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Big Rhythms

By horatiuromantic on January 25, 2026 11:52 pm

I don't know man, it's late, did this one kinda last minute.

# B I G   V I D E O #

normal video

My goal this week was to do a piece with a straight groove (no swing).

It's inspired by Romanian folkloric music. You can prob recognize this 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 rhythm from many cultures but I listened to a bunch of Romanian stuff as I was researching rhythms and vibed with this one. In Romanian folk it seems like a lot of it is 4/4 with swing. But there are some rhythms like this one, and 7/4, that seem typically straight, or at least based on my limited knowledge.

I started exploring on the M8, with 4/4 groove, but didn't really get anywhere. I didn't quite vibe with my samples, I don't like that I can't round robin and perform it... Then when I wanted to do weirder grooves, forget it. I can't really master it, even tho I mess with the groove setting a lot, and it's interesting to explore.

The drums you hear are me fingerdrumming on the piano keyboard, on Levi's drums in Logic but he is not playing this time. I'm 90% freestyling the drums but I edited a bit in the notes editor and quantized, so not a real drums performance. First I did the drums then the piano.

Piano (distorted wurli on the Korg SV-2S) is one take. I also added wacky strings also from the SV-2S hahah. I would have done more takes to make it more "perfect" but it's fine. It won't go on an album, I will def rerecord it someday, but I'm glad I sort of finished the composition. I only used Sunday afternoon on it!!! altho exploration wise I thought about it all week, but didn't get any actual work done until today.

HOPE U ENJOY MY BIG RHYTHMS!

It's too quick and dirty to really look forward to all your constructive criticism (I know many things that could be improved) but I focused on the groove and the melody/bass composition, and again playing bass while soloing and keeping a strong groove (which I lose at couple places). So that's what I'm interested in hearing your thoughts about, if you have any reactions or criticisms!

---

LATER EDIT:

I performed this live in my set at La Boucherie (those who visited Monkey Gorilla track from week 05 know what that's all about):

Audio works licensed by author under:
Copyright All rights reserved

I adore this. The beat and the crunchy jazz organs are incredible.
Favourited.

ELP vibes right there

cool driving music

This is a far out. You have skills to have made this on just a Sunday afternoon. Keep jamming

BarristerPlong wrote:

I adore this. The beat and the crunchy jazz organs are incredible.
Favourited.


THANKS, I adore you

XC3N wrote:

ELP vibes right there


oh man. thanks!!! I listened recently cause I vaguely felt like I stole a line from their "From the Beginning" song. they were a big influence when I was young.

mnapoleon wrote:

cool driving music


nice, didn't consider it! don't crash lol

franky wrote:

This is a far out. You have skills to have made this on just a Sunday afternoon. Keep jamming


haha thanks! it gets easier and faster the more I do it, but I am never content to stick to smth I know too well, so I feel like I'm always pissing against the wind which is a fun feeling altho can be quite challenging ahhahah

Damn, those drums are close to Purdie shuffle... smile

Love the toasty e-pianos.

oooh yes love the wahed out solo especially. hell of a groove throughout! \m/

The theme made me feel like in a videogame quest or something. Nice one!

WOW! Love the groove and the whole performance. This was fantastic.

djippy wrote:

Damn, those drums are close to Purdie shuffle... smile

Love the toasty e-pianos.


Hmmm I can hear it! One snare per like ~6 beats (5 actually hehe)…

Tone Matrix wrote:

oooh yes love the wahed out solo especially. hell of a groove throughout! \m/


Yeaaa i would have gone way longer, there’s a lot to explore in this groove.


Pescadito wrote:

The theme made me feel like in a videogame quest or something. Nice one!


Thanks! Now if you could fetch me 20 wolf skins… I might have a reward! (spoiler: It’s yet another quest)

Q-Rosh wrote:

WOW! Love the groove and the whole performance. This was fantastic.


Thanks!!! It’s all about rhythm!

Great playing, man! You're a fantastic improvisor!
Even if it was a last minute thing, it turned out great!

Damn, when the left hand comes in.  I think the video helped build the anticipation.  Love the epiano tone and the wild harmonic stuff going on.

I like the use of the 3+3+2 rhythm! This adds a different vibe. And the melodic minor vibes here and there like at 1:50 are a nice toouch in this track. Vibing!

I love this. Don't tell Big Rhythm.
- Valx

This is awesome! Music video gang ftw

The keys are horatiuromasterful as always, but can we also appreciate how tight those pads sound when they first show up? cool

The vamping from ~1:50+ is so good (feels like I'm a kid again, sneak-listening to my dad's old records)

Fiancé loved the ending/

Love that groove. Very funky time signature.

monodestroyer wrote:

Love that groove. Very funky time signature.


Thanks! Big into straight grooves atm

ineff wrote:

The keys are horatiuromasterful as always, but can we also appreciate how tight those pads sound when they first show up? cool

The vamping from ~1:50+ is so good (feels like I'm a kid again, sneak-listening to my dad's old records)

Fiancé loved the ending/


Thanks for the big words

Ahhh and the 1:50 ish is where I kinda lose the groove hahah. At least the drums are not reacting. I catch up soon enough but I felt the damage is done at that point. But oh well if ppl see/feel the intention rather than only the end result it's also something... Thanks for listening!

Earp Lug wrote:

This is awesome! Music video gang ftw


Still going strong but I don't know if I can do it all year hahah! Thanks!


DESLRV wrote:

I love this. Don't tell Big Rhythm.
- Valx


Big Rhythm knows when you enter late.
JK we welcome you anytime! Thx for listening

Kedbreak136 wrote:

I like the use of the 3+3+2 rhythm! This adds a different vibe. And the melodic minor vibes here and there like at 1:50 are a nice toouch in this track. Vibing!


Yeaaa thanks! And nice of you to catch the strange scales, it's another little Romanian callback. I'm not sure which is the proper "romanian scale" smth like melodic harmonic minor smth... I think I even saw it on the M8 haha. I just went by ear.

Chrisfoo wrote:

Damn, when the left hand comes in.  I think the video helped build the anticipation.  Love the epiano tone and the wild harmonic stuff going on.


Thanks! The melody alone on right hand was a nice way to highlight it. It makes it kinda catchier! Altho I can't usually remember it unless I relisten... Which is not so catchy...

GregVK wrote:

Great playing, man! You're a fantastic improvisor!
Even if it was a last minute thing, it turned out great!


Thanks! I appreciate you saying it!

I found that playing gets better when you also take into account having a nice inspiring sound on your instrument, and listen for what it "wants" to do (even if u go the opposite way). Something with character, more than just clean or perfect or whatever. A super clean vst acoustic piano might be good in a mix but a honkytonk or distorted sound is usually more inspiring for new ideas, that kinda stuff.

The solo Wurlitzer is so good, made me smile from ear to ear! Congrats, big rhythm indeed big_smile

I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR BIG RYTHEMS wink

Fat e-pianos and funky drums. What's not too like? The ebb and flow of the 5/4 is delish.

Great point, man. I totally agree.
Character in a sound is essential for sparking ideas!

Really enjoyed this one. Very nice grooves and there were some really great keyboard lines in there!

So nice! The rythm is super cool completely impossible for me to count it haha. Love that you did the fingerdrumming, even if levy’s patterns are cleaner to me this is more interesting. And skillful playing, as always!

The groove is THICK!
i want to hear more Romanian music! What would you recommend?

Minnamari wrote:

The groove is THICK!
i want to hear more Romanian music! What would you recommend?


Thanks! Maria Tănase is one of our greats, you’ll like her singing! I listened to Frații Petreuș among other things when researching for this track, so you can check them out too, v authentic traditional stuff!

Suhpos wrote:

So nice! The rythm is super cool completely impossible for me to count it haha. Love that you did the fingerdrumming, even if levy’s patterns are cleaner to me this is more interesting. And skillful playing, as always!


Thanks! Counting and feeling it are two different ways to do it. I think it could be easier for me if I keep a bit of the traditional sound in mind. Then it’s kind of in the blood and easier to feel and recognise. Maybe you have it also in some folklore that you subconsciously absorbed growing up…


AdB wrote:

The solo Wurlitzer is so good, made me smile from ear to ear! Congrats, big rhythm indeed big_smile


Thank you!!! It was super fun to play! I could do it for a long time and not get bored haha


b bro wrote:

I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR BIG RYTHEMS wink


Big Thanks!


RPLKTR wrote:

Fat e-pianos and funky drums. What's not too like? The ebb and flow of the 5/4 is delish.


Glad u enjoyed!


GregVK wrote:

Great point, man. I totally agree.
Character in a sound is essential for sparking ideas!


Yes

Saguaro Gigante wrote:

Really enjoyed this one. Very nice grooves and there were some really great keyboard lines in there!


Thanks! Sometimes we hit some good lines, best be recording eh

MUCH LOVE for these BIG RHTYMS! I want to feel it like a straight 4/4 but it's so innovative in how it keeps me awakened by sets of accentuations that constantly draw me away from that, meanwhile, it carries a steady momentum overall that is so satisfying. Such greatness in both, composition, and performance! smile

Holy cow amazing you can do all that in the right hand at the beginning... Then I saw its a spider hand guess that makes sense

trying to boost your stats with WB comments and YT plays and comments and accidentally had the audio from both and for a second i was like

"i'm trying to support my dude but i gotta say, this multi-layered sound is NOT working for him"

lol

big rhythms x 2 was like HUGE rhythms

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