here’s an example of an IDM track (from 2002, i believe) with frequent/drastic tempo changes that you could still dance to (or just nod your head to):
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Nice old school idm vibe here ! Did not know this track !
Here’s an example here of an autechre track mixed with a perfect steady tempo even if hard to follow especially on the second part of the track ( Runs from 37:49 to 44:10 , I did not manage to get the timestamp to appear properly )
Not idm but good example of tempo change working in context with the song with great effect
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well. if this topic turned to be mostly about examples, then here’s an example of cool dancefloor-friendly tempo change.
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Not an IDM example, but with a Moog bassline and assorted synths, I’m posting it! My favorite changing tempo song is Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. It noticeably accelerates from beginning to end.
Stevie’s recording process is amazing, by the way… check out this behind the scenes article:
Old Timey dance music
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I just hear some cool sound design over a steady hi-hat.
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Does this count?
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Lol. That made me spit out my drink.
Not IDM here, but this is one of my favorite Medeski, Martin and Wood tracks. Tempo fluctuates, but always has me nodding along.
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Lucid thought right there. Great track but I think you are largely right. Just made my own little clone on the Octatrack. 1 track 1/4 high hat. several tracks random p-locked drums. not bad.
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Back in the day there were tons of tracks with tempo changes and people danced to them just fine, one notable example being Lil Louis French Kiss - that was a floor filler and it had a extreme tempo shift in the middle where it went really slow then faster, quite a few early acid house tracks also had tempo changes.
But eventually genres became very specific and samey, coincidentally about the same time as I lost interest, but I think we have been starting to see a renewed interest in certain things, so I guess these things like everything else go in cycles, of course a lot of it is down to perception and what particular scene.
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Didn’t folks used to dance to waltzes that would accelerando and ritardando?
Tchaikovsky was “dance music” if you recall…
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Yeah, there are still plenty of accelerando tracks that fill “dancefloors”, just not in the sense that you typically think about on the Elektronauts forum.
A few quick examples:
“The Chicken Dance” at practically any grade school event.
“Hava Nagila” at Jewish weddings (always the best part of the night).
I think the end of “Shout” typically speeds up big time, depending on the band (EDIT: and that break before the final build-up is a massive tempo slash)
Haven’t listened to Woulg, but Second Woman is a great example of more structured electronic music that has liquid tempo. Another artist that maintains structure while playing with tempo is Mark Fell.
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I remember having a bit of a eureka moment many years ago when I was trying make complex drum beats that flowed and realised that nearly all the Æ, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, Aphex etc. I was listening to at the time (early 00’s) has something, usually a hi-hat keeping a study pulse that kept you oriented while other elements flew around.
Æ do occasionally do some cool stuff with tempo that people have posted above and there’s that bit in Collapse that slows down but I can’t think of that many examples.
I agree it’s a shame that it’s so rare, after all it’s just another parameter you can use for musical expression, I guess it’s pretty much down to DJ culture + the machines/software that we use(d) to make music.
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Full necro on this biz but…there’s this one too
The time shift in this track always blows me away
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This is probably one of my favorite topics in all of electronic music!
I love tempo shifts I started doing it when I got in to modular and have found a formula for coming up with something which basically is a really deep swing…
What I do on my pulsar23 is to have the envelope of the kick modulate the clock, so every time the kick hits the tempo shifts and gradually goes back to its original tempo (based on the AD settings).
This can be applicable on something like the tracker as well… set a kick track and have the tempo effect on the kicks and set different tempos to taste…
But the basics are, let the kick be the instigator of tempo shifts, this can really accentuate the kick as well as it gives the perception of the kick being so powerful so it’s rips the time/space continuum (aka changing the tempo)
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Killer album here.
This one speeds up a little:
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