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"everything is in 4/4 if you're brave enough"

when the drums come in on pyramid song is probably my favorite moment from amnesiac, everything starts to line up so perfectly

Correction: Kimyan is Austrian-Congolese! He messaged me and sent me more songs of his that are also in 4/4 but don't sound like it: Premiére Neige (same rhythm as Mortal Life but with a clearer 4/4 subdivision), Uaminifu, and Seven Ant Foley.

I really appreciate the aesthetic choice of "songs that the artists (almost certainly) felt in 4/4" over "it adds up to 16 beats so it's 4/4" that I feel like a lot of youtube music essayists would likely do. As someone who has written (6+7+8+11)/8 and remixed others' into (11+13)/8 the distinction is dear to my heart.

That Tigran stuff is basically Djent/Meshuggah on the piano!

This is probably one of the best music channels that I've watched for what feels like ages but still hasn't absolutely blown up. Nothing else like you ixi!

As someone who gets thrown off the underlying beat by surface level syncopation really easily, this is exactly the kind of breakdown that I need.

Watching my favorite music theory analyst dissect polyrythym and polymeter... Sublime.

2:15 The Pot - Tool 6:48 Myxomatosis - Radiohead 9:46 Entertain Me - Tigran Hamasyan 12:44 The Grid - Tigran Hamasyan 13:45 Mortal Life - Kimyan Law 18:43 (Secret song)

Love the rhythm of Pyramid Song, and yes indeed it's 4/4 with those wonderful dotted notes to throw us all off.

No exaggeration, I spent 2 years thinking about what time signature Pyramid Song was in before finally understanding... it was in 4/4 all along.

Ixi and Beato are the best music channels on youtube. Not only is their analysis very interesting and informative, personally, I love that they analyze the bands I love... from the 80s, 90s and 00s. ❤

Yeah tigran takes that Meshuggah rhythm thing and adds in all those gorgeous Armenian scales and additional complexity. The ultimate “no fucking way this is in 4/4” is his song Vardavar. I find it impossible to feel in 4/4, but apparently it is.

Never would have anticipated seeing Kimyan Law on here, his production is so unique and an absolute breath of fresh air!

Oh my god. Pyramid song has always been just slightly out of reach for me to fully grasp it, let alone do a respectable cover…you just blew it wide open. When you sped up that familiar beat that I have played a thousand times before on drums, and in many contexts…but how did I not hear it all this time? When you said “feel like we are in the boat…” it was such an aha moment. A truest holy shit moment really. Now I can do a proper cover of this song, and not have to do a lame fudging of the piano part or whatever. But moreover, I UNDERSTAND IT. And I understand HOW it works and why it was so hard to wrap all my pink and gray mess around this song for all these years.

God bless you for including album art to help folks who want to skip around

Love this so much! As a quick note for the incredibly tricky Tigran Hamasyan tune(love their music btw) there is a very mind boggling series of phrasings that add up to 32, so it doesn't even out until what actually is more like 2 full measures. 5-5-7(17) and then 5-5-5(15), so really just throwing all those odd tuplets at us.. all adding up to 32, which is a multiple of 4. Pretty incredible

The ENTIRE STRUCTURE of “Entertain Me” comes off as one huge breakdown you could easily hardcore dance to. And then the breakdown itself. This song is more monstrous in that way than most ACTUAL hardcore songs. (Botch could collab with him)

i love watching your brain work, Ixi. You are a treasure. its so refreshing to see music analysis on youtube. keep 'em coming!

Oh man when you started clapping on that kimyan law track... I felt the shift physically.

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you!

Thank you!!!! I’m a guitarist and had a go at playing pyramid song on my wife’s Kawai mini grand - beautiful instrument - as I thought it looked pretty simple chord wise, but I just couldn’t intuit the rhythm. This has been a MAHOooSIVE help. I’ve subscribed to catch your dedicated video. Also, I fell in love with you mic only to find it has already passed. RIP.

I had the huge luck of seeing Tigran live twice so far, his shows are amazing

I’ve always been interested in polyrhythms but can never seem to figure them out myself. One of the reasons why I like Djent music. Great lesson here. Thank you IXI. ❤️🤘🙏

First time on your channel. You're fun! Thanks.

The official score book of Mahavishnu Orchestra songs, which was supposedly Mclaughlin-approved, notates "You Know, You Know" entirely in 4/4, with the first note on the and of 4

You are phenomenal! Your videos bring so much knowledge and joy.

I have the BIGGEST crush on ixi 😭😭. Not because of her looks (but she is beautiful), not because of her style (but she’s eccentric and enigmatic), and not because of her taste in music (although it’s amazing). It’s because of her love for the most cerebral complexities of music and pulling parts out of songs and playing with them and then putting them back together at the end. She’s dope af and I’m hooked.

i love love love your channel. your content is so easily digestible given the complexity of the music you work with, and your passion really shines through. thank you for making the videos you do ❤️

Kimyan Law is actually Austrian and not Australian, had the honor of meeting him backstage in Fluc in Vienna couple of years back, lovely fella :) Burial feat. Spaceape - Spaceape is another rhythmically interesting track actually in 4x4 I've made a minimix 10 years ago of somewhat weird 170 bpm beats, it's on mixcloud as "Deep Session 10 Minimix by Sebastard" Awesome vid Ixi!

I love your secret song, "Pyramid Song." I had the privilege to listen to this song at a Radiohead concert in Boston like five years ago. This song is magic when you hear it live. It's like the piano is flooding your senses, and at the same time, the music is caressing your head and involving you in the void of existence. Damn.

This video is amazing!! I love polyrhythms, they scratch an itch in my brain like nothing else.

hearing you break down that Tigran song has me wanting to see you analyze some Meshuggah! Most of their stuff is a similar concept, with Haake on the drums keeping a 4/4 or 3/4 pulse in the hats and snare while the kick and the rest of the band just go polyrhythm crazy

How did I find your channel only yesterday? I don't know, but now I'm a fan. After listening to you, I have to listen to every song you've been through. Awesome. Thanks.

Fascinating video. Counting along to "Pyramid" made my skin crawl! All the examples were well-chosen and presented. Bravo!

It would be sick to do a video on songs that are in odd time signatures but that flow so naturally you don't even notice that they AREN'T in 4/4. One of my favourite off time riffs that really sounds like 4/4 is Soundgarden - Kyle petty, son of Richard. Matt Cameron is a master at those weird meters

the last one really broke my brain. good job!

Majestic! Surprising artists that I didn't know about, artists that I love so much, you have a big point about the analysis, first time i see you... it was worth so there it goes the like & subs

I've been sharing your video with friends too, some of them musicians, and everyone loves it! Please keep it up!

"4 Maynard's to 3 claps" ... 👨🏻‍🎤👏👨🏻‍🎤👏👨🏻‍🎤👏👨🏻‍🎤

The Tigran hi-hat + snare always in four against the poly madness is a page straight from the Meshuggah playbook

Awesome video! Just found this channel. I can't believe you did a video on things that are actually in 4/4 but don't feel like it, WITHOUT MENTIONING MESHUGGAH! LOL

Its been a minute since ive been on your chanel - and you're over 50k now! Holy COW!! I'm sooo happy for you. You are a gem :)

Recently saw Tigran live, one of the most impressive live performances of my life, Great video!

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG. 🖤🖤🖤

Fantastic video as always, ixi!

“Four paws on the floor” 😂

Thank you, thank you! Awesome and amazing, thank you for this eye opening perspective. And awesome lipstick!!

This video was fire, subscribed! Great analyses

As a drummer Tigran is easy to follow as the Snare always lands on the 3rd crochet.

To hold a poly rhythm, you just count to whatever in your head. He'd be counting to 4.

I’m obsessed with this channel! You’re absolute badass!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

I'm so glad I found your channel! We have similar taste in music, so I'm shamelessly logging all your recommendations. And, this video is exactly the type of shit I think about daily, so please keep 'em coming! 🙏🏼

This is cool. Thanks for sharing this. Very cool break down of timing

You’re awesome and this was point-ful

Sometimes I love it when the algorithms bring me something I really love. A woman (better) analyzing music (great) that is sophisticated (best!). Yay for much more new music to discover! Thanks!

6:40 it's not obnoxious!! I was smiling thinking you were gradually fading out _your_ counting to let the viewer continue to count themselves as the drums kicked off! 😂

Cheers for including Tigran as he is probably my favorite artist of all time. Kimyan Law I was not aware of so thank you for that too!!

Instant subscriber after this video. Your music taste is impeccable.

I always pick up the 4/4 when the Bass comes in on The Pot.

Hell yeah its a good day when a new ixi video drops

Speaking of rhitmic complexity, I'd love to see you do a Meshuggah analysis.

My favourite example of this is "No Signal" by Chon. An absolutely brilliant tune.

00:38 I'm not surprised you picked this beat to show off 4/4, but I'm glad you did :D

Ngl, I clicked cuz I saw funky blue sipstick, and stayed for cool theory analysis of Tool, now I'm pumped for what's next!

Drops Of Jupiter by Train seems to start off in a 3/4 beat, but when the drums come in, then the chords and melody turn out to be syncopated.

I know this has aready been said, but this applies to literally every meshuggah song except for "I" and a part of future breed machine

The Tool discussion reminds me of Justin Chancellor: "Pass the Goddam Butta" 😂 polyrhythm

One of my favorite examples of this is "Pinzin Kinzin" by Avishai Cohen Trio from the record Gently Disturbed. The bassline at the beginning is disorienting, but then the piano comes in with the quarter note. In sixteenth notes, it's 4+5+4+5+4+5+5= 32 sixteenth notes for a 2 bar cycle.

Ixi- I’m subscribing. I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years and have NEVER more enjoyed a video on ALL of KZfaq, let alone about TIME SIGNATURES. WTF, yo? Thank you!!

Thank you! Really helpful

Pyramid Song's structure is so freaking interesting in so many ways. Really looking forward to the vid :)

i love that she used nine inch nails for the example

Your channel is amazing, I'm really happy I found it before

Drummer here....LOVING this vid. That Tigran Hamasyan track is NUTS!

FANTASTIC VIDÉO !! Many thx Ixi

The Pot is actually the first song i fully learned or bass. It taught me so much, it was my big switch to electric instruments and music-making in general.

Probaby the wierdest one that i found is contortionist by their dogs were astronauts. It feels normal, right up to the point where the drums come in. I would highly recommend giving it a listen :)

I am in absolute awe at how Tool can keep their shit together with all their changing time signatures and polyrhythms.

i love you for using "closer" for the 4/4 example

Throroughly entretaining. Thanks for sharing, I'm gonna go listen to Tigran Hamasyan now.

brilliant really enjoyed this thanks subbed

I had "The Bad Plus - Physical Cities" in my mind the whole time. :D

BCNR's Sunglasses is also in 4/4 but it has such an interesting odd drum line

you are an absolute treasure. awesome.

I watched some NIN videos from you today, you have a cool personality & music taste!

Thanks Ixi, this is great. I have to say I felt the Kimyan one in half time. 😊

A song this topic immediately reminded me of was "We Are" by Karnivool. At its heart, it's a standard 4/4 song with a triplet shuffle, but the studio version puts uses a drum polyrhythm over the whole thing that makes it sound like the song is playing 5D chess. Hearing the live version with the more straightforward drum pattern helps demystify things a bit.

Ok I just found my favorite youtube channel 🤍

One thing about Pyramid Song is that the chord changes don’t follow what you’d expect based on the meter of the song

Hi! You're totally right with the Pyramid song explanation about being inspired by the 3-2 clave, but it's more logical to think that you're counting half notes instead of quarter notes that are easier to play with (just like Phil and his swung 4/4 drums). The official Amnesiac sheet book has this rythm too.

Great vid and thanks for making me feel less crazy about doing this all the time 😅 My submission for the category is Makaya McCraven - This Place That Place, drove me nuts trying to figure it out, not sure i would've without the live versions. Off to listen to Kimyan Law now ❤

when trying to decypher the meters of music, I am using a counting app. I tap the screen and it counts for me. this way I can concentrate on the music.

pyramid song at the end was so great... ive known for a long time this song was in 4/4, Thom york himself has had trouble with this song live because of how on the off beat the piano is. There is a video on it somewhere in the depths of youtube

I heard a fusion dude say everything in 4/4, it's just where you sub-divide. Thought that was pretty neat

Pyramid Song becomes much easier if you think of it as a slowed down bossa nova, or as you said, a clave. It took me years, but when the lightbulb finally came on, it was blinding :)

Mew has a lot of songs that sound like they aren't in 4/4 when they are. I forget if 'Introducing Palace Players' is in 4/4, but it definitely sounds like it isn't.

Subscribed based on this video. Excellent, understandable breakdown.

cant wait for pyramid song analysis!!! Please do! :)