I’m a beginner trying to make music like the early 2000s anime/game J-Pop trance style – that high-energy era. References:
· SHIKI – Angelic Layer 2nd Night Mix – https://youtu.be/5XqbhleNAtc
· Yumi Matsuzawa – Snow – https://youtu.be/Zc-sUFwf86A
· KOTOKO – Amethyst – https://youtu.be/FXWDj5ckAMQ
· Lia – Tori no Uta – https://youtu.be/NtJnix-9niI
etc.
Every time I search for J-Pop tutorials, I just get Yoasobi, J-rock, city pop, or kawaii core. I have no roadmap. I know the chord theory side (Royal Road etc.), but I’m stuck on the production side: synth stacking, BPM, drum patterns, arrangement, and how to mix for that bright, polished 2000s finish.
If anyone who knows this exact style could drop a short “do this, then this” map or even just the names of a few staple VST patches/techniques, I’d be incredibly grateful. I want to practice with the right direction from day one.
TL;DR: Beginner wants to make 2000s J-Pop. Need a production roadmap (synths, structure, mixing) – not chord progressions, I’ve got those. What should I do?
Submitted May 7, 2026 at 12:22AM by Hot-Celery-4669 https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/1t5yrxv/lost_in_modern_tutorials_can_someone_give_me_a/?utm_source=ifttt