Precise beats and bleeps frame dreamy strands of piano; gentle, unprocessed vocals cut through the prickliest computer music.
Earlier this year, the Berlin-based producer Ellen Allien released "Berlinette" (BPitch), a remarkable album full of appealing dance tracks built from precise beats, scrambled vocals and tiny bursts of white noise.
On "Sllab," he delivered 31 syllables in a precise rhythm of four per beat: "My body, your body, nobody, anybody/Not the best, but do my best to get better, better to move the body".
For Footfalls, Dwan works with vocal technology to perform both as the present woman and her unseen mother – no small feat given she must also maintain the precise physical beat of the scene with her feet.
Sound swirled up into the vaulting heights and came back to greet itself after several seconds' delay, as chamber orchestra, main orchestra including large percussion section and a throng of fanfaring brass did their utmost to match Manze's precise, authoritative beat.
Even in a simple court dance, he's emphatic about the precise musical beat on which the foot has to be placed flat on the ground, the accent of a plié, the height at which a pointed toe should be lifted, the twist or curve of a torso.
Ensemble Shashmaqam's music was close to Persian traditions: just vigorous melody and rhythm, with the precise six-beat pattering of two hand drums (doire) driving tunes from the tar (lute) and the voice of Mr. Malakov or Tamara Katayeva.
It's a lightweight but appealing collection of dance tracks, with precise digital beats that sound oddly similar to some European pop.
