Rhythm & Sound - “Never Tell You”

What is this bass sound?

Similarly to Daft Punk, Rhythm & Sound almost never share the secrets of their equipment and music-making process. But this bass sound was created on a synthesizer of some kind.

How is this bassline put together?

The bassline in this dub techno track is probably the most important element. There are chords but they're very much in the background. (Note that these chords are played with the same offbeat "skank" rhythm that you learned earlier. This rhythm is very common in reggae, dub, and related styles.)

Despite the central focus of the bassline, notice how little actually happens in it; most of the pattern is empty space, and when notes do occur, they're mostly in unusual rhythmic spaces "in between" the beats.

Try creating your own variations, using lots of space and unusual rhythms.