Off the Grid

Swing or play straight? Push or lay back? Not so long ago, decisions about groove were fairly straightforward, almost set-and-forget. Now look: Every groove can be mapped and re-mapped, tweaked from beat to beat through menus and submenus, massaged with software plug-ins that dial in the precise levels of “humanity” that might be desired in a programmed groove. Want more hiccup? Want a longer hiccup?

These computer-age tools have accelerated the evolution of loop-based music, and helped renew reverence for the pioneering work of such early hip-hop beatmakers as the late J Dilla, who stretched time without the benefit of software. Their deep, granular options have swept through