Just a note: this is a recording of the livestream. TEDxZurich will still release the full quality video after post-production is finished, hopefully in the next week.
I feel like he starts out his improv like "ok, what do I do?", and by the time he hits the ride hes fully "in the flow". I like how his improv builds to a climax and then quietly exits with an outro, it feels like a song, even though its just drums.
His message actually made a lot of sense! We are the distance between 0 and 1, and that's what makes us human. Very cool to see a fellow beat maker on TEDx :)
yes thanks for the upload. I love when this happens - merging of 2 things i do that was always seperated in my head - drumming videos on youtube and watching ted talks. Mind blown.
Jojo Mayer is an individual to respect musically and intellectually. I've hear him say: "You play as fast as you think" Listening to him speak not only in his videos and interviews, puts to an end putting down the intellect of drummers which is very common among musicians. Listen to Buddy Rich and Steve Gadd interviews. Keep on think fast!
@wildsnydon If you're talking about the very beginning i think it's just the mix being changed by the sound man rather than Jojo doing anything. There are clips on youtube though of him changing the pitch and resonance of the bass drum by pressing the toe of his left foot on the bass drum head while playing it with the right foot
@FrankTdrumz Sorry about that mate, The audio wasn't that loud on the stream and it did boost it a bit before uploading to try and help. comes out plenty loud enough on my laptop though which is why I left it
interesting when he said about how at the onset of machines and industry was also about the time of the emergence of drums as a central figure in music. interesting because when i hear machines running i listen for the pulse and different rhythmic patterns and how those patterns can be built upon and modulated in different ways. very cool correlation he presented.
I think it's Mayer's personal mic, which got turned off after he started playing. Right after his first solo, the sound got re-boosted when his mic got turned back on.
@andydrummergb The brush solo is in the other video called 'Encore' But by all means go and watch it on TED and support them as a thank you for putting on great talks
The goal is to emphasize what the drum machine cannot after mastering (or as much as we can) what a drum machine brings to the table. The distance between 0 and 1 is the human element and the nuance. Notice how his entire solo is built around the nuance of the hi-hat, an instrument otherwise relegated to time keeping like a drum machine. So interesting.
@aciddrums. You don't fully understand where he's coming from. He's not on a pursuit to get closer to machines. He's embraced the textures of electronic music because it gives him an unlimited space for expression. Where as jazz and other styles confine him. That's just a little bit of it.
Who would have ever thought a bunch of sample and drum machine music coming out of the British underground rave scene would lead to one of the most significant developments in drum sound and technique in the past decade?
jojo is incredible with this mixings and hes feeling...i´m not saying that he is the best, becouse that doesnrt mean nothing today...but i know he ´s original and authentic...and that no one can say its false. So...suck is emotions
Is TED the same series that's gonna B on Science Channel soon?!? I hope to hear from alot of musicians in the series, but I doubt there'll be very many.
@shawoody He mentioned jazz, which simplifies the origins but is close to correct. He never denies the African-American influence (which was primary but not exclusive)
@sweetfly66 Yeah Roli Mossiman is a massive part of their live performance. However i'm guessing that he isn't with Jojo for this particular performance. There is other part during the performance where his drums are being manipulated by the soundman. Normally in a nerve live performance Roli would add lots of stuff on the fly. I don't hear any of that hear
It's the imperfections that make anything manmade even have a chance at being perfect. I'm of the mindset that nothing man has the ability to create can't be re-conquered again. Could be very wrong, but I'm unaware of something that man created that man could not also improve, ignore, destroy, repair, or repurpose. As a drummer and an engineer in training I say he's right. If we create it we should also be responsible for being its master somehow, or we will lose something central to our lives.
@alastairerrett Ah no problem, I'll check it out later with my headphones on. Thanks for sharing, very insightful, Jojo is a great speaker and one of the finest drummers out there.
originaly the bass drum is spelled base drum, because it's the base of the drum but is decayed (dont know if thats the correct word, not a native english speaker) into bass drum, so base drum is not wrong, it's just old fashioned ;)
Love this speech. Love listening to him speak. However, I feel that his obsession with drum machines and playing like one have really changed his thought process into 0 or 1. His improv is mainly pieced of licks that he repeats everywhere -- you can find them in his videos all over youtube. I'm in no way hating, I love everything about Jojo, but I feel like Chris Dave is really the drummer who has found the distance between 0 and 1 and truly expresses it in his playing.
1984 with Watchtower. It was technical rather than prog. I'm pretty sure Meshuggah didn't do anything too innovative until way later, even then Confessor beat them to it. Atheist, Death, and Confessor all set a pretty high bar by 1990.
Height of the picture is irrelevant. The data rate from the streaming is throttled which causes stuttering, and the frame rate too low also causing jerkiness. I'd expect a VEVO cool-aid drinker to know this.
The "point" was that, in his attempt to imitate computer generated drum patterns, he discovered that musicians, through means of improvisation, can operate at a level of precision that surpasses the ability of finite computers.
![Jojo Mayer explaining and demonstrating polyrhythms [drumclinic 2011] in HD](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/u7M_guTvIwI/mqdefault.jpg)
Just a note: this is a recording of the livestream. TEDxZurich will still release the full quality video after post-production is finished, hopefully in the next week.
Its always nice to see a drummer that has a highly developed philosophy behind how he does what he does
I feel like he starts out his improv like "ok, what do I do?", and by the time he hits the ride hes fully "in the flow". I like how his improv builds to a climax and then quietly exits with an outro, it feels like a song, even though its just drums.
Anyone noticed he played that whole thing with the stick backward on left hand?
THAT'S TOO EPIC!!!
Have been a fan of JoJo's style for years. It's awesome he finally has this platform. He deserves it!
His message actually made a lot of sense! We are the distance between 0 and 1, and that's what makes us human. Very cool to see a fellow beat maker on TEDx :)
yes thanks for the upload. I love when this happens - merging of 2 things i do that was always seperated in my head - drumming videos on youtube and watching ted talks. Mind blown.
Jojo Mayer is an individual to respect musically and intellectually. I've hear him say: "You play as fast as you think" Listening to him speak not only in his videos and interviews, puts to an end putting down the intellect of drummers which is very common among musicians. Listen to Buddy Rich and Steve Gadd interviews. Keep on think fast!
What a GREAT audience... Awesome one-man standing ovation at the end...
This lecture is so inspiring. It reassures me that computers can never replace musicians.
wait until gpt is trained on such music...
@wildsnydon If you're talking about the very beginning i think it's just the mix being changed by the sound man rather than Jojo doing anything. There are clips on youtube though of him changing the pitch and resonance of the bass drum by pressing the toe of his left foot on the bass drum head while playing it with the right foot
@FrankTdrumz Sorry about that mate, The audio wasn't that loud on the stream and it did boost it a bit before uploading to try and help. comes out plenty loud enough on my laptop though which is why I left it
It's incredible what "density" of sounds and music he is able to create, without having speed as his leading aspect.....
interesting when he said about how at the onset of machines and industry was also about the time of the emergence of drums as a central figure in music. interesting because when i hear machines running i listen for the pulse and different rhythmic patterns and how those patterns can be built upon and modulated in different ways. very cool correlation he presented.
I think it's Mayer's personal mic, which got turned off after he started playing. Right after his first solo, the sound got re-boosted when his mic got turned back on.
Thanks a lot for uploading this clip.
He´s a great drummer and also a interesting/wise speaker ..
@andydrummergb The brush solo is in the other video called 'Encore' But by all means go and watch it on TED and support them as a thank you for putting on great talks
at the very beginning it sounded like he changed the tuning of his kick or was he just hitting it lighter??
The goal is to emphasize what the drum machine cannot after mastering (or as much as we can) what a drum machine brings to the table. The distance between 0 and 1 is the human element and the nuance. Notice how his entire solo is built around the nuance of the hi-hat, an instrument otherwise relegated to time keeping like a drum machine. So interesting.
Thanks JoJo and TED!! Great stuff!
@aciddrums. You don't fully understand where he's coming from. He's not on a pursuit to get closer to machines. He's embraced the textures of electronic music because it gives him an unlimited space for expression. Where as jazz and other styles confine him. That's just a little bit of it.
Who would have ever thought a bunch of sample and drum machine music coming out of the British underground rave scene would lead to one of the most significant developments in drum sound and technique in the past decade?
Super sophisticated mastery - most inspiring!
the paradiddle hes doin on the snare at 14:06 is just awesome.
correction: the whole drumming is awesome
jojo is incredible with this mixings and hes feeling...i´m not saying that he is the best, becouse that doesnrt mean nothing today...but i know he ´s original and authentic...and that no one can say its false.
So...suck is emotions
Is TED the same series that's gonna B on Science Channel soon?!? I hope to hear from alot of musicians in the series, but I doubt there'll be very many.
@shawoody He mentioned jazz, which simplifies the origins but is close to correct. He never denies the African-American influence (which was primary but not exclusive)
between 0 and 1 .. so inspiring .. thank you
Wow! So glad I watched this!
I am trying to learn the groove Jojo played at 5.00. Is that by Gene Krupa?
@sweetfly66 Yeah Roli Mossiman is a massive part of their live performance. However i'm guessing that he isn't with Jojo for this particular performance. There is other part during the performance where his drums are being manipulated by the soundman. Normally in a nerve live performance Roli would add lots of stuff on the fly. I don't hear any of that hear
Holy ****, this is superb - what a genius
It's the imperfections that make anything manmade even have a chance at being perfect. I'm of the mindset that nothing man has the ability to create can't be re-conquered again. Could be very wrong, but I'm unaware of something that man created that man could not also improve, ignore, destroy, repair, or repurpose. As a drummer and an engineer in training I say he's right. If we create it we should also be responsible for being its master somehow, or we will lose something central to our lives.
yeah i just realised that, first couple of kicks were caught up by a camera mic
4:59
he´s a drum guru, absolutely with no doubt
JOJO AT TED OH MY GOD WHAT IM SO HAPPY
14:45 that slow flam+ that roll back into it o.O oh my good god.
what's the name of the first drum beat he played when he was talking about kids rebeling?? :)
@alastairerrett Ah no problem, I'll check it out later with my headphones on. Thanks for sharing, very insightful, Jojo is a great speaker and one of the finest drummers out there.
originaly the bass drum is spelled base drum, because it's the base of the drum but is decayed (dont know if thats the correct word, not a native english speaker) into bass drum, so base drum is not wrong, it's just old fashioned ;)
he knows exactly how to perfom masterfully!
Now that's what I call DEPTH! If there's a "doctor" of drums, it must be Jojo.
Love this speech. Love listening to him speak. However, I feel that his obsession with drum machines and playing like one have really changed his thought process into 0 or 1. His improv is mainly pieced of licks that he repeats everywhere -- you can find them in his videos all over youtube. I'm in no way hating, I love everything about Jojo, but I feel like Chris Dave is really the drummer who has found the distance between 0 and 1 and truly expresses it in his playing.
Way to go, Ted !
You have one of the greatest
drummers of all time, and you
fuck up the sound.
Thats awesome !
El maestro es todo lo que hay que decir....El Maestro....Jojo
how he change the kick drum resonance in the beginning like that?
Nice job.
Awesome stuff.
Great sociology lesson! This is interesting. He should analyse now, why drumming has become the prisonner of academics and obsessed with control!
Love the groove he does at 12:51
The distance between 0 and 1 is meditation, is the infinite, is all meaning of life
If Jojo wrote a book on this subject I would read it!
how is the first rythm called he plays around 4:50?
wow, thanks I never knew that but like a drum kit does he just gets better with age.
Awesome!! greetings!
the king of rhythm!
The Zen Master has spoken!
how is the groove in 5:03 min called ?
1984 with Watchtower. It was technical rather than prog. I'm pretty sure Meshuggah didn't do anything too innovative until way later, even then Confessor beat them to it. Atheist, Death, and Confessor all set a pretty high bar by 1990.
Height of the picture is irrelevant. The data rate from the streaming is throttled which causes stuttering, and the frame rate too low also causing jerkiness. I'd expect a VEVO cool-aid drinker to know this.
His timing is impossibly accurate for a non-machine.
Jojo, you're genius
Great concepts, but the thing was recorded on a security camera.
JoJo looks either very tired or rather ill, hope he's ok. Great show
ur prob just used to a deader sound... it actually sounds quite good!
what a legend.
14:41 and the manual delay.
he plays the mind blowing jungle breaks @ 13:00
Wow he sounds just like my garageband loops! Why do we need him again?
compare any good band to their live performance
A God....Jojo, that was awesome.
thank you very much
i think those are just double strokes, although you'd achieve the same output if a paradiddle was used
great drummer, artist.musician and humabn being
13:00 ....see how the stick never touches the hi-hat...that's the space between 0 and 1.
"Statistical Density"..... It's a Zappa concept. Nice JoJo. !!!
friggin amazing ...
Jojo the best
I can barely hear it on my laptop speakers, full volume.
i hate to say it, but I think it's just the audio engineer pulling up the kick mic... the first part of the clip is probably just an ambient room mic?
hes amazing
@teetomthomas It is?
no he was in a punk jazz/ funk band called Screaming Headless Torsos. Metallicas only drummer is Lars Ulrich
Amazing!!
wow Screech really let himself go, but he turned out to be a kick ass drummer. Saved By The Bell rocks!
Genial!! saludos desde Perú :D
I love that man. He's crazy,
Watch as I perform some live drum and bass and go into a fucking hypnotic zone!
The "point" was that, in his attempt to imitate computer generated drum patterns, he discovered that musicians, through means of improvisation, can operate at a level of precision that surpasses the ability of finite computers.
i think its more like triple than double
LEGEND!!!!
His message obviously went right over your head.
the first song I ever learned was Sing Sing Sing by Benny Goodman
This "zone" he keeps mentioning has a name. It is called "Super Saiyan"
I never noticed how much he sounds like Christopher Walken!!! Walkens...These are muuayy fuwwurkun craasps!.
what are you talking about he is the most amazing drummer ever he has an amazing groove !!!! look
watch?v=60zMDBqCt3U
hes just groovy
Lol its 720p mate.
That's awesome
Thanks:)
@milifinaboy It's the beat from "Sing, Sing, Sing," made famous by Gene Krupa in Benny Goodman's Band. /watch?v=E_gW0VHBbSA
was he in Metallica?