more attack. It plays a mix of eighth notes and 16th notes, which keeps the energy driving without the groove feeling mechanical. The rhythm locks down tighter with it in, and the track moves with more intention.

Adding a hat layer at this stage is not about filling space. It is about giving the listener something to follow.

Bringing in the Ride and Managing the Peaks

Eventually I brought a ride cymbal into the mix. Rides are excellent for adding top-end sparkle, but they require care. They can get incredibly peaky, and if you are not watching the transients, that high-end shimmer will crush your final master before you even get there.

This one is a classic 707 ride. I have always loved mixing Roland sounds together for that timeless house feel. The 707 and the 909 share a lineage, and when they sit in the same groove, they sound like they were made for each other. Which, in a way, they were.

The key with the ride is to let it add shimmer without letting it take over. It should feel like light on the top of the mix, not a ceiling pressing down on everything underneath it.

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