That part in dance music, where the music builds and builds and builds and BUILDS before the tension finally, FINALLY, gets relieved? That’s “the drop.” Mike talks about its origin, construction, and application, and tells you what P.L.U.R. means.

-- Sources --

Stefan Sagmeister on Storytellers (VIDEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlkIVIau1Nk

“Waiting for the Bass to Drop” by Ragnhild Torvanger Solberg
https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult/article/view/451

“Detecting Drops in Electronic Dance Music” by Yadati, et al
http://www.terasoft.com.tw/conf/ismir2014/proceedings/T026_297_Paper.pdf

The Year in Black Erasure on Pitchfork
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/615-the-year-in-black-erasure/

Metaphors We Live By on UChicago.edu
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo3637992.html

-- A previous version of this episode contained the following music --

Intro: Rhythm Variation 02 by Aoki Takamasa RV8
Break #1: Not Butter byDillon Francis
Break #2: Boss Mode by Knife party
Break #2: Summertime Sadness by LDR, Cedric Gervais Remix