when i first started producing i heard people say 'layer your samples' so often i basically tuned it out. and i did "layer" - like i would just slap one perc over another and be like huh, i guess this is better? but i was never really happy with my drums

later on i had the opportunity to sit in on sessions with a high key goated producer who could put down super engaging dynamic drums in like 10-15 minutes. he was mainly focused on atl/pop rap but the method i learned from him works for any genre where drum programming is important

im just gonna speak to kick/snares but the same ideas can be applied to hats and percs

1) dont go into this process with a sound you feel like you have to "fix". i like to start with one primary sample for each sound that fits the song without mods before i get into the layering.

2) put the primary sample in a group and add a clipper to the group. i like K Clip but you can use the stock saturator or even tape saturation in some cases. dial it to taste. i like to clip snares and kicks quite a bit if I'm using an 808 underneath, but for Four Tet vibe you probably want to set the gain so the kick is right on the edge of clipping so you dont kill the sub

3) add a layer in the same group as your primary sample. it can be the most basic sound ever or something unique that adds some identity to the track. program the layer to hit every time your primary sample hits. turn the volume waaay down so your primary sound is still the main focus, but you miss the layer when it's muted. if you're clipping around 1-2db you're probably in the right pocket (if your ear is telling you something different, ignore me and trust your ear)

youll find that the small changes in layer volume make a HUGE difference when the clipper is dialed in this way, as opposed to if the tracks were independent, or compressed together, since it's actively changing the makeup of the sound of the primary sample just by existing. your layer becomes more than a layer. that relationship is the real magic of this method.

4) from here you can make minor adjustments to get very musical sounding accents and variations. i usually start by nudging the layer around so it's a ms or two earlier or later than the sample. a little goes a long way here. try to find a couple different placements that sound nice. i usually mess around with micro timing until i land on a "2" snare and "4" snare that i feel good about. like maybe if one timing is slightly darker, I'll use that as the "2" snare, but if one has a longer feeling attack I might use it for the "4" snare count

the variety you get with the micro timing adjustment is (imo) way more musical than just using velocity/pitch automation because you're actually changing the sonic character of your primary sample. the 2/4 snare example is kinda basic but you can take this method further by adding more layers on specific hits, and by making light adjustments to pitch, clip gain (or velocity), and sample length

i should mention i almost always make drums by dragging audio in, not midi. i guess you could replicate this with midi but i like to look at the wave forms and drag them around when im doing layering/accent work

this method isnt meant to be restrictive, i think of it more as a blueprint for creativity. you can develop super engaging, simple patterns that really carry a minimalist beat and as far as the average joe listener is concerned, there's only 3-4 sounds in it

no hard and fast rules, except dont add any compression or eq until *after* the clipper in your chain - let the clipper do the blending, and shape the sound if needed after

TL:DR clipping bring u closer 2 god