Djent

History and character

Djent is a subgenre of progressive metal whose name imitates the onomatopoeic sound of a heavily distorted, compressed, palm-muted low string. It grew out of the influence of Meshuggah, who since the 1990s have built syncopated, “elastic” riffs in odd meters (5/16, 17/16, 23/16) over a 4/4 drum part: Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström play 7-string and then 8-string guitars (Catch Thirtythree, Nothing re-recorded with 8 strings), and Tomas Haake plays “jazz” polyrhythms (hi-hat/china in 4/4, snare and double kick in the odd cycle). The band has been described as “the first djent band by accident,” and Hagström jokingly apologized for the term.

Djent as a scene emerged in the late 2000s, often from home producers on the internet (forums, MySpace, YouTube): Misha Mansoor of Periphery, TesseracT, Animals as Leaders (Tosin Abasi, 8-string, tapping and fusion), Monuments, Vildhjarta (“thall”), Born of Osiris, After the Burial, Intervals, Plini (more fusion), then Northlane, Erra, Polyphia in its more instrumental phase, and metalcore/alternative bands that adopted its sound (Spiritbox, Architects, Sleep Token).

The sound: 7- and 8-string guitars with hyper-compressed, gated palm mutes, low single-note riffs with complex, polymetric rhythms, syncopated grooves, half-time snare, clean ambient and jazzy passages with extended chords, airy clean vocals alternating with screams, and extremely precise digital production (amp simulators, programmed drums).

Scales and keys

Phrygian (low riffs)

• Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
• Example in F# (8-string): F# G A B C# D E.
• Characteristic note: b2 (G) above the open F# string: the F#–G movement is the quintessential “djent.”
• Chords: i F#m, bII G, bIII A, iv Bm, v° C#dim, bVI D, bvii Em.
• Use: single-note riffs with leaps to the b2 and the tritone.
• Real example: Meshuggah — Bleed (rhythmic riff on the lowest string with few notes).

Lydian (clean and ambient parts)

• Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 (W W W H W W H).
• Example in C: C D E F# G A B.
• Characteristic note: #4 (F#) → Cmaj7#11 and the major II chord (D).
• Chords: I C, II D, iii Em, #iv° F#dim, V G, vi Am, vii Bm.
• Use: clean arpeggios with delay, maj7#11 chords in the airy choruses (Periphery, TesseracT, Plini).

Natural minor and Dorian

• Aeolian: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (in E: E F# G A B C D). Dorian: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (in E: E F# G A B C# D).
• Use: sung choruses with extended chords (Em9, Cmaj7, G/B, Dsus2), fusion parts (Dorian).

Whole-tone and diminished scales

• Whole-tone: 1 2 3 #4 #5 b7 (in C: C D E F# G# Bb). Diminished half-whole: 1 b2 #2 3 #4 5 6 b7 (in C: C Db D# E F# G A Bb).
• Use: dissonant leads and “spacey” passages (Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders); Thordendal uses fusion-style phrasing (even a “breath controller”).

Pentatonic and quartal chords (tapping)

• Use: tapping with wide intervals and chords built in fourths (Tosin Abasi), maj9 and m11 arpeggios.

How to choose

• “Djent” riff: Phrygian on the lowest string (the rhythm matters more than the note). Airy chorus: Lydian or Aeolian with extensions. Fusion parts: Dorian, quartal. Alien leads: whole-tone/diminished.

Harmony

Function

Two levels: rhythmic riffs on a single low note (pedal) with very little harmony, and harmonic parts with open, extended chords (maj7#11, add9, m9, m11, quartal, slash chords) with a jazz, fusion and post-rock flavor. Functional cadences are almost absent.

Polymeter

• The riff repeats a motif of odd length (e.g. 5, 7, 9, 23 sixteenth notes) over a 4/4 drum cycle; after a certain number of repetitions the two cycles realign. The harmony stays still: it is the rhythm that creates tension.

Tunings

• Standard 7-string (B E A D G B E) or drop A; standard 8-string (F# B E A D G B E) or drop E; custom lower tunings (Meshuggah has used 8-strings with two extra low strings).

Voicing

• Riffs: a single note (or octave) on the lowest string, tight palm mute. Clean parts: open chords with open strings, clusters of seconds, 4–5 note chords across 7–8 strings, tenth tapping.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

4/4 as the frame with a half-time snare (on 3) and cymbals on quarter notes, while the kick and guitars play odd-length motifs that “fold” over the bar (cycles of 5, 7, 11, 13, 23 sixteenth notes). Other techniques: syncopation on sixteenth notes and sixteenth-note triplets, “displacement” (the same riff shifted by one sixteenth note), true odd meters (7/8, 13/8) in the more prog bands. Grid-level precision: everything is quantized and edited; the groove comes from the accents and the pauses.

Drums

Role

The drums hold the 4/4 frame (snare and cymbals) while the kick follows the polymetric riff: the listener hears a stable groove and a riff that “slips away.” Models: Tomas Haake (Meshuggah), Matt Halpern (Periphery), Jay Postones (TesseracT), Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders, jazz and gospel chops).

Kick

• In unison with the guitars on the odd motif (e.g. a 5-sixteenth-note cycle: x.x.. repeated), often fast double kick in the passages (Bleed: double kick in fast sixteenth notes in groups).

Snare

• On 3 (half-time) or on 2 and 4; ghost notes and gospel rolls in the more fusion parts.

Cymbals

• China, crash or hi-hat on quarter notes (fixed reference), ride on the bell; splash and stack on the accents.

Interaction

• Guitars + bass + kick = the odd motif; snare + cymbals = 4/4.

Sections

• Ambient intro (often without drums); polymetric verse; clean chorus with a more linear beat (full 4/4); middle section with more complex riffs or a solo; ambient part; ending with the main riff.

Fills

• Technical fills with odd groupings (quintuplets, septuplets), double kick, gospel fills.

Sounds

• Drums often programmed (from Drumkit from Hell, a sample kit based on Tomas Haake, used by Meshuggah for the 2002 demos and for Catch Thirtythree, to the widespread use of Superior Drummer/GGD), dry and precise sounds, a kick with lots of click.

Typical mistakes

• Snare that follows the odd motif (the frame gets lost); odd motifs without a clear realignment; drums that cover the clarity of the guitars.

Bass

Sound

5- or 6-string bass (Nolly Getgood of Periphery is also a reference producer), bass split: clean sub below 80–100 Hz + very present mid distortion, extreme compression.

Role

• Unison with the riff; in the clean parts, long notes or fusion melodic lines.

Relationship with the kick

The kick carries the click and punch, the bass the sub and growl; the lowest notes (F#1 at about 46 Hz, E1 at about 41 Hz) require careful high-passing and a kick that leaves room.

Examples

• Periphery — Icarus Lives!; TesseracT — Concealing Fate; Meshuggah — Bleed.

Harmonic instruments

Rhythm guitar layering (modern metal)

• Quad tracking: 4 separate takes of the same riff (never copies: you need the micro-differences for width), two per side: L100 + L80 and R100 + R80 (or all four at L100/R100 if you want maximum width).
• Different amps per side or per pair: for example Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier + Peavey/EVH 5150 (or their simulations), or the same amp with two different cabinet IRs (Mesa 4x12 with V30 + Marshall 1960 with Greenback). Sound On Sound suggests, for live-recorded guitars, two amps with contrasting/complementary tones panned hard left and right.
• Double vs. quad: double tracking (L100/R100) is more defined and “tight”; quad tracking is bigger but less precise. Thrash and technical death prefer 2 very precise tracks; modern metalcore, deathcore and djent often use 4 tracks or 2 tracks + re-amp.
• Always record a DI: it lets you re-amp and change the sound in the mix.
• Leads and harmonies: center or L30/R30 (third harmonies, one per side), with delay and reverb; the rhythm stays dry.

Djent specifics

• 7- and 8-string guitars (Ibanez, Strandberg, Jackson), high-definition pickups (Bare Knuckle, Fishman Fluence), thick low strings (.070–.080).
• Sound: very tight gate, overdrive in front to tighten the lows, compression (often a compressor before the amp), present mids at 1–2 kHz for the “djent” (the attack of the note), amp simulations (Axe-Fx, Neural DSP, DAW plug-ins: Meshuggah records with amp modeling in the DAW, so the settings can be changed after recording).
• Layering: 2 rhythm tracks (L100/R100), very precise and often edited; 4 for the choruses; clean guitars with delay, reverb and chorus in the ambient parts (stereo, L60/R60); leads in the center.

Synths

• Ambient pads, arpeggios, post-rock textures.

Melody and vocals

Vocals

• Very melodic, airy clean vocals (tenor with falsetto: Spencer Sotelo, Daniel Tompkins), alternating with screams in the heavy parts; Meshuggah use only rhythmic screamed vocals (Jens Kidman).
• The melody follows long phrases that ignore the riff's polymeter: a contrast between fluid vocals and fragmented guitars.

Backing vocals

• Layered harmonies in the choruses, doubles, long reverbs.

Effects

• Clean: long plate/hall, tempo-synced delay; scream: compression and tight doubles.

Instruments

• 7- and 8-string guitars.
• 5- or 6-string bass.
• Drums (often programmed).
• Clean and scream vocals.
• Synths and ambient pads.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Prophet-VS V — Ambient pads: Evolving vector pads for the atmospheric parts.
• Jup-8 V — Pad: Warm supporting pads; slow attack, long release.
• Augmented Strings — Strings: Cinematic textures and intros.
• DX7 V — Bells and FM electric piano: Crystalline arpeggios in the clean parts.
• Modular V — Textures and sequences: Rhythmic sequences and drones for the intros.

Song structure

Form (4:00–7:00)

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Surgical definition: every palm-mute hit distinct, deep but controlled bass, precise drums, wide and spacious clean parts, airy vocals. References: Periphery — Periphery II (2012), TesseracT — Altered State (2013), Meshuggah — obZen (2008), Animals as Leaders — The Joy of Motion (2014).

Kick

• EQ: HP 30 Hz; +4 dB at 55 Hz; −8 dB at 300–400 Hz; +6 dB at 5–8 kHz (decisive click). Sample; gate for a short tail; clipper.

Snare

• EQ: +3 dB at 200 Hz; −3 dB at 800 Hz; +4 dB at 5 kHz; samples; short room 0.8 s.

Cymbals

• China and stack with −3 dB at 3–4 kHz; overheads HP 400 Hz.
• Drum bus: 4:1, 3 dB.

Bass

• Bass split: sub (LP 100 Hz, compression 6 dB) + distorted (HP 150–200 Hz, +3 dB at 1–1.5 kHz, LP 5 kHz); compression/limiter for total uniformity.

Guitars

• 2 rhythm tracks L100/R100 (4 in the choruses); EQ: HP 60–80 Hz (8-string); −4 dB at 200–300 Hz; +2 dB at 1–1.5 kHz (attack); −2/−3 dB at 3–4 kHz; LP 10–11 kHz.
• Dynamic EQ at 80–150 Hz (palm mutes on the low strings generate low-end spikes); gate before the amp; light multiband on the bus.
• Clean: L60/R60 with stereo delay (dotted 1/8 and 1/4), long reverb (Valhalla VintageVerb 3–5 s), light chorus.

Clean vocals

• Chain: correction → EQ (HP 100 Hz, −3 dB 300 Hz, +3 dB 3–5 kHz, air 12 kHz) → 1176 (5 dB) → LA-2A (3 dB) → de-esser → doubles and harmonies → 2–3 s hall + 1/4 delay.

Scream

• HP 150 Hz, +3 dB at 2 kHz, heavy compression, tight doubles.

FX

• Long reverbs and delays on the clean parts; risers and reverses in the transitions.

Buses and groups

• Guitar bus with a light limiter; “low end” bus (kick + bass) controlled with multiband.

Sidechain

• Bass and guitars from the kick with dynamic EQ (50–120 Hz).

Master

• Target: −8/−6 LUFS integrated; true peak −1 dBTP. Check the mono compatibility and correlation of the clean parts.

Common mistakes

• 8-string low end that muddies with the bass; a gate that is too slow (dirty tails) or too fast (cut-off attacks); a kick without click that disappears.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Meshuggah — Bleed (2008); Animals as Leaders — CAFO (2009); Periphery — Icarus Lives! (2010); TesseracT — Concealing Fate Part 1: Acceptance (2011); Periphery — Scarlet (2012); Spiritbox — Holy Roller (2020).

Reference listening

• Meshuggah — Future Breed Machine (1995)
• Meshuggah — Bleed (2008)
• Animals as Leaders — CAFO (2009)
• Periphery — Icarus Lives! (2010)
• TesseracT — Concealing Fate Part 1: Acceptance (2011)
• Periphery — Scarlet (2012)
• Vildhjarta — Dagger (2011)
• Spiritbox — Holy Roller (2020)