In an essay published in the book Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music (2004), music journalist and critic Philip Sherburne, asserts that minimal techno uses two specific stylistic approaches, one being skeletalism, and the other massification. According to Sherburne, in skeletal minimal techno, only the core elements are included with embellishments used only for the sake of variation within the song. In contrast, massification is a style of minimalism in which many sounds are layered over time, but with little variation in sonic elements. Today the influence of minimal styles of House music and Techno are not only found in club music, but becoming more commonly heard in popular music. Regardless of the style, minimal Techno corkscrews into the very heart of repetition" so cerebrally as to often inspire descriptions like 'spartan', 'clinical', 'mathematical', and 'scientific'.
In his essay Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno Philip Sherburne also proposes what the origins of Minimal techno might be. Sherburne states that, like most contemporary electronic dance music, minimal techno has its roots in the landmark works of pioneers such as Kraftwerk and Detroit Techno's Derrick May and Juan Atkins. Minimal techno focuses on rhythm and repetition instead of melody and linear progression, much like classical minimalist music and the polyrhythmic African musical tradition that helped inspire it. By 1994, according to Sherburne, the term "minimal" was in use to describe any stripped-down, Acidic derivative of classic Detroit style.
Los Angeles based writer Daniel Chamberlin, attributes the origin of minimal techno to the German producers Basic Channel and in doing so fails to credit the contributions of Robert Hood or mention the influence of Hood, and other members of Underground Resistance, on the Berlin techno scene of the early 1990s (the scene out of which Basic Channel emerged). Chamberlin draws parallels between the compositional techniques used by producers such as Richie Hawtin, Wolfgang Voigt, and Surgeon and that of American minimalist composer Steve Reich, in particular the pattern phasing system Reich employs in many of his works; the earlist being "Come Out". Chamberlin also sees the use of sine tone drones by minimalist composer La Monte Young and the repetitive patterns of Terry Riley's "In C" as other major influences. Sherburne also points to the possible influence of American minimalist composers on EDM, particularly minimal techno, but Sherburne and Chamerlin largely ingore the possible influence of ethnic music, such as that of Africa (and its diaspora), India, and Indonesia, on minimal dance music.
The pioneering composers of American minimalism drew heavily upon World music. Steve Reichs' work was significantly influenced by his time studying African percussion in Ghana during the late 1960s and both La Monte Young and Terry Riley trained with Hindustani classical music singer and teacher Pandit Pran Nath. Sherburne has suggested that the noted similarities between minimal forms of dance music and American minimalism could easily be accidental; he also notes that much of the music technology used in EDM has traditionally been designed to suit loop based compositional methods, which may explain why certain stylistic features of minimal techno sound similar to works of Reich's that employ loops and pattern phasing techniques.
One group who clearly had an awareness of American minimalism is the British Ambient act The Orb. Their 1990 production Little Fluffy Clouds features a sample from Steve Reich's work Electric Counterpoint (1987). Further acknowledgement of Steve Reich's possible influence on EDM came with the release in 1999 of the Reich Remixed tribute album which featured reinterpretations by artists such as DJ Spooky, Mantronik, Ken Ishii, and Coldcut, among others. In listening to this album, and works by Reich, such as that sampled by The Orb, some may find it difficult to see a direct relationship with the minimal techno productions Robert Hood describes: a basic stripped down, raw sound. Just drums, basslines and funky grooves and only what's essential. Only what is essential to make people move. I started to look at it as a science, the art of making people move their butts, speaking to their heart, mind and soul. It's a heart-felt rhythmic techno sound.
Daniel Bell has also commented that he had a dislike for minimalism in the artistic sense of the word, finding it too "arty", so it is here that comparisons between the music that was being produced in Detroit and other forms of minimalism fail. Robert Hood describes the situation in the early 1990s as one where techno had become too "ravey", with increasing tempos leading to the emergence of gabba. Such trends saw the demise of the soul infused techno that typified the original Detroit sound. Hood explains that I think Dan [Bell] and I both realized that something was missing - an element...in what we both know as techno. It sounded great from a production point of standpoint, but there was a 'jack' element in the [old] structure. People would complain that there's no funk, no feeling in techno anymore, and the easy escape is to put a vocalist and some piano on top to fill the emotional gap. I thought it was time for a return to the original underground.
In recent years, the genre has taken great influence from, to the point of merging with the microhouse genre. It has also fragmented into a great number of difficult to categorize subgenres, equally claimed by the minimal techno and microhouse tags.
Minimal techno has found mainstream club popularity since 2004 in such places as Germany, France, Belgium, South Africa, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland and the UK with DJs from a wide variety of genres incorporating differing elements of its tones, the famed after-hours club DC10 in Ibiza being one exponent of the genre.
By the second half of 2006, the term 'minimal' had in many ways become contradictory, as it serves as a denominator for the tech house sounds of the moment, many of which should rather be coined as 'maximal' in terms of their sonic content, in contrast to the original stripped down, i.e. minimalist electronic genre
Notable artists include Daniel Bell, Ben D, Richie Hawtin (a.k.a. Plastikman), Ricardo Villalobos, Luca Bacchetti, Mika Vainio, Maurizio (Basic Channel), Jeff Mills, Paulo Nascimento, Steve Bug, Luciano (Lucien Nicolet), Robert Hood, Troy Pierce (a.k.a. Louderbach), Sleeparchive (Roger Semsroth), Sutekh (Seth Horvitz), Trentemøller (Denmark), Stephan Bodzin, Oliver Huntemann, Claro Intelecto & Andy Stott.
Some record labels specializing in minimal techno are Minus (M_nus), Cadenza, Sei Es Drum, Perlon, Cocoon Recordings, Poker Flat Recordings, Underline, Plus8, 90wattsrecords, Foundsound, Sähkö Recordings, Force Inc, Kompakt, Trapez, Tenax Recordings, Wagon Repair, Revolver Canada, Kaliber, Rekorder.
Pendulum
FKA twigs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Finding time, to make my words better (I)
Lately I
Not so present now
Not in love
For your constant fun
I've got time, but you're tired of waiting
You only want me in other spaces
Come fill your gaps with people
I know no one
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
You forgot
How we fell in love
I'm your sweet
Little love maker
You're younger than I am broken
I dance feelings like that sparkle
Summer conversations, not enough
So lonely trying to be yours
What a forsaken cause
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
(So lonely trying)
How does it feel to have me thinking about you?
Wishing the words were enough to consume you
So lonely trying to be yours
How does it feel to have me thinking about you?
So lonely trying to be yours
What a forsaken cause
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
The lyrics to FKA twigs's song Pendulum explore the themes of loneliness and unrequited love. The first verse depicts the singer as a "sweet, little love maker" who is constantly striving to improve their words and their love-making. However, despite their efforts, the singer is not feeling very present or in love lately. They feel that the person they love is only interested in them in certain spaces, and is constantly seeking fulfillment elsewhere. The second verse highlights the singer's sense of isolation and frustration as they try to be with someone who is looking for something more.
The chorus further emphasizes the singer's feelings of loneliness and rejection. They describe their attempts to be with this person as a "forsaken cause" and wonder how it feels to have someone constantly thinking about them. The repetition of the phrase "so lonely trying to be yours" drives home the sense of desperation and futility the singer is feeling.
Overall, Pendulum is a poignant and introspective look at the struggles of unrequited love and the toll it takes on a person's emotional wellbeing.
Interesting facts:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a sweet, little love maker
I am someone who creates love in a tender and affectionate way.
Finding time, to make my words better (I)
I search for time to improve my expression of love through words.
Lately I
Recently,
Not so present now
I am not as attentive and involved as before.
Not in love
My feelings of love have diminished.
For your constant fun
Because you use me for your own amusement and entertainment.
I've got time, but you're tired of waiting
I am available, but you are impatient and unwilling to wait.
You only want me in other spaces
You only desire my presence in certain situations or places.
Come fill your gaps with people
Find someone else to fulfill the emotional voids in your life.
I know no one
I am not familiar with any suitable individuals to recommend for your companionship.
So lonely trying to be yours
I feel isolated and unhappy as I struggle to fulfill my role as your romantic partner.
When you're looking for so much more
You desire something beyond what I can offer.
You forgot
You have forgotten our initial love and affection for each other.
How we fell in love
The story and memories of how we developed romantic feelings for each other.
I'm your sweet
I am the embodiment of your fond and tender memories of love.
Little love maker
A modest nickname to describe my gentle and affectionate nature.
You're younger than I am broken
You are less mature and more emotionally damaged than me.
I dance feelings like that sparkle
My emotions and expressions of love move and radiate in a dazzling way.
Summer conversations, not enough
Our discussions and interactions during the summertime were insufficient to sustain our relationship.
What a forsaken cause
Our relationship is a hopeless and abandoned undertaking.
(So lonely trying)
A repetition and emphasis of my negative emotional state.
How does it feel to have me thinking about you?
I wonder how you would react if you knew I was constantly thinking about you.
Wishing the words were enough to consume you
I wish my words and expressions of love were powerful enough to enchant and captivate you completely.
When you're looking for so much more
You are searching for a greater level of satisfaction and fulfillment in romance.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Epworth, Tahliah Barnett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rachel D'Silva
I'm a sweet, little love maker
Finding time, to make my words better (I)
Lately I
Not so present now
Not in love
For your constant fun
I've got time, but you're tired of waiting
You only want me in other spaces
Come fill your gaps with people
I know no one
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
You forgot
How we fell in love
I'm your sweet
Little love maker
You're younger than I am broken
I dance feelings like that sparkle
Summer conversations, not enough
So lonely trying to be yours
What a forsaken cause
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
How does it feel to have me thinking about you?
Wishing the words were enough to consume you
So lonely trying to be yours
How does it feel to have me thinking about you?
So lonely trying to be yours
What a forsaken cause
So lonely trying to be yours
When you're looking for so much more
HelloXRyan
I abosoloutly love this. I am still trying to figure out the deeper meaning but this is what i think. The definition of Pendulum is "A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely." And i think that the song is about how she was in a relationship with a abusive partner (hint the pictures) and then she overcomes him and breaks up with him, by the end she goes back to normal (the pictures suggest) where she becomes well again (where the title pendulum came from) and now she can "swing freely"
Ngọc Huy Từ
No. It's not that deep crazy bullshit. She names it Pendulum because this song production swings back and forth like a pendulum (taken from FKA twigs wiki and Genius)
Tony Frescko
@zeneruera wow took you years to fess up
Susan Zoeckler
Thank you for your impressions. I am in a full-on FKA Twigs binge!
Cécile Minaluna
She's a mistress or secret lover waiting for him but he doesn't build anything consistent.
zeneruera
@DS3 come to think of it, this guy was right. I was wrong
Joseph V
I adore these artworks by Jesse Kanda. I believe the warped and distorted faces of twigs describe a way in which she feels after she's gone through the process of being in love with another, and then having her heart completely broken. The skewed faces represent twigs as an individual feeling mixtures of self-hate, ugliness, loneliness, and all other symptoms of loving another who simply does not love you back.
DaNia Harris
Yessss
Frank Ruiz
Wow, just perfectly described. Thank you.
LoCaFoRViNtAgE
love this! <3