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Changes (2021)

Duration: 56:45

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Just how many different ways can you groove with one song? This panel goes deep into analyzing the rhythms of “Jena: Rebellion and Salvation” from Astral Chain (2019: Nintendo Switch). Jena Anderson is one of the main antagonists in Astral Chain. Like all JRPG-Style villains, Jena have three different forms that the player must fight to proceed to the next chapter. “Jena: Rebellion and Salvation” plays when the player battles Jena’s second form, Jena-Asymptote. An interesting fact is that this song segues directly from another called “Jena Anderson,” which grooves wickedly in heavy metal. But still, “Jena: Rebellion and Salvation,” with its epic orchestral score, hypes it a level further.
 
To understand this unprecedented hype, we will explore how composers notate rhythm. We will explore simple and compound meter (by clapping together!) and the concept of the hemiola. Then we will compare different instrument groups and their rhythmic patterns to see how each group of instrument grooves. And when they are all combined together, we will appreciate the multi-dimensional epicness of this song.

You do not need to know anything about music to have fun in this panel!

Panelist: Joseph Chang [@ysduck1115 on Instagram]

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