i love 3:2 polyrhythms

To give some context to this blog, I’m a drummer. I've been playing the drums for around 18 years, since I've been able to hold drumsticks. Growing up, I'd listen to the music my parents would put on our box Panasonic TV, and just bang as loud as I could on the djembe I got for my 2nd birthday. This habit of playing to any song I hear has continued to this day. Even now, when I listen to music, all I hear is the instrumental (this has made it really hard to learn lyrics…), and it’s become so important in my listening experience. One thing I've learned in recent years that I love about drums is the use of polyrhythms, defined by Oxford Languages as a rhythm that makes use of two or more different rhythms simultaneously, and I think it's such a cool way to lay a beat down while showing off creativity and skill. Lately, I’ve been listening to songs with some sick drum parts, and I figured, why not share some?

Off of Quadeca's 2025 magnum opus Vanisher, Horizon Scraper, "Ruin My Life" begins with the gentle sounds of layered guitars. As the song progresses, percussive elements are introduced, with a bass drum and light snare accompanying Quadeca as he repeats the line:

"I might have to ruin / I might have to ruin / I might have to ruin my..." Followed by a bridge that follows the sailor reminiscing on their past: "I was picked first on the losing team... / To belong in the scenery / Where the background will set me free"

Then the drums kick in. Following Quadeca's repetition of "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" drummer Myles Martin plays an iconic ride pattern (r r rr r r r (repeat)) and immediately follows it with a sick 3:2 groove. I actually saw this live, and I ended up recording it on my phone to learn the full part once the concert ended. Truly one of my favorite songs of the year.

Photo by Quadeca

Photo by Mid-Air Thief

I found Crumbling at the start of the pandemic, not knowing at all who Mid-Air Thief was. The artist has no social media presence, no interviews, no identity available to the public outside of the music they make, and that mystery is what had me hooked immediately. "These Chains," off the award-winning album, is one of my top electronic dream-pop songs of all time.

The entire project is sung in Korean, but I never felt that the language barrier got in the way of enjoying it. If anything, it makes it easier to fall into the dreamy world of Mid-Air Thief. The track blends-

a multitude of sound layers with both electronic and acoustic elements combined.

The track is conducted in a 3/4 time signature, introduced with a flurry of acoustic guitars, harpy sounds, and snippets of bells. The production is some of the best I've ever heard. In the last portion of the song, the main melody drops out, and in comes a lively beat, introduced with a hi-hat fill and going straight into a 3:2 pocket groove. This might be one of my favorite drum moments ever. It's so simple yet so effective. I could not recommend this album more!

It's always fun to nerd out over music. I find it so interesting when I hear the different things that people look out for when listening to a song. Some people say they listen to the lyrics, but I've always listened to the drums. These tracks I've shared are nothing but proof that some of the best music is driven by rhythm, no matter the genre, language, or style. Thank you for reading!

Isaiah Ramos | follow me on Instagram: @styledbysound