That Motorik Beat

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (271 of them)

it's been a while since i listened to it, so it might the song wrong, but i think tommy james and the shondells "i think we're alone now" has the motorik beat

― Tito JaXoN (JasonD), Monday, 14 February 2005 08:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Shoot Speed/Kill Light by Primal Scream, The First Cut by Embrace.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 14 February 2005 09:51 (nineteen years ago) link

The Doors - La Woman
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Primal Scream - Autobahn 66

― M Carty (mj_c), Monday, 14 February 2005 10:13 (nineteen years ago) link

"Spiders (Kidsmoke)" off the last Wilco album.

Another Velvets one would be "Foggy Notion".

― haitch (haitch), Monday, 14 February 2005 10:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Kasabian - "Reason is Treason"

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 14 February 2005 10:27 (nineteen years ago) link

QOTSA - Regular John

― DJ Mencap0))), Monday, 14 February 2005 10:35 (nineteen years ago) link

Universal Panzies - Krautrock Love Song/Hallowedundgallowed

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 14 February 2005 10:49 (nineteen years ago) link

So how would people characterise the motorik beat? Is it anything more than just a 4/4 signature - in which case, aren't there millions of songs with it?

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Monday, 14 February 2005 11:06 (nineteen years ago) link

All of La Dusseldorf
Most of Michael Rother but especially "Zyklodrom"
Parts of Harmonia but especially "Monza"

Lots of Glitter Band/ Gary Glitter
Lots of Stooges
Lots of Velvets

Bowie - Red Sails (et al, ad infinitum etc)
Iggy - Funtime
Cabaret Voltaire - Nag Nag Nag (et al)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 14 February 2005 11:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Palomino - John Sims
Theme from Ming Mang Mong - Ming Mang Mong

― Hungry Horace, Monday, 14 February 2005 11:11 (nineteen years ago) link

The Delgados - Girls Of Valour
Gay Dad - Dimstar/Joy!/Black Ghost/To Earth With Love
most of the new Fischerspooner (hurrah!)
Orbital - Spare Parts Express (maybe)

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Monday, 14 February 2005 11:20 (nineteen years ago) link

'live wire' - ac/dc

― cb, Monday, 14 February 2005 11:32 (nineteen years ago) link

It seems we all have slightly different ideas of what that motorik beat is.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 14 February 2005 12:57 (nineteen years ago) link

Someone will say Bjork in a minute...

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 14 February 2005 13:15 (nineteen years ago) link

the human beinz - "nobody but me"

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:02 (nineteen years ago) link

lilys - zero population growth ep
levitation - against nature

― mzui (mzui), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:12 (nineteen years ago) link

That motorik beat is always accompanied by a spectral gauzey fade-in. YES.

(my examples do not all bear this out)

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:21 (nineteen years ago) link

"Full Moon in My Pocket" - Swell Maps (and probably other of their songs, too)

Also several Unrest songs, like the Hyrdofoil/Hydroplane ones.

― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:35 (nineteen years ago) link

Boredoms - 7 (Boriginal)

― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:46 (nineteen years ago) link

David Bowie - Station To Station

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link

Iggy Pop - Sister Midnight

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link

Donna Summer - I Feel Love

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 14:56 (nineteen years ago) link

Anything by Thomas Koner
Similarly anything by Lull
Brian Eno's On Land

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 February 2005 15:08 (nineteen years ago) link

???

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 14 February 2005 15:16 (nineteen years ago) link

my rough guide

― willem (willem), Monday, 14 February 2005 15:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Secret Machines--"Nowhere Again" and "Now Here Is Nowhere." Live though they don't do it--Bonham circa Zep IV song one through the encore.

― kaiser motorik, Monday, 14 February 2005 15:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Tortoise - Djed (Don't know why that one didn't occur to me sooner!)

― M Carty (mj_c), Monday, 14 February 2005 15:46 (nineteen years ago) link

That motorik beat is always accompanied by a spectral gauzey fade-in. YES.
(my examples do not all bear this out)
-- Alex in Doncaster (alex_fac...) (webmail), February 14th, 2005 2:21 PM. (link)

Like, for instance, "Silver Machine" Hawkwind?

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 14 February 2005 16:45 (nineteen years ago) link

most things Hamish Kilgour drums on. The Clean's 'Vehicle' is the same beat at varying speeds for the whole record. pretty much, anyway.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Monday, 14 February 2005 17:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Jagz Kooner productions and remixes.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 14 February 2005 17:53 (nineteen years ago) link

mark otm about hawkwind - their studio stuff esp has some crisp clean motorik, while the space ritual stuff is some hairier/messier kraut-esque drumming. god i fucking love hawkwind.

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 14 February 2005 17:56 (nineteen years ago) link

There's a track near the end of Dusk at Cubist Castle (I think it's the title track) that fits the bill.

― sleep (sleep), Monday, 14 February 2005 20:32 (nineteen years ago) link

hawkwind - opa loka. the most motorik non kraut record ever.

whitey - two face.

spencer otm about jagz kooner.

― stirmonster, Monday, 14 February 2005 20:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Wait! This is getting too scattered! Related but scattered! Definition time!

― don, Monday, 14 February 2005 21:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I have a pretty rigid idea of motorik, so here goes:

4/4 time, basic rock bet, with snare on 2 & 4, HOWEVER, bass drum is playing exactly what the hi-hat does (ie, on each eighth note), except on the beats where the snare hits. It looks like this

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
h h h h h h h h
. . s . . . s .
b b . b b b . b

This is the beat of many Neu songs, including "Hallogallo". I think the bass drum playing on all those eigth notes is what separates motorik from a lot of other regular old 4/4 rock beats (fast, driving or otherwise).

― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 14 February 2005 21:46 (nineteen years ago) link

whoa, that looked a lot better pre-post.

basically, the b's are supposed to line up w/the h's, and the s's are on 2 and 4. I hate the internet!

― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 14 February 2005 21:47 (nineteen years ago) link

Pumpkins "1979" does not fit, right?

― Aaron A., Monday, 14 February 2005 21:50 (nineteen years ago) link

not according to the definition I'm using above. It almost does, but in the drum figure of "1979", there's a syncopation pattern that de-motorikizes it (and also makes two bars have to pass before completing the figure). One of the things about motorik that makes it "motorik" (or robotic) is that each measure is identical, it doesn't take more than one measure to complete the whole pattern.

― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 14 February 2005 21:57 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.thebigcity.co.nz/images/motorik.gif

― chris andrews (fraew), Monday, 14 February 2005 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link

hows that dleone

― chris andrews (fraew), Monday, 14 February 2005 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link

nice. i wasn't sure at first, but that fits my mental definition.

― sleep (sleep), Monday, 14 February 2005 22:38 (nineteen years ago) link

from what i can hear the kick falls on every 8th note, including the 2 and 4. just straight ahead pounding. with various snare fills and a crash or two every 4 or 8 measures off that.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Monday, 14 February 2005 22:41 (nineteen years ago) link

"Drums On Fire" - Broadcast

― losingsoul, Monday, 14 February 2005 22:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Jefferson Starship, "Find Your Way Back" (the end of the song)

― Joe (Joe), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 00:13 (nineteen years ago) link

"For Kate I Wait" - Ariel Pink (done with mouth)

― The Argunaut (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 00:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Telstar Ponies - Lugengeschichte or whatever the heck it was called has this beat but with added flourishes. Basically any non-Deutsche indie song circa 1994-95 with a German title.

― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 09:11 (nineteen years ago) link

'Sleep The Clock Around' - Belle & Sebastian

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 09:17 (nineteen years ago) link

one year passes...

"Mongoloid" by DEVO. ?

― Helltime Product Oh, Tuesday, 16 May 2006 14:07 (seventeen years ago) link

one month passes...

post more!

― kingfish du lac (kingfish 2.0), Friday, 7 July 2006 14:54 (seventeen years ago) link

The Glitter Band is the closest I've ever heard, so much so that I'm pretty sure La Dusseldorf ripped them off

― ¡Vamos a matar, Dadaismus! (Dada), Friday, 7 July 2006 15:00 (seventeen years ago) link

Skipping 171 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yessss

― charitable remainder unitrust (crüt), Monday, 27 January 2014 17:43 (ten years ago) link

The vid's rip doesn't really do it justice. On my copy the drums are so big. Caveman style.

― andrew m., Monday, 27 January 2014 17:47 (ten years ago) link

two years pass...

more more more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― sexy dander (Stevie D(eux)), Friday, 15 April 2016 01:45 (eight years ago) link

15-60-75 - Animal Speaks (????? might only be motorik in my memory)

― lute bro (brimstead), Friday, 15 April 2016 02:54 (eight years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q4aM61Lcnk

― stirmonster, Friday, 15 April 2016 10:16 (eight years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDHUtZ4WoE4

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 15 April 2016 14:49 (eight years ago) link

thank you for posting that! it led me to read this, and the special note to drummer is so awesome, esp "anyway, you get the idea, you'll do great"
http://www.rhyschatham.net/g3english/GuitarTrioScore.pdf

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Friday, 15 April 2016 15:57 (eight years ago) link

four months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRUkLnsRWBc

― andrew m., Thursday, 18 August 2016 15:02 (seven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4PGlThRRMQ

― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 18 August 2016 15:04 (seven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgcSWqlWoD8

― andrew m., Thursday, 18 August 2016 15:55 (seven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhlSvVxLYjw

― Non-Stop Erotic Calculus (bmus), Thursday, 18 August 2016 16:53 (seven years ago) link

six months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOiqWLyGgnI

― everything, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 21:27 (seven years ago) link

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJBQlesGPXk

― MaresNest, Sunday, 30 September 2018 12:43 (five years ago) link

so good

― the word dog doesn't bark (anagram), Sunday, 30 September 2018 13:43 (five years ago) link

oh ok wow

― vision joanna newsom (Stevie D(eux)), Monday, 1 October 2018 04:41 (five years ago) link

six months pass...

songs with a "motorik" beat that aren't by either Neu! or Stereolab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym8JTVNXNCQ
Not entirely Stereolab-free tbh.

― oder doch?, Friday, 5 April 2019 10:56 (five years ago) link

That is a really excellent band and this song is amazing!

― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 5 April 2019 16:08 (five years ago) link

nine months pass...

Tried it (on) here:

https://constantlight.bandcamp.com/track/nothings-left

― S-, Tuesday, 7 January 2020 03:39 (four years ago) link

That Motorik Beat

Glad this image is still up here. I think about it a lot.

― ☮️ (peace, man), Tuesday, 7 January 2020 17:44 (four years ago) link

Me too! Sadly I moved out of that flat and even though we've done up the bathroom in the new place I wasn't allowed to make it motorik ;_;

― Paperbag raita (ledge), Wednesday, 8 January 2020 09:08 (four years ago) link

k-x-p with the muscular biz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=291&v=0kEI21-Yy3E&feature=emb_logo

― andrew m., Wednesday, 8 January 2020 20:29 (four years ago) link

three weeks pass...

Chrisma, "C Rock". Not sure this has a motorik beat as such but is nonetheless a Neu! ripoff blatant enough to make Stereolab blush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0detsfxKN3Q

― (includes digression on farting) (Tom D.), Thursday, 30 January 2020 22:38 (four years ago) link

four months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7xWwMZBFM

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 5 June 2020 13:09 (three years ago) link

https://youtu.be/vK31yVrXz84

― The little engine that choogled (hardcore dilettante), Sunday, 14 June 2020 20:45 (three years ago) link

one month passes...

clean-related, here's one of my absolute favorite david kilgour jams with the heavy eights, "waveboarder," a total surf motorik cruiser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gov24YPRDYM

and to reiterate something i posted years ago, the clean's vehicle is, with the exception of the 2 side-ending acoustic tracks, straight motorik joy.

― andrew m., Wednesday, 29 July 2020 17:05 (three years ago) link

replacing a dead link from a few years ago:

blizzard, "keep a knockin'/get back/etc."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRUkLnsRWBc

― andrew m., Wednesday, 29 July 2020 17:39 (three years ago) link

Great call on that David Kilgour album, my absolute favorite from him precisely because of that motorik groove!

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 29 July 2020 17:41 (three years ago) link

Pulls on to the autobahn nearly three minutes in but then you get those Rother wakka wakkas so you know it's proper, and when the alternating Battlestar Galactica riffs hit you must salute.

https://howlinbananarecords.bandcamp.com/track/trapezohedron

― Basil Ker-ching (Noel Emits), Tuesday, 4 August 2020 21:25 (three years ago) link

three years pass...

help me find a thread for this but debut album Fugue State (2022) by Swedish "ambient blues" outfit Weils is simply fantastic, album opener "To Apeiron" 23 minutes of slow-motorik bliss:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8x7m9D80To

― corrs unplugged, Friday, 9 February 2024 10:28 (two months ago) link

excellent, extremely my kind of thing

― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Friday, 9 February 2024 10:40 (two months ago) link

Lewsberg are a band from Rotterdam whose sound alternates between early VU and spaced-out motorik jams and somehow never sound like "What Goes On":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef9j4AxEhe8

― henry s, Friday, 9 February 2024 13:16 (two months ago) link

Heh, mebbe that yin is a wee bit reminiscent of “The Gift.”

― Al Green Explores Your Mind Gardens (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 February 2024 14:30 (two months ago) link

Corrs - thanks for that Weils heads-up. Extremely my thing!

― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Tuesday, 13 February 2024 09:54 (two months ago) link

Metabolist 'Alien on Sunday' - beautifully minimalist take on the beat, no fills, no flourishes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOwm-HYfVwA

― atonar, Tuesday, 13 February 2024 13:25 (two months ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.