Our Influences

Every piece of music builds on what came before. Here are the artists who shaped the sound of Sonic Byte, and what we learned from each.

Irving Force

Style: Darksynth, cyberpunk, film score-influenced

Key Tracks: “The Violence Suppressor”, “Send Me Your Dreams”, “Night Hunter”

What We Learned:

• Narrative structure — Irving Force’s tracks feel like movie scenes. There’s a beginning, middle, and end, not just a loop.
• Metal influences — Despite being electronic, his music has the intensity of metal. Don’t be afraid to push aggression.
• Layered leads — Multiple synth layers create rich, evolving melodies without complex chord progressions.

Applied In: Track 1 (System Override), Track 4 (Skull Fracture)

# Irving Force-inspired aggressive lead
define :lead do |n, v=1|
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, amp: 0.4*v, attack: 0.02, decay: 0.2, 
       sustain: 0.1, release: 0.3, cutoff: 95
  use_synth :dark_ambience
  play n, amp: 0.15*v, attack: 0.05, release: 0.5
end

Noisecream

Style: Aggressive electronic, game soundtracks, industrial

Key Tracks: “Dominance”, “The Dooms Party”, “Power Up”

What We Learned:

• Intensity without chaos — Noisecream tracks are brutal but controlled. Every element has purpose.
• Hook sounds — The hook isn’t always a melody; often it’s a distinctive bass sound or rhythmic pattern.
• Dynamic range — Quiet moments make loud moments louder. Don’t be afraid of space.

Applied In: Track 2 (Nerve Damage), Track 7 (Core Meltdown), Track 8 (Terminal Velocity)

# Noisecream-inspired grinding bass
define :grind do |n, v=1, c=80|
  use_synth :tb303
  play n, amp: 0.8*v, attack: 0.01, decay: 0.2,
       cutoff: c, res: 0.35, wave: 0
  use_synth :sine
  play n-12, amp: 1.1*v, sustain: 0.25, release: 0.15
end

Gesaffelstein

Style: Dark clubbing, industrial techno, minimal

Key Tracks: “Pursuit”, “Hate or Glory”, “Viol”

What We Learned:

• Less is more — Gesaffelstein tracks often use very few elements, but each one is perfectly crafted.
• The power of silence — Strategic silence creates impact when sound returns.
• Bass as foundation — The bass isn’t just low end; it’s the primary melodic element.

Applied In: Track 3 (Chrome Cathedral), Track 6 (Void Walker)

# Gesaffelstein-inspired minimal pattern
# Notice the space — not every beat has a sound
define :minimal_bass do |v=1|
  bass :d2, v; sleep 1.5
  sleep 0.5
  bass :d2, v*0.6; sleep 0.5
  sleep 1.5
end

1788-L

Style: Midtempo bass, cyberpunk, heavy

Key Tracks: “Pulsar”, “S Y N T H E T I K”, “Replica”

What We Learned:

• Sound design over songwriting — The sounds themselves are the composition.
• Slow builds — Tension can build over 32+ bars before release.
• Sub bass presence — The physical weight of sub frequencies is essential.

Applied In: Track 4 (Skull Fracture), Track 6 (Void Walker)

REZZ

Style: Hypnotic bass, dark electronic, minimal

Key Tracks: “Edge”, “Relax”, “Witching Hour”

What We Learned:

• Hypnotic repetition — The same phrase repeated with subtle variations creates trance-like states.
• Tension without release — Not every build needs a massive drop.
• Signature sounds — Develop sounds that are instantly recognizable as “yours”.

Applied In: Track 3 (Chrome Cathedral), Track 5 (Midnight Protocol)

Carpenter Brut

Style: Synthwave, darksynth, metal-influenced

Key Tracks: “Turbo Killer”, “Roller Mobster”, “Le Perv”

What We Learned:

• Triumphant melodies — Even dark music can have uplifting moments.
• Genre fusion — Blend influences freely. Rules are guidelines.
• Energy arcs — Albums should take listeners on a journey.

Applied In: Track 5 (Midnight Protocol), Track 8 (Terminal Velocity)

# Carpenter Brut-inspired triumphant arp
define :arp1 do |v=1|
  use_synth :pulse
  [:d4,:f4,:a4,:d5,:a4,:f4,:d4,:a3].each do |n|
    play n, amp: 0.25*v, attack: 0.01, decay: 0.1,
         release: 0.1, cutoff: 105
    sleep 0.5
  end
end

Synthesis: Our Sound

By studying these artists, we developed principles for Sonic Byte:

The goal isn’t to copy any single artist, but to synthesize their lessons into something new.

Next, let’s see how these influences shaped the album’s overall concept.