this is an interesting thread.
some of the most minimal techno from the mid 90s era was kind of "1 to the floor" - it repeats every beat, not every 4 beats. that really is the most basic beat you can have. you can call it 4/4 but really it is just thump thump thump forever.
personally I spent a lot of time trying to stay away from making and DJing 4/4 music but now I feel that it's useful. how can i put it into words? it's like a white background... i feel that you need a punchy drum beat for dance music, and i like funky electro beats or breakbeats but sometimes you don't want the drums to distract from the other sounds, bass etc, so a 4/4 is the only choice in that it does the job of pinning you to the dancefloor without taking up all your attention.
sometimes i feel quite inarticulate, anyone get what i mean?
i think the opening example of erasure is a good one (not that i am a fan of them) because their music is all about melody and songs, but with a dancey beat. If they had used a complicated drum pattern there wouldn't be room for all the interlocking synth parts and vocals.
some of the most minimal techno from the mid 90s era was kind of "1 to the floor" - it repeats every beat, not every 4 beats. that really is the most basic beat you can have. you can call it 4/4 but really it is just thump thump thump forever.
personally I spent a lot of time trying to stay away from making and DJing 4/4 music but now I feel that it's useful. how can i put it into words? it's like a white background... i feel that you need a punchy drum beat for dance music, and i like funky electro beats or breakbeats but sometimes you don't want the drums to distract from the other sounds, bass etc, so a 4/4 is the only choice in that it does the job of pinning you to the dancefloor without taking up all your attention.
sometimes i feel quite inarticulate, anyone get what i mean?
i think the opening example of erasure is a good one (not that i am a fan of them) because their music is all about melody and songs, but with a dancey beat. If they had used a complicated drum pattern there wouldn't be room for all the interlocking synth parts and vocals.