What is Clipping?
Clipping is what happens when a signal exceeds the maximum level a system can handle and its peaks are cut off. Hard clipping slices peaks abruptly; soft clipping rounds them. Used deliberately, clippers are a core loudness tool in techno — especially on kicks.
Unlike a limiter, which turns the level down dynamically (and can pump), a clipper simply shaves the peak off, preserving the perceived punch and transient timing. Modern techno and hard techno mixes commonly clip the kick and drum bus to win loudness before the final limiter. The trade-off is added distortion — acceptable and often desirable on drums, dangerous on vocals and melodic content. The louder the genre, the more clipping is doing the heavy lifting.