Moonlit Metrics

The sun sets, and the moon rises. The moon sets, and the sun rises. This cycle is perhaps the most familiar “loop” to humanity. The changing seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—form a loop. The cycle of a seed sprouting, growing a stem, blooming, producing seeds, and withering. The ebb and flow of tides. The waxing and waning of the moon. Non-REM and REM sleep cycles. The heartbeat. Spinning wheels. Economic cycles. Daily commuting routines. Weekends and weekdays. Charging and discharging smartphones. Haircuts when hair grows long. Even trends revive periodically. In 2024, the “Y2K” fashion from the early 2000s has made a comeback.

In ancient Egypt, the annually flooding Nile River, which brought both destruction and fertility, led to the belief in resurrection after death, resulting in the creation of mummies. This is one of the grandest loops ever conceived by humanity. In other words, loops are fundamental to human existence. Today’s music, which almost always incorporates loops, does so because the concept of “loop” is ingrained at the DNA level.

As you might have guessed, the theme of “Moonlit Metrics” is “loops.” While nearly all songs contain loops, what makes loops crucial for this song is that it would fall apart without them. One night, while working late on the song, trying various patterns and discarding them, I stumbled upon the looping keyboard sequence that became the heart of this track. However, there was a problem. This chord progression, though captivating, was quite chaotic and ambiguous. When we held a guitar solo contest using this track, opinions on the key and chord interpretations varied widely. Recognizing this from the start, I still liked it enough to decide to make it a loop.

To justify this choice, I drew inspiration from hip-hop, especially the era when beats were created by sampling records. Hip-hop beats were born by looping the most danceable parts of tracks, often the drum breaks, using two turntables. This gave rise to breakbeats and eventually the golden age of hip-hop, with many innovative techniques. However, these sampled loops often didn’t adhere to conventional “music theory.” The focus was more on whether it felt good rather than theoretical correctness.

This aspect fascinates me because it demonstrates the power of “loops” that can override theoretical beauty on sheet music. The strength of loops lies in their ability to sustain music and appeal to human senses beyond theoretical constructs.

In this song, I created an A part that relies on the power of loops to stay intact and a contrasting B part where drums and guitars run wild unpredictably. This looping structure, reminiscent of the moon’s phases, inspired the title “Moonlit Metrics.”