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When we're making a dance track with a solid four-on-the-floor beat, where can we go from there? Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do? Put it up to five. Exactly. These go to five.

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posted by The World Famous (19 comments total)

Why don't you just make four better?

well...this goes to five...

More dance songs need to be in non-standard meters--I really enjoyed this a lot more than I expected (usually my expectations are low for "dance" tracks; every time something like this comes along and makes me think I need to raise them, someone else comes along and writes 18 more ass-rave beats). I hereby challenge you to make one in 33/16. Become the Don Ellis of the Discotheque!
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 10:23 PM on September 1

Maybe a future MeFiMusic challenge could be "dance music in an unusual meter." I do have a rough idea for one in 13/4 (actually just alternating measures of 6 and 7).

Making a 5-on-the-floor song actually work in a non-jarring way for this type of music was a bit of a challenge - not least of all because Pro Tools kept doing bizarre things like moving things around or refusing to put them in the right place. Improvising a guitar solo over a 5/4 beat was also a bit outside my comfort zone.

Also, for the record, I am not the lead vocalist on this track and my collaborator's vocal line and melodic sense are a big part of what holds the song together.
posted by The World Famous at 3:37 PM on September 2

i am in lust with this song. fantastic driving beat! perfectly produced, hot, sexy as hell. this needs to be remixed (keep the five) and put in some clubs.
posted by By The Grace of God at 3:26 PM on September 6

very, very nice. Really. And I am (#*!@(#*& hardass about this stuff. Excellent use of the non-usual meter. I salute youz.
posted by bitterkitten at 5:23 PM on September 6

Wow, WF this is great. It's a really nice mix, all the elements enunciate themselves. Is there a CD/Album available?
posted by doctor_negative at 1:01 AM on September 7

I'm glad you like it!

Is there a CD/Album available?

There is. We're working on a new album, as well. Here's a link to the site.
posted by The World Famous at 11:16 AM on September 7

This kicks ass. It's still catchy as can be, but the time signature makes it a hundred times more interesting than most music in the genre. Wonderful production, and great vocals.
posted by edlundart at 10:18 PM on September 7

Keep in mind that when a dj mixes records, he needs to keep the phrasing together between two songs simultaneously, so if you're doing a track in non standard meter, make sure that at least the intro and outro will line up with a standard 4/4 track without drifting. I had a remix of Everything in it's Right Place that was 5/5 and I could never mix live, because the melody would drift away from the tracks I was mixing it with. Give the DJ at least 128 beats of 4/4 on either end of the track :)
posted by empath at 1:15 PM on September 10

I love this. (Ass it Kicks.)

(Fuck, all you brilliant people on music need to make more noise about your activities on the blue or the gray.)
posted by Dumsnill at 6:00 PM on September 10

all you brilliant people noisy bastards on music the blue and the gray need to visit music more often.

fixed that for you.
posted by man vs sun at 7:55 PM on September 10 [1 favorite has favorites]

I had a remix of Everything in it's Right Place that was 5/5

I'm impressed, since that's a non-time sig.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 8:34 PM on September 10

I'm not sure how to describe the time signature (i'm not a musician).

But typically, if there's a melody in a track, the phrases start on powers of 2 -- 2,4,8,16,32,64,128, right? Usually, 4, 8 or 16, anyway, and there's a drum kick every beat.

This remix, the phrases on the melody where 5,10,20,whatever.

I don't know what you call it-- 5/4?

Anyway, it was a mess trying mix that with any other track, because the melody would drift...
posted by empath at 12:06 AM on September 11

I know what you meant, I just felt like being a dick for no specific reason.

sorry...
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 7:01 AM on September 11

I had a remix of Everything in it's Right Place that was 5/5

I'm impressed, since that's a non-time sig.

I don't know what the problem is. In 5/5, every measure gets five beats, and each beat is worth one fifth of a note (which is 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/128 + 1/256 + 1/2048 + 1/4096 + 1/32,768 + 1/65,536 + ... notes all tied together).

But seriously, you can divide a whole note into as many equal subdivisions as you want. Which makes you wonder why human beings gravitate to subdivisions of two and three almost exclusively...

This remix, the phrases on the melody where 5,10,20,whatever.

Yes, 5,10,20 are all examples of 5 times a power of two, just like you said.
posted by abc123xyzinfinity at 10:56 PM on September 11

The bottom number in a time signature isn't a divisor; it's not a fraction. The bottom number is what kind of note gets the beat. If you're writing the music, it may be in 5/4, 5/8, even 5/16, 5/32, 5/64, but unless you want to come up with a design for one, there's no such thing as a fifth note.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 8:38 AM on September 12

well this just kicks all kinds of ass. bravo!
posted by sergeant sandwich at 11:15 PM on September 17

HOLY FUCK YES YES YES WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:23 PM on October 6

Speaking of time-signatures...


posted by pernishus at 11:43 AM on October 7

Oops...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GawbmpViMn4
posted by pernishus at 11:45 AM on October 7