02: Nerve Damage

BPM: 105 | Key: E Minor | Duration: ~3:00

Industrial crusher. Nerve Damage pushes the aggression established in Track 1, introducing double-time kicks and grinding textures.

The Vision

Track 2’s role is to say “Track 1 wasn’t a fluke — this album means business.” It needs to:

1. Escalate intensity — Faster, harder than System Override
2. Introduce industrial textures — Grinding, mechanical sounds
3. Maintain groove — Aggressive but still danceable

What Makes It Unique

Double-Time Kicks

While Track 1 used standard four-on-the-floor, Nerve Damage doubles the kick rate:

define :drums_x do |k=1, s=1, h=1|
  in_thread do
    8.times do
      kick k
      sleep 0.5  # Kick every half beat = 8 per bar
    end
  end
  in_thread do
    sleep 1; snare s; sleep 1; snare s; sleep 2
  end
  in_thread do
    16.times { hat h; sleep 0.25 }  # Sixteenth note hats
  end
  sleep 4
end

The effect: Relentless, driving energy. The 8 kicks per bar create a steamroller feel.

The “Grind” Bass

Named for its grinding, industrial character:

define :grind do |n, v=1, c=75|
  use_synth :tb303
  play n, amp: 0.8*v, attack: 0.01, decay: 0.2,
       sustain: 0.1, release: 0.15, cutoff: c, res: 0.3, wave: 0
  use_synth :sine
  play n-12, amp: 1.1*v, attack: 0.01, sustain: 0.25, release: 0.15
end

Key choices:

• res: 0.3 — Higher resonance than Track 1 for more “squelch”
• wave: 0 — Saw wave for brightness and grit
• Named grind not bass — reflects its character

Industrial Snare

Layered for mechanical punch:

define :snare do |v=1|
  sample :sn_dub, amp: v, rate: 0.8
  sample :drum_snare_hard, amp: 0.4*v, rate: 0.9
end

The second layer adds metallic crack.

Sound Design

Kick (same as Track 1)

define :kick do |v=1|
  sample :bd_tek, amp: 2.2*v, rate: 0.9
  sample :bd_boom, amp: 0.5*v, rate: 1.2, cutoff: 70
end

Consistency across album — the kick is our anchor.

Hi-Hat (tighter)

define :hat do |v=1|
  sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.22*v, rate: 2.4, release: 0.04
end

Higher rate (2.4 vs 2.2) and shorter release — tighter, more mechanical.

Signature Riff

A grinding melodic hook:

define :riff do |v=1|
  use_synth :mod_saw
  play :e3, amp: 0.35*v, attack: 0, decay: 0.08,
       sustain: 0.04, release: 0.06, mod_phase: 0.12, mod_range: 5, cutoff: 105
  sleep 0.25
  play :e3, amp: 0.25*v, attack: 0, decay: 0.06,
       sustain: 0.03, release: 0.05, mod_phase: 0.15, mod_range: 6, cutoff: 100
  sleep 0.25
  play :g3, amp: 0.3*v, attack: 0, decay: 0.07,
       sustain: 0.04, release: 0.06, mod_phase: 0.12, mod_range: 5, cutoff: 108
  sleep 0.5
end

The mod_saw with modulation creates an alarm-like, industrial texture.

Patterns

Bassline

define :bassline do |v=1, c=75|
  grind :e2, v, c; sleep 0.5
  grind :e2, v*0.6, c-8; sleep 0.5
  grind :g2, v*0.85, c; sleep 0.5
  grind :e2, v*0.75, c-5; sleep 0.5
  grind :d2, v*0.9, c; sleep 0.5
  grind :e2, v, c+5; sleep 0.5
  grind :b2, v*0.8, c; sleep 0.5
  grind :e2, v, c; sleep 0.5
end

E Minor movement: E (root) → G (minor 3rd) → D (7th) → B (5th)

Riff Pattern

define :riff_pattern do |v=1|
  2.times { riff v }
  sleep 1.5
  riff v*0.8
  sleep 0.5
end

The riff plays twice, pauses, then once more — creating rhythmic interest.

Arrangement

INTRO (32) → BUILD (32) → MAIN A (48) → BREAK (16) → MAIN B (48) → OUTRO (24)

The Intensity Curve

Key Moment: The Build

# BUILD: 8 bars
in_thread do
  8.times { drums_x 0.85, 0.7, 0.55 }
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :lpf, cutoff: 55, cutoff_slide: 32 do |fx|
    control fx, cutoff: 95
    8.times { bassline 0.75, 60 }
  end
end

in_thread do
  sleep 16
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.7, mix: 0.5 do
    4.times { riff_pattern 0.5 }
  end
end

sleep 32
hit 1.1

The bass filter opens from 55→95 while the riff enters with reverb — building anticipation.

Key Techniques

1. Double-Time for Intensity

Doubling the kick rate is the simplest way to increase energy:

# Normal: 4 kicks per bar
4.times { kick; sleep 1 }

# Double: 8 kicks per bar  
8.times { kick; sleep 0.5 }

2. Velocity Variation on Fast Patterns

With 8 kicks per bar, static velocity sounds like a machine gun. Add variation:

in_thread do
  8.times do |i|
    v = [1, 0.7, 0.85, 0.75, 0.95, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9][i]
    kick v
    sleep 0.5
  end
end

3. Industrial Texture with mod_saw

The mod_saw synth creates mechanical, alarm-like sounds:

use_synth :mod_saw
play :e3,
  mod_phase: 0.12,  # Speed of modulation
  mod_range: 5,     # Depth (semitones)
  cutoff: 105

Lower mod_phase = faster wobble = more aggressive.

4. BPM Escalation

Track 1: 100 BPM → Track 2: 105 BPM

The 5 BPM increase is subtle but felt. It maintains groove while adding urgency.

Mixing Considerations

With double-time kicks, mix carefully:

• Kick volume: Slightly lower than Track 1 (2.2 vs 2.5) to prevent overwhelming
• Hat volume: Lower (0.22 vs 0.25) — there are twice as many
• Bass: Same level, but filter more aggressively in intros

Hacker Challenges

1. Quad-Time Madness: Push the kicks even further — 16 per bar instead of 8. At what point does it stop being music and become noise? Where’s the line?

2. Swing the Hats: Instead of perfect 16th notes, try:

   16.times do |i|
     hat h
     sleep i.even? ? 0.27 : 0.23  # Slight shuffle
   end
   

   Does it feel more human or just sloppy?

3. Filter the Riff: The mod_saw riff is bright and cutting. Wrap it in a low-pass filter that opens during the build. Does it create more anticipation?

4. Remove the Sub Layer: Delete the :sine sub from the bass. What’s lost? Is the track still powerful or does it feel hollow?

5. Create a Counter-Riff: Write a second riff pattern that plays against the first. Can you create call-and-response between two mod_saw lines?

Full Code

The complete track code is available in 02_nerve_damage.rb.

Next: Track 03: Chrome Cathedral — atmospheric contrast.