This video is taken from Beat Academy's Member Exclusives.

If you enjoyed this breakdown, keep an eye out on your inbox for more coming soon :)

Timestamps:

INTRODUCTION:
0:20 - Establishing a relationship with the artist for better creative decisions
1:18 - The element that started the song idea
2:22 - Selecting the Mellotron piano in the Kontakt library
2:50 - Session view in Ableton is ill’s sketch pad
3:35 - Choosing tempo via drum break
4:34 - The writing process starts and ill creates harmonic content
4:53 - ill walks us through the journey of the song
5:00 - How ill processed the piano riff
5:16 - Chorus to widen riff
5:31 - Saturation to drive the riff
5:36 - Filter added to make piano warmer

DRUMS:
5:55 - ill walks through the drum setup
6:00 - Layered drum elements on top of drum break to beef it up
6:38 - EQ’d the drum break to mix with the layered elements plus the bass track
7:03 - Shows how bass and drum break clash with and without EQ to hear the clash
7:35 - The reason for adding the extra kick drum layer is because when the EQ is on the break it is too thin
7:50 - A / B comparison of the added kick drum
8:00 - Drum break with bass but no EQ and added kick layer (to hear how murky it gets)
8:21 - ill explains the reason for the EQ and extra kick layer is clarity
8:35 - Slate virtual mix added to drum break for console simulation plus high and low lift with punch and presence
8:57 - All drums routed to drum bus
9:30 - ill explains why a low boost after a cut helps sweeten and add knock
9:53 - Pultec EQ on beef drums (drum rack) to beef up bottom end (60hz)
10:54 - ill explains the beef drums pattern and how he adjusted the hits to match the break
11:23 - Added a loop to the drums to add in sections
12:16 - Re-pitched the added loop
12:40 - ill explains the reason for the loop adding groove to the pocket
13:20 - The reason for leaving a gap in the loop is for the ears to re-adjust to the groove
13:25 - Summary of the drum section
13:40 - Only adding extra loop in pre-chorus and last chorus
13:48 - Added shaker loop on ‘all out’ section to give it a lift (side-chained to kick drum)
14:51 - Added transient designer to drum bus to glue all elements together (in Bus mode)
15:15 - Tape machine on drum bus for saturation and lower harmonics

BASS:
15:55 - Piano Riff / Drums / Bass (In verses) created at the beginning of the demo stage
16:21 - IK Multimedia MODO Bass and reason for using it over 808 or sub
17:02 - Timing of bass part (off the beat) and reason for it
17:50 - Adding mute % to MODO bass for tighter groove
18:07 - CLA-76 on bass to add accent to the initial transient and make more punchy
19:40 - Boost Bass with EQ
20:00 - Duplicated bass trap to help cut through on laptop speakers

INSTRUMENTATION:
22:00 - Novation bass station for the chorus/breakdown section
23:00 - Opening the filter on the synth in real time for movement
23:37 - Metaflanger on bass transition
24:07 - Using metaflanger on last chorus Novation bass layer
24:37 - Addictive Keys
26:15 - RC-20 on the keys
26:45 - OTT Compressor on keys for initial punch on keys
27:00 - Layered piano with main riff but played in half time to counter the chords
28:30 - Drone layer from Arcade for a spice layer
29:45 - Takes the last section into a whole new world of sounds with 3 string parts
31:17 - Automating gain on low strings for dynamic building
31:40 - Playing low strings (chords)
31:53 - Playing high strings (new melody)
32:17 - Playing brass (defined melody line)
32:45 - Introducing brass chords
32:53 - New brass line melody
33:14 - Playing all the strings together
34:06 - Juno JU06 playing the midi and then recording straight in
35:05 - De-tuning the LFO to adjust the pitch for the vintage vibe

VOCALS:
35:35 - How the vocals were recorded
36:05 - Microphone used (Warm Audio - WA87)
36:15 - Warm Audio Pre-Amp WA73 + EQ (cut 80Hz and below)
36:28 - Compression used as a limiter going in with the Warm Audio WA76
36:35 - 3-5db reduction - 4:1 Ratio, fast release, medium attack
37:04 - Recording levels (vocals live around -18)
38:40 - Gate added to keep noises out and help with breaths (has to edit sometimes)
39:40 - Tuning the vocal (waves real time for light tuning)
40:02 - Making sure tuner is in correct key
40:07 - Adjusting speed and note transition to stop unnatural sounding tuning
40:27 - EQ to shape the tone (cut low and and boost the high)
40:52 - LA-2A Compressor added
41:11 - DeEsser added (waves DeEsser make vocals warmer)
41:45 - SSL EQ by waves to boost what compressor took away
42:25 - Slate VCC for saturation
42:30 - Added shimmer with Slate Revival
42:45 - Vocal lead bus
43:08 - Melodyne added for tuning one section of the lead chorus
43:38 - Vocal sends
43:43 - Plate Reverb UAD EMT 140 (also used for other instruments in the track)
44:00 - Valhalla Vintage Verb (sending a lot of vocals to this reverb)
44:16 - Waves doubler (to widen the vocals)
44:33 - Valhalla delay (Ghost mode) + compressor side-chained to lead vocal + EQ
45:26 - Automated the delay send in smaller amounts during verses
45:47 - ValhallaVintage (concert hall) big reverb only turned on during breakdowns
46:33 - Background vocals
46:32 - Taking more of the low end away so the lead has more low end presence
46:55 - RVox stereo added on Background Vox
47:03 - DeEsser added on Background Vox
47:20 - ill Factor sings 2 parts of the low background (hard left and hard right)
48:00 - Jared creates a falsetto high part
48:06 - Double of the lead with reverb to set it behind the lead
49:10 - Rap lead (not a lot of reverb)
49:18 - EQ take away low and boost high (tight high mid section)
49:25 - DeEsser added eiosis (more transparent)
49:44 - Added a LA2A
50:13 - Sending delay to rap vocals (8th note delay)
50:54 - Vocoder added (Izotope Vocal Synth) to build tension before the last release
52:12 - Automating delay feedback to create a feeling of release on the lead vocal + filter out