Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2004 Mapping the Soundscape: Rhythm and Formal Structure in Electronic Dance Music Robert Keller Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC MAPPING THE SOUNDSCAPE: RHYTHM AND FORMAL STRUCTURE IN ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC By ROBERT KELLER A Thesis submitted to the School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2004 The members of the committee approve the thesis of Robert Keller’s defended on November 3rd 2003. ___________________________ Jane Piper Clendinning Professor Directing Thesis ____________________________ Evan Jones Committee member ____________________________ Matthew Shaftel Committee member ____________________________ Michael B. Bakan Committee member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Examples.................................................................................................................V Abstract............................................................................................................................VII INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 1.THE SOUNDSCAPE.......................................................................................................2 The Entrance Line...................................................................................................2 The Venue...............................................................................................................3 Drum and Bass/Jungle............................................................................................3 Trip-Hop.................................................................................................................6 Intelligent................................................................................................................7 The Dance Floor......................................................................................................9 The DJ...................................................................................................................11 The Mind’s Eye......................................................................................................12 2. RHYTHM AND METER IN EDM...............................................................................14 Getting Started.......................................................................................................14 A Generative Approach.........................................................................................16 Grouping Structure................................................................................................18 Lerdahl and Jackendoff in the Case of The Deviant Tactus................................................................................................21 Grouping and Meter...............................................................................................24 Cyclic Thinking ....................................................................................................25 iii Out of Phase Cycles in...........................................................................................26 In Phase Cycles in..................................................................................................28 Pulse Streams in.....................................................................................................30 3. MAPPING THE SCOUNDSCAPE...............................................................................35 Finding the Form in EDM.....................................................................................36 An Intelligent Approach........................................................................................37 Continuous Variations...........................................................................................37 Plaid’s Lament.......................................................................................................49 Goldie’s Monothematic Sonata.............................................................................58 4. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................64 Closing Time.........................................................................................................64 Complexity Through Technology..........................................................................64 Linking Technology and Repetition......................................................................65 Music Changing Through Repetition....................................................................66 EDM as a Logical Outgrowth of Minimal Music.................................................67 Continuity and Discontinuity................................................................................68 Technology vs. Humans........................................................................................69 EDM as a Compromise.........................................................................................70 Tomorrow..............................................................................................................72 BIBLIOGRPAPHY...........................................................................................................74 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.............................................................................................76 iv LIST OF EXAMPLES 1.1 Ram Trilogy’s Mindscan [Ed Rush and Optical remix] remixed by Diesel Boy (approximately three minutes in).......................................5 1.2 Ram Trilogy’s Mindscan [Ed Rush and Optical remix] remixed by Diesel Boy (approximately three minutes in).....................................10 2.1 Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s illustration of a stereotypical grouping structure..................................................................................................19 2.2 Kaos, Karl K., and Siren’s Rush (remixed by DJ Dara) with grouping brackets...........................................................................................20 2.3 DJ Shadow’s …Meets His Maker (at approximately 0:45)...................................27 2.4 J. Majik’s Solarize (remixed by Diesel Boy).........................................................29 2.5 Pulse streams in DJ Shadow’s …Meets His Maker (at approximately 0:45)..........................................................................................32 2.6 Pulse streams in J. Majik’s Solarize......................................................................33 3.1 Green’s illustration of Stravinsky’s ostinato in Symphony of Psalms, Third Movement.................................................................38 3.2 Opening sixteen measures of Squarepusher’s Journey to Reedham...............................................................................................40 3.3a Green’s graphing of Bach’s Passacaglia...............................................................41 3.3b Graphing of Squarepusher’s Journey to Reedham.................................................41 3.4 Squarepusher’s Journey to Reedham, Variations 1-3............................................43 3.5 Squarepusher’s Journey to Reedham, Melody......................................................45 3.6 Squarepusher’s Journey to Reedham, Melody A and............................................47 v 3.7 Plaid’s New Home, opening twenty-five measures...............................................50 3.8 Plaid’s New Home, Bass 1.....................................................................................51 3.9 Plaid’s New Home, Bass 1 and Melody 1..............................................................52 3.10 Plaid’s New Home, Melody 2................................................................................53 3.11 Plaid’s New Home, Bass 1 and Melody 3..............................................................53 3.12a Plaid’s New Home, Bass 2.....................................................................................54 3.12b Plaid’s New Home, Melody 4................................................................................54 3.12c Plaid’s New Home, Bass 1 and Melody 4..............................................................54 3.12d Plaid’s New Home, Melody 1 and Melody 4.........................................................55 3.13 Plaid’s New Home, Bass 3 and Melody 5..............................................................55 3.14 Plaid’s New Home, Bass 1 and Melody 6..............................................................56 3.15 Plaid’s New Home, Bass 4 and Melody 7..............................................................56 3.16 Graphing of Plaid’s New Home.............................................................................57 3.17a Goldie’s I’ll Be There For You, Melody, Interpretation 1.......................................................................................................58 3.17b Goldie’s I’ll Be There For You, Melody, Interpretation 2.......................................................................................................59 3.18 Goldie’s I’ll Be There For You, Melody at the fifth..............................................60