Backwards Looking Forwards is a monthly radio program dedicated to exploring the interconnected histories of global dance music. Host Danny Goliger selects tunes that showcase the futuristic sounds of today, and provides context by examining their roots in musical traditions stretching back into the past. Listeners are invited on a journey of discovery that will include the freshest new releases, and builds links to the undiscovered gems of yesteryear. Expect to hear music that ranges from modern rave stylings like house, techno, electro, jungle, and juke, and traces the roots back to funk, soul, dub reggae, new wave, synth pop, EBM, and early electronica.

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This month, I’ve decided to focus on a musical concept rather than a particular genre. In particular, I wanted to showcase a set of rhythms which originated in Sub-Saharan Africa and have diffused throughout the world, appearing in countless musical traditions worldwide. There are many names for the variants of these rhythmic phrases, including the Tresillo (in Cuban music), Clave (in Cuban, Latin American, and Brazilian music), or a more mathematically derived name: 3-3-2. (Examples)

To break down a basic Tresillo 3-3-2 rhythm, we need to divide each measure into 2 counts of 8 (3 + 3 + 2). If you accented the first note, the 4th note, and the 7th note in each measure you would have a Tresillo which could be notated simply like this:

XooXooXo/XooXooXo

The groove comes from superimposing 3 counts and 2 counts. There are 2 counts of 8 (separated by the slash mark); each of those is divided relatively evenly into 3. It leads to a very circular feel, with a ton of syncopation, bounce, and rhythmic propulsion. From varying this beat you can achieve so many other classic feels such as a 3/2 Son Clave:

XooXooXo/ooXoXooo

As a result of the Atlantic Slave Trade, these African rhythms are the foundation of many Latin and Carribean musical traditions. Due to the widespread use of 3-3-2 in Jamaican Dancehall, this rhythm has entered the modern popular and electronic music lexicons. Entire styles of music are derived from variations of this beat. Reggaeton producers refer to their genre’s idiomatic drum pattern as a “Dembow,” named after an iconic Jamaican Dancehall song of the same name by Shabba Ranks. (DemBow / Reggaeton) Many of the most well known pop songs of the last 10-15 years also use this set of rhythms as a foundational element. (Use in Pop Music)

Due to the Caribbean diaspora, a proliferation of Jamaican Sound System culture in the United Kingdom has led to a deep infusion of Dancehall DNA into the UK’s modern rave music. Further combining this DNA with strands of techno, breakbeat, bass music, etc. has led to a wealth of dance music that is very Afro-Latin and Afro-Caribbean in its rhythmic foundation. As raving and experimental electronic music have spread around the globe, producers in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean have thrown these musical influences into a blender with their local musical traditions. And so the beautiful diasporic cultural exchange continues!

This mix is a collection of tracks that explores these rhythmic traditions in the context of modern dance music. I’ve tried to feature artists from all over the world, and I’ve tried to draw links across many different genres. Some tracks feature the Tresillo more explicitly than others, but they all have some of that DNA. Enjoy :)