Robert LoganFeb 9

_Rhythm_ is a way of trusting the future.

This sounds poetic, but is also quite literal!

To entrain is to assume: something will happen again; it will happen around about when expected; it is safe to commit energy in advance.

It is a minimal form of trust.

Despair is characterised, in part, by a breakdown of such trust. The future becomes either threatening or blank.

Rhythm gently reinstates futurity.

A pulse says: you can lean forward; time will catch you.

Show threadChorist
@Cognessence Perhaps rhythmic tastes then somehow correlate with people’s anxieties… techno is for when one loses trust quickly (give me that same pulse at that same time every time!) whereas electro is for those that can wait a bit longer to trust that the pattern will come back around again? :)
Feb 9 at 3:58pmWeb
Show threadRobert LoganFeb 9

@chorist Haha, I like that formulation of rhythm! :D

Relatedly, I will say (though this is entirely unscientific and anecdotal obviously) that I've consistently observed an inverse proportion between people's aggressiveness and love of dissonance. 😄