Why Alignment turns to Kontakt and Noire to inject emotion into high-impact
club tracks

Most techno producers build pressure through rhythm and repetition.

Alignment adds another layer – emotion. His new Mystical Energy EP on Charlotte de Witte’s KNTXT label is packed with high-intensity club tools, but underneath the trance synths and pounding kicks, there’s a deeper sentimentality. That tension comes from melody, and for Alignment, melody often starts with Noire.

Known for his signature mix of hard techno and 90s-inspired euphoria, Alignment has become one of KNTXT’s most consistent voices. On this release, he pulls from a hybrid toolkit – Kontakt, Noire, and others among them – to add nuance without slowing down the momentum. Whether he’s using Noire’s felt version to build emotional tension or layering precise MIDI lines by hand, there’s intention behind every part.

In this interview, Alignment breaks down how he’s using Kontakt instruments to add weight and warmth to club tracks, and why emotional clarity might be techno’s most underrated weapon.

Jump to these sections:

• How Noire helps shape emotional tension in Alignment’s writing
• Why live MIDI input adds more feel than drawing notes by hand
• The balance between heavy percussion and melodic space
• Encouraging producers to stop fearing melody in techno
• Pro tips on workflow, sound layering, and trusting early takes

Stick around for insight into one of KNTXT’s flagship artists – and how a few expressive piano notes using Kontakt can still hold their own in a wall of sound.

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When you sit down to write, do melodic ideas come naturally or is that something you carve out later in the process?

Melodic ideas often come to me quite early on, though they’re not always the starting point. Sometimes I begin with a texture, a noise, or a rhythmic pattern, but almost straight away I feel the need to build an atmosphere that gives the track a deeper sense of purpose and that’s where melody comes in.

Even in the most straight-up, functional techno, I believe there’s always room for a melodic element that acts as an emotional glue.

That said, there are times when the melody comes later, perhaps once the structure is already laid out. In such cases, it reveals the hidden soul of a track, as if the rhythm is the flesh and the melody is the breath. Noire really helps me in that sense, sometimes even a single note played through it already feels like it has a story to tell.

Pro tip from Alignment: Don’t always aim for the perfect melody, an imperfect phrase can be far more powerful.

Noire isn’t something most techno producers think to reach for – what made it a regular tool for you?

I think it’s exactly the contrast between Noire’s emotional depth and techno’s mechanical energy that makes it so powerful. The first time I tried it, I was looking for a sound that wasn’t just “beautiful,” but that could *actually* reach inside, even if used minimally. Noire has that unique combination of resonance and imperfection that makes everything feel more human.

Over time, it’s become a kind of signature in my tracks. Even when I use just a few scattered notes, Noire creates a mental space around the kick and synths that gives the track room to breathe.

It’s a piano, yes, but the way it’s been sampled and designed makes it feel tailor-made for electronic music.

Pro tip from Alignment: Use Noire’s felt version to create emotional intros or cinematic transitions.

What makes Noire work for you emotionally in a way that other pianos or keys don’t?

Noire has an emotional character that goes beyond the typical sound of a piano. It’s almost cinematic, but not in the Hollywood sense. More in the way it can suggest spaces, memories, melancholy or tension, even with the simplest phrases.

The articulation of the sounds and the option to work with the “felt version” make it incredibly expressive.

With other virtual pianos, I often felt like I had to “push” to get emotion out of them. With Noire, it’s as if the feeling is already there, full of intent. I don’t have to force anything.

That’s what makes it usable even in club tracks; it can coexist with energy without ever losing its delicacy.

Pro tip from Alignment: Play your MIDI lines live to bring “humanity” into your techno.

Are you drawing MIDI in for these sounds or playing them live to keep a bit of looseness?

I prefer to play everything live on the keyboard, at least in the early stages of development. Even when it’s something very simple, there’s a dynamic and a micro-imperfection in human touch that makes everything feel more alive.

Later on, I might quantize slightly or make a few adjustments, but I always keep a natural sense of flow in the groove and melody.

In some cases, especially for rhythmic elements or more glitchy sequences, I’ll draw in the MIDI by hand for more surgical control. But when it comes to emotional parts like pads, melodic lines or harmonies, I always prefer to record in real time.

Pro tip from Alignment: Adding thin piano layers can enhance depth, even in heavily percussive tracks.

What would you tell a producer who’s scared to introduce anything melodic into their techno?

I’d say that melody isn’t the enemy of power.

In fact, it can “enhance” a track’s impact if used wisely. We often think of techno only in terms of groove and tension, but it’s emotion that makes a track truly memorable.

Even just a two-note melodic phrase can completely shift the perception of a piece.

Melody doesn’t have to mean “commercial” or “soft”. It can be dark, minimal, dissonant or just a subtle atmospheric hint. The important thing is that it feels genuine and serves the story of the track. I’ve found Kontakt and instruments like Noire to be perfect companions for that kind of exploration.

Pro tip from Alignment: Don’t delete the first take, it’s often the one with the most truth.

Start enhancing your electronic music with acoustic instruments

Thanks to Alignment for pulling back the curtain on how melody fits into his process. The Mystical Energy EP hits hard, but what makes it stick is the emotional contrast. Using tools like Noire and Kontakt, he finds subtle ways to add tension, atmosphere, and humanity to tracks that could otherwise lean wholly into the mechanical.

What’s clear is that melody isn’t a soft edge in his world – it’s a pressure point. Even a few well-placed notes can shift the weight of a track, heighten the intensity, or pull the listener into something deeper. That’s not about breaking from techno’s rules – it’s about expanding what the genre can hold.

If you’ve been afraid to reach for something more expressive in your own productions, this is proof you can do it without compromising energy.

Sometimes the most challenging track in your set is the one that evokes a genuine emotional response.

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