Immediate and persistent repetition characterizes many kinds of music. Some have been well studied, especially popular music, Euro-American miminalism, and music of Africa and its diaspora. This project, however, seeks broad geographical and cultural diversity in order to appreciate, represent and theorize the widest possible sampling of cyclical techniques. Consulting both the latest literature and living experts, we work inductively and collaboratively. We focus especially on music of traditional cultures recorded before globalization accelerated diffusion and assimilation, seeking cycles that range widely in length, texture, instrumentation, and social function. On the interactive map, you can click on the music we have studied, listen to it, view our work on it, and appreciate the wide geographical spread of cyclic phenomena. [John Roeder]
