How to Write Electronicore Songs

Electronicore is the music equivalent of putting a fireworks show inside a mosh pit. You get massive synths, EDM drops, heavy guitars, screamed vocals, catchy clean choruses, and rhythms that make both ravers and headbangers scream yes. If you want to write electronicore songs that feel authentic and not like a confused cosplay, this guide gives you the real steps. Expect practical workflows, studio tricks, lyric strategies, and live tips you can use tonight.

This article is written for millennial and Gen Z artists who like both distortion and sidechain compression. We explain every acronym and term so nothing feels like insider nonsense. We will cover songwriting, arrangement, production, vocal treatment, mixing, and stage tactics. You will leave with a clear plan to make electronicore that slaps in Spotify playlists and ruins car speakers in the best way possible.

What Is Electronicore

Electronicore is a hybrid genre that combines elements of electronic dance music, metalcore, and hardcore punk. Think heavy guitar riffs and breakdowns fused with programmed drums, synth leads, and EDM style drops. Bands like Enter Shikari, Crossfaith, I See Stars, and Attack Attack are often called electronicore pioneers. These bands mixed the aggression of metal with the sensory overload of modern electronic music. The result is high energy songs that can work both in clubs and at festivals.

Quick term guide

• EDM. Stands for electronic dance music. This is the broad umbrella for club oriented electronic styles like house, dubstep, and trance.
• DAW. Stands for digital audio workstation. This is the software you use to record and arrange music. Examples include Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, and Pro Tools.
• BPM. Stands for beats per minute. It tells you the song tempo. Electronicore songs often sit between 120 and 160 BPM depending on the groove.
• MIDI. Stands for musical instrument digital interface. It is a way to send note and control data from one device to another so you can program synths and drums.
• DSP. In the music industry this usually means digital service provider. That means streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer.

Why Electronicore Works

Electronicore succeeds because it borrows the most addictive elements of two huge audiences. EDM gives you fat sonics and explosive drops. Metal gives you visceral power and emotional intensity. When done right the listener can experience release on multiple levels. The vocal melody hits the heart while the drop hits the chest.

Relatable scenario

You are two minutes into a playlist. The last song was a clean indie track. Your phone switches to your new electronicore song. The intro builds atmospheric synths, the verse sneaks in gritty guitars, then the chorus hooks with a clean melody you can hum. Two minutes later a bass heavy drop arrives and a stranger at the bus stop starts air guitaring. You know you did something right.

Core Elements of Electronicore Songs

• Dual energy between electronic textures and live instruments. One part should not drown the other.
• Contrast between clean sung choruses and screamed verses or breakdowns.
• Impact moments like drops, breakdowns, and synth stabs.
• Danceable rhythm powered by programmed drums or sidechain techniques so both crowds feel it.
• Hook centered songwriting so the ear has a place to land amid chaos.

Step by Step Songwriting Workflow

Start with one clear idea. That could be a lyric line, a riff, a synth hook, or a drum groove. Electronicore songs feel cohesive when other parts orbit a single core idea.

1. Pick your core idea. This is the emotional promise of the song in one sentence. Example: I am done pretending I am okay.
2. Choose a tempo. For anthemic electronicore choose 120 to 140 BPM. For aggressive, mosh ready feels pick 140 to 160 BPM. If you want EDM style half time drops, set the verse in double time and the drop in half time using drums and bass to sell the shift.
3. Make a loop. Build a two bar loop with drums, bass, a synth stab, and a guitar palm mute. Keep it simple. You will expand it later.
4. Find a hook. Sing nonsense over the loop and mark repeatable gestures. Turn the best one into a chorus or a drop melody.
5. Write a verse. Use specific images and actions. Verses should set the scene so the chorus becomes cathartic.
6. Design the drop or breakdown. Decide if the drop will be synth led, guitar led, or both. Program the drums and bass so the drop lands like a punch.
7. Arrange. Map intro, verse, pre chorus, chorus, drop, verse two, chorus, breakdown, final chorus. Keep the first hook close so listeners stay engaged.

Structure Options for Electronicore

Electronicore can steal forms from metalcore and EDM. Here are three reliable options depending on whether you want to favor song or club movement.

Structure A: Song focused

Intro → Verse → Pre chorus → Chorus → Verse → Pre chorus → Chorus → Bridge → Breakdown → Final Chorus

This is for bands that want a traditional song arc with a breakdown that hits like a climax. The bridge is a place for a vocoder or spoken word moment to add contrast.

Structure B: Drop forward

Intro Hook → Verse → Chorus → Build → Drop → Verse → Chorus → Build → Drop → Outro

Use this if you want your drops to be the moment people scream the most. The build can be an EDM style riser or a half time groove that slows down tension.

Structure C: Hyena mode

Intro → Short verse → Chorus → Short verse → Breakdown → Drop → Chorus reprise → Extended outro with synth solo

Choose this when you want short full energy bursts and an extended electronic outro so DJs can sample the end for mixes.

Writing Riffs and Guitar Parts

Guitar in electronicore often serves two roles. First it provides the heavy backbone for live energy. Second it can be processed and chopped to become a synth like element in the studio.

• Palm mute power. Tight palm muted chugs on the lower strings provide rhythm that locks with the kick. Use a percussive pick attack for clarity.
• Open chord hits. For big chorus moments play open string chord hits or power chords that fill the spectrum.
• Lead synth transposition. Record a synth lead and then play the same line on guitar processed with heavy octave and fuzz to give it a unique hybrid texture.
• Stutter edits. Slice guitar audio in your DAW to make rhythmic chops that mimic glitch and trap edits.

Practical tip

If your guitar stacks are muddy, record toggled amp sims. One track full of mid presence, another with low end removed and high end boosted. Pan them for width and carve space with EQ so the synths can still breathe.

Synths, Leads, and Sound Design

Synths are where electronicore gets its personality. The right synth sound will make people remember your drop for days.

• Choose a lead. Use a bright saw or a complex wavetable for main hooks. Layer with an octave down sub to feel weight on small speakers.
• Pads and atmos. Wide pads give emotional context in verses. Automate filter cutoff to create motion under the vocal.
• Bass. Use a sine or sub saw for the sub. Add a distorted upper layer for grit so the bass translates on club systems and phone speakers.
• FX and risers. White noise risers, reverse cymbals, and vocal chops make builds feel earned. Do not overload the drop with too many FX.

Explain synth terms

• ADSR. Attack decay sustain release. This shapes how a synth starts and ends. Short attack gives an immediate stab. Long release creates wash. Program this to fit your groove.
• OSC. Short for oscillator. It is the sound source. Common waveforms are sine, saw, square, and triangle. Each has its own harmonic character.
• Wavetable. A modern synth method where you can morph between multiple wave shapes. Great for evolving textures that keep interest during repeated sections.

Vocals and Vocal Production

Electronicore vocals often switch between clean singing and harsh screams or growls. The key is to make the switch feel like a conversation between two emotional voices.

Clean vocals

These are your earworm. Keep them melodic and slightly processed to sit with synths. Use doubles and harmonies in the chorus. Subtle compression and a small plate reverb will make the vocal feel full without washing it out.

Screamed vocals

Place screams on verses or breakdowns when you need raw emotion. Use deessing to control sibilance and light reverb or a short delay to give screams space. Avoid long ambient reverbs on screams as it muddies the low end.

Vocal layering tricks

• Record a clean main vocal then add one louder narrow EQ doubled track for grit.
• Use a distorted vocal layer in the chorus to blend with guitars. Low pass it so it does not fight the clean top vocal.
• Automate formant shifting for brief robotic moments that sound like a voice plug in effect.

Relatable scenario

Imagine writing a chorus in the shower then recording it later. The clean vocal is the memory everyone sings. The scream is the part you did at midnight when you were dramatic and slightly hungover. Both are important. Make them work together like an argument you both win.

Programming Drums and The Drop

Drums are the glue that bonds metal and electronic elements. Program with intention so your drop hits as a physical event.

• Kick selection. Choose a kick with both click for attack and sub for weight. For half time drops you may layer a punchy mid kick with a long sub tuned to the song key.
• Snare and clap. In verses use tight snares. For drops use claps layered with a reverb tail to create stadium size.
• Hi hat programming. Use fast 16th or 32nd hihat rolls in builds. Add pitch modulation for bounce. Keep verses more organic by humanizing velocity.
• Blast beats and live drums. If you use a live drummer, record the blast beats for authenticity. If you program them, add slight timing variations to avoid a robotic feel unless that is the vibe you want.

Drop design steps

1. Mute the chorus elements and reduce arrangement to a few low frequency elements for one bar before the drop to create space.
2. Build tension using a riser, snare roll, and pitch up on the synth for one to four bars.
3. When the drop hits, reintroduce the synth lead, heavy bass, guitars, and a wide clap. Make the first beat of the drop maximal and immediate.
4. Keep the drop punchy. Less can be more. Let the rhythm breathe so the crowd can move.

Lyrics and Themes for Electronicore

Electronicore lyrics often balance introspective themes with confrontational lines. You want emotional relatability and lines that sound great screamed.

• Use sensory details. Describe places, sounds, and small actions. This keeps verses cinematic.
• Write a chorus that is repeatable. Short lines and open vowels help the crowd sing along.
• Screamed lines. Keep them short and punchy. One or two words with consonant hits make them cathartic.

Lyric example

Verse: The city keeps its promises to no one. My two a m reflection still owes rent.

Pre chorus: I count the lights like a talisman and blink them each away.

Chorus: Burn with me until the morning learns my name.

Breakdown scream: Burn

Explanation

The verse gives a visual. The pre chorus raises emotional tension. The chorus is short and singable. The scream is a one word exhalation. This is how you create contrast that lands in a listener memory.

Production Techniques That Make Electronicore Sound Modern

• Sidechain compression. Pump synths and pads against the kick so the low end sits clean. Sidechain means you reduce the volume of one signal when another plays. Program a fast release so the groove breathes.
• Parallel distortion. Send a copy of bass or guitar to a bus and distort it strongly. Blend that back to taste so you get grit without losing low frequency clarity.
• Vocal processing chains. Clean vocal with compression and EQ. Send to a saturation bus. Add a subtle stereo delay and a plate reverb on a send channel so the lead never goes too wet.
• Automation. Automate filter cutoffs, reverb size, and synth detune across sections to create motion. Small changes keep repeated choruses interesting.
• Resampling. Record your synths and guitars then chop them into new rhythmic textures. This creates hybrid timbres that feel unique.

Mixing Tips Specific to Electronicore

Balancing organic instruments and fat electronic elements requires intentional mixing choices.

• Kick and bass relationship. Choose one to carry the sub. If your guitar or synth also has sub content, low pass them below 100 Hz so the kick and sub bass do the heavy lifting.
• Mid range clarity. Use narrow cuts to make space for vocals. If guitars crowd the vocals, cut 200 to 500 Hz in the guitars slightly. Trust your ears.
• Stereo image. Keep low frequencies mono. Pan synth arps, pads, and guitar doubles for width. Use a stereo utility to check compatibility in mono so the song still hits on phones and club systems.
• Compression strategy. Use bus compression for glue on drums and parallel compression on guitars for aggression without losing dynamics.
• Reference tracks. Pick two songs you love that sit in the same sonic world. A modern EDM song and a metalcore song are both useful references. Compare levels and tonal balance.

Live Performance Considerations

Electronicore works live if your set up reduces friction between electronics and band. Decide how much you want to trigger versus play live.

• Click track and in ear monitoring. If you use click for tight drops you need in ears for the drummer. A click track keeps the band and the sequenced elements in sync.
• Backing tracks. You can use backing tracks for synths and FX. Keep a live element like synth keyboard or guitar processing to keep the show authentic.
• Triggering. Trigger drum samples for drops or use a sampler pad for cues and vocals chops. Train one band member to handle transitions so others can perform freely.
• Soundcheck checklist. Check sub levels, click volume, and the vocal foldback. If the crowd cannot hear the vocal melody you will lose sing along moments.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Too little contrast. If everything is loud and distorted the chorus has nowhere to land. Fix by pulling elements back in verses and making choruses bigger through range and doubled vocals.
• Overproduced drop. Too many layers in a drop become mush. Fix by selecting three to five essential elements. Everything else is decoration.
• Clashing low end. If subs cancel out or boominess appears, check phase and low pass non essential tracks below 100 Hz.
• Vocals buried. If vocals sound small, carve the frequency spectrum with EQ and use sidechain compression on competing pads under the vocal.
• Timing feels robotic. Program small human variations in velocity and timing for programmed drums unless a tight machine feel is the artistic choice.

Creative Exercises to Write Electronicore Faster

Two minute hybrid

Set a timer for two minutes. Make a 2 bar loop with kick, snare, one guitar stab, and a synth stab. Hum over it until you find a chorus melody. Keep what feels obvious. This forces you to pick a strong hook fast.

Vocal swap

Write a short screamed line and a short sung line that say the same thing. Try swapping them in different sections. See which placement hits harder emotionally.

Reverse engineering

Pick an electronicore song you love. Write down its structure and instrumentation. Recreate the arrangement in your DAW with your sounds. Then change one element to make it yours. This builds vocabulary faster than theory alone.

Arrangement Maps You Can Steal

Anthem Map

• Intro with pad and guitar motif
• Verse one with clean vocal and tight drums
• Pre chorus with rising synth and snare roll
• Chorus with clean vocal, wide guitars, and a simple synth hook
• Verse two adds subtle synth arpeggio
• Pre chorus and chorus repeat
• Breakdown with screamed line and half time guitars
• Drop with heavy sub bass, synth lead, and minimal guitar
• Final chorus with stacked harmonies and extended outro

Club Map

• Intro with DJ style FX and synth loop
• Verse with processed vocal chops and minimal guitars
• Build with riser, snare roll and filtered synth
• Drop full of bass and hooky synth. Keep chorus melody embedded in drop.
• Breakdown for dancer recovery with ambient pad
• Second drop with additional lead and crowd chant
• Outro loop for DJ mixing into next track

How to Finish a Track and Release It

1. Final edit. Remove anything that repeats without giving new information. Keep each chorus unique with a small variation.
2. Mix pass. Balance vocals, glue drums, and make a tight low end. Use reference tracks.
3. Mastering. Either do basic mastering or send to an engineer. Aim for loudness that translates but avoid crushing dynamics entirely.
4. Release plan. Pitch to DSP playlists, but first build an EPK with quality photos, bios, and links. DSP is the term for streaming platforms so plan a pre save and a single release approach.
5. Promote live. Practice play throughs that match the studio arrangement. Use samples and in ear cues for tight moments.

Examples and Before After Fixes

Before: The chorus has a loud distorted guitar and a busy pad. The vocal sits behind both and sounds small.

After: The chorus keeps one distorted guitar track mono and moves the pad down in level and low passes it. The vocal gets a gentle boost at 2.5 kHz and a subtle stereo delay. The chorus breathes and people sing with it.

Before: The drop has twenty layers and no punch.

After: The drop keeps the lead synth, bass, a clap, and a simple percussive arp. The kick gets a transient enhancer. Each element is loud and clear. The impact is immediate.

Common Questions About Electronicore Songwriting

Do I need a live drummer for electronicore

No. You can program excellent drums. A live drummer adds organic feel and stage energy. Many acts use a hybrid approach. Program tight and let the drummer play certain sections for impact. If you are a solo producer, programming gives you full control.

How loud should my sub bass be

Your sub should be present but not overpowering. Check mixes on multiple systems including small phone speakers. If your sub disappears on a phone that is fine because phones cannot reproduce very low frequencies. Make sure the mid bass and transient information carries the groove on those systems.

Can electronicore be pop friendly

Yes. Electronicore can have massively catchy hooks and radio ready production. The trick is to keep chorus melodies simple and make screamed parts brief and emotional. Pop friendly does not mean watered down. It means clear hooks that people hum on the bus.

Action Plan You Can Use Tonight

1. Write one sentence that states the emotional promise of your song. Keep it raw and short.
2. Set a tempo between 130 and 150 BPM unless you want slower half time drops. Make a two bar loop with kick snare a synth stab and a guitar mute.
3. Sing nonsense until you find a hook. Lock one line. Repeat it until it breathes.
4. Write a verse with two concrete images. Make the pre chorus a climb of energy and the chorus the emotional release.
5. Design a drop that simplifies the chorus into low frequency power. Keep three essential elements and remove the rest.
6. Demo the vocal in a clean take. Add a screamed line where the emotion peaks. Layer lightly for glue.
7. Mix a rough balance and play it on headphones and car stereo. Fix the thing that sounds wrong in both environments.
8. Export a demo and play it for three friends who like both metal and EDM. Ask them where they wanted to jump or dance. Use that to refine.

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