U2 Does Clave

Yet another entry for my clave pattern list ... I previously noted how Gershwin used a clave pattern, as did Justin Bieber, George Michael & Bow Wow Wow. This pattern keeps popping up - you'll hear it in many, many places! (I think that's why I find it so fascinating.)

Like U2's "Desire," from their 1988 album Rattle & Hum. The pulse permeates the entire piece! PS Check out Bono's hair. Old school!

By xrayspx, via Wikimedia Commons

Music in Slow Motion

There was some Twitter buzz a while back about a slowed-down version of Justin Bieber's U Smile. If you haven't heard it, you must: it's interesting, and a little freaky ...

I won't lie, his voice sounds other-worldly, and I hear waves crashing on the rocks throughout. (And this got the millions of Bieber-haters to actually listen to him!)

J. BIEBZ - U SMILE 800% SLOWER by Shamantis

That's all fun and games, but ... what about doing something similar with Beethoven's 9th Symphony? Like stretching it out to last 24 hours? Thanks to a podcast from the great NPR program Radiolab, I heard part of this the other night. (9 Beet Stretch is its name.) It's been done in installments (the Radiolab broadcast was from one in San Francisco), but you can listen to it (or part of it) from your very own home via the 24 hour stream.

What an interesting concept: taking music that we're familiar with and transforming it into something completely different. What things do you hear that are new? Can you hear hints of the old in these versions?

Something old becomes new, heard through new ears ...

Justin Bieber Has the Spanish Tinge

One of the things I find interesting about pop music is the proliferation of the clave rhythm, which originated in Spanish/Latin music and is found in a lot of salsa, mambo, Bossa nova, Latin jazz, etc., music.

The clave is found in two popular tunes from the 80s: Faith by George Michael & I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow.

And though I'm used to hearing this in many places aside from Latin music, I was a little surprised to hear it on the radio on my drive home from school tonight:

Yes, ladies and gents, Justin Beiber caught the Spanish Tinge. You can hear it in the thumping bass, and the hand claps on beat 4 make up the final note of the 3/2 pattern.

I remember my one of my high school band directors telling me about a talk by (I think) Paquito d'Rivera at an IAJE conference about the prevelance of the clave in musics today. It only continues to spread beyond its origins.