Conference

Rhythm under the Microsope II

Where

mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Institute of Popular Music

When

Starts: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Ends: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Organizers

Ralf von Appen, David S. Carter, Anne Danielsen, George Sioros

Keynote Speakers

Ragnhild Brøvig, Fernando Benadon

Conference Programme

10:15	Welcome
10:30–11:30	Keynote — Ragnhild BrøvigThe Rhythms of Broken Beats: How Digital Production Shapes Musical Groove
11:30–12:00	Pause
12:00–13:00	Digital Music Production Bacot — Side-chain compression microrhythm in EDM production: a case study Gullö/Bromham/Ramström — Micro-Timing as Aesthetic and Temporal Agency in Digital Music Production: Empirical Studies on Mixing, Groove, and Vocal Perception
13:00–14:30	Lunch
14:30–15:30	Lecture PerformanceMalcolm Braff
15:30–16:00	Pause
16:00–17:30	Rock / Tempo Variability Carter/v. Appen — Click Tracks, Authenticity, and the Decline of Tempo Variability in Country Music Guo — Microtiming Expression in Math Rock: A Case Study of toe Wahlström — Implied Moderate Swing Phrasing: The Rich Nuances of Hard Rock Groove
19:15	Conference Dinner

9:00–10:00	Keynote — Fernando BenadonWhat’s in My Drive?
10:00–10:30	Pause
10:30–12:00	Perception / Synchronization Kurç/Mungan — The Effect of Rhythmic Context on Synchronization with an Isochronous Pulse Danielsen — Probing Microrhythmic Flexibility: Effects of Instrument Asynchrony and Attack Shape on the Perceived Timing of Musical Sounds Câmara — How much does it mean if it ain’t got that swing? Effects of Asynchrony and Non-isochrony Manipulation in Rhythm Section and Lead Voice Performance in Three Commercial Groove-based Tracks
12:00–13:30	Lunch
13:30–14:30	Non-Isochrony Polak — Fast-pulse timing and tempo across cultures Sioros — Models of Timing in Musical Performance: From Event Onsets to Rhythmic Structure
14:30–15:00	Pause
15:00–16:30	Workshops (choose one) Nilsen/Oddekalv — Microrhythm and swing in artistic practice: drums & rap, live & recorded, together & separate Cárthaigh — Ambiguous Groove: Exploring microtemporal and timbral adjustments in the context of crossrhythm, polyrhythm and metrically ambiguous grooves
17:00	PerformanceMarcel Zaes Sagesser: Parallel Prints + Get Together

9:30–10:30	Oral Traditions / Methodology Rupp/Guillot/Le Bomin — Questions relating to microtiming in the methodology for modeling music for xylophone of the Gbaya Gbeya people (Central African Republic) Evangelou & Polyzoidis — The Zeïbékiko Under the Microscope: Microrhythm in Greek Popular Music
10:30–11:00	Pause
11:00–12:30	Conceptualizing & Representing Microrhythm Krause/Lepa — Rhythm Pattern Extractor – Automatic Extraction and Visualisation of Micro-Timing Patterns from Popular Music Songs for Human and Computer-Based Analysis Oddekalv — Waterskiing off the Waterfalls. Categorical flexibility, malleability and ambiguity in rap Yamato — Unlocking Microrhythm: The Interference of Layered Grids and Its Declarative Generation
12:30–14:00	Lunch
14:00–15:30	Workshops (choose one) Preiss — Timing from Three Perspectives: Micro-, Meso-, and Macro-Rhythm in Popular Music Performance, Analysis, and Pedagogy Macaretti — Ma-ai (間合い): The Body’s Distance in Time — An Aikido-Based Workshop on Microrhythm, Entrainment, and Ensemble Timing Sherinian — Parai Drumming and Dance
15:30–16:00	Pause
16:00–17:00	Swing & Ensemble Timing Friberg/Gulz/Wettebrandt — Reflections on the timing parameters relevant for obtaining different kinds of swing in a jazz ensemble Gulz/Holzapfel — Microrhythmic Coordination between Bass and Drums during Accelerando and Ritardando in a Jazz Trio
17:00–17:30	Wrap-up and Goodbye

Program as PDF

About

In September 2024, scholars gathered at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for Rhythm Under the Microscope, a conference examining microrhythm and groove in popular music. Keynote speakers Anne Danielsen and Justin London explored the effects of a variety of parameters on the perception of microrhythm as well as the relationship between rhythm and microtiming. Other paper presentations and workshops further examined aspects of timing, groove, and aesthetics.

Rhythm Under the Microscope II is a sequel to the 2024 conference, providing an opportunity for renewed study of microrhythm, including scholarly advances since the first conference, but also opening up to discussions of tempo variability. The conference seeks to bring together musicians and scholars from various disciplines to connect their different perspectives and further the current state of microrhythm, tempo variability, and groove research.