@packbat I hope you don't mind that I don't watch your example--listening to music with lyrics is something we avoid at the best of times and right now it seems harder than usual

but yeah, I can see what you mean I think?

But not all music has that--look at the Marx battle music from kirby for instance, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NmGBbzHDjc

there's no discernable overall structure at all

@packbat though, the marx battle music is designed to be disorienting and awkward

we've heard it described as "like a carnival ride that's gone completely off the rails"

@Felthry Yeah, the rapid changes in pattern definitely fit right into a "this is disorienting" feel

@packbat you see unusual time signatures fairly frequently in battle music, stuff that's supposed to make you feel a bit overwhelmed--see for example the 23/8 ganondorf battle music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thomsF5OY_g or the "28-and-change/16" Strong One (Masked Man) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgIRaLHLug0

Or, it's used in a less overwhelming and more just "urgent" manner in the 5/4 battle theme Don't Be Afraid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbORjWw_6No

@Felthry it's a way to use the very rhythm of the music to create tension, isn't it? The rhythm is unsettled and unsteady, which adds to the feeling that the situation is up in the air and we are yet to feel how it will come down.

(Oh, hey, "Don't Be Afraid" uses the 5/4 clave! I only learned the name of that recently, so. 😄)

@packbat yeah I could probably find a few other pieces that use the clave rhythm too, it's not uncommon. It's like 4/4 but sped up at the end of each measure

@packbat here's one for example! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_C93GeSwWA

@packbat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1KtpD018WY this isn't a 5/4 clave but I don't know what it _is_

@Felthry yeah - like, there's definitely a part with a slow-slow-fast-fast rhythm, like the 5/4 clave, but this is really odd and interesting and there is something more complicated going on.

@packbat It certainly sounds off balance at least

@Felthry No problem at all - I'll try to remember the lyrics thing when I'm talking music with y'all in the future

...there are definitely patterns in that Marx battle music track, but hella irregular - this is really cool stuff. It's like you have a standard measure but part of the flow of the song is those measures getting cut shorter and shorter for a short span.

@packbat yes, exactly! that's the thing I really like about it
plus how it repeats earlier things, not in the way music usually does but like a skipping record

@Tathar we're actually not too familiar with touhou music! most of the music we know is from games we'v eplayed and touhou has never really interested us that much

@Felthry

I haven't played it myself either! I just really enjoy the music.