layering
The production technique of stacking multiple sounds or recordings to create a rich, complex texture.
In Depth
Layering is fundamental to modern music production. Vocal stacks combine multiple takes of the same vocal line for thickness. Drum layering blends acoustic and electronic drums. Synth layering combines different waveforms for richer timbres. Phil Spector's Wall of Sound pioneered extreme layering in the 1960s, using multiple instruments playing the same part. Modern pop productions may contain 100+ tracks of layered elements. The art of layering is knowing when to add and when to leave space.
Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody contains over 180 vocal overdubs in the operatic section alone, with Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor singing the same parts dozens of times.