Wonky beats
Fidget beats take inspiration from old-school jackin’ house. The key ingredient is the clap that hits before the snare. The heavier the swing quantize, the closer the clap gets pushed towards the snare’s position and the funkier the beat becomes. Keep hi-hats up-front and brash to maximize jackin’ potential. Check out the programming grid below for some inspiration (note the percussive elements that offset the groove and work with the tom in a syncopated way). section of his turn-to tips.
Another thing to bear in mind when making fidget beats is that often the character is derived from the placement of hits slightly off-grid. That means pushing hats and percussive hits a little before or after the grid tick to give the groove the characteristic imprecise ‘wonky’ feel.
