Maps & Atlases, a math-rock band from Chicago

**mitchables** · 06-02-2009, 12:29 AM

Yes, I don't understand what's so hard to grasp about this. I don't come into Metallica threads and go, "HEAVY metal?" like it's some bizarre anomaly of a genre. All that gives it its name is the artists' tendency to focus on atypical/asymmetrical time signatures like 7/8, 9/8, 11/8, 5/4, etc instead of the more common 4/4 or 6/8.

So then, using groups mostly of 2, 3 and 4 beats over a continuous asymmetrical beat, the different members of the band can create interwoven melodies that compound in and out of time to great effect, especially if they all drop into a uniform groove after it or something. Delicious. But anyway, that's where it gets the maths name. Not because mathematicians play it or it's good to solve math problems to or whatever.

06-02-2009, 12:29 AM	#13
mitchables bonjour Posts: 27,814	Yes, I don't understand what's so hard to grasp about this. I don't come into Metallica threads and go, "HEAVY metal?" like it's some bizarre anomaly of a genre. All that gives it its name is the artists' tendency to focus on atypical/asymmetrical time signatures like 7/8, 9/8, 11/8, 5/4, etc instead of the more common 4/4 or 6/8. So then, using groups mostly of 2, 3 and 4 beats over a continuous asymmetrical beat, the different members of the band can create interwoven melodies that compound in and out of time to great effect, especially if they all drop into a uniform groove after it or something. Delicious. But anyway, that's where it gets the maths name. Not because mathematicians play it or it's good to solve math problems to or whatever. Last edited by mitchables; 06-02-2009 at 12:31 AM.