When musicians include moments of participatory discrepancy in to their performance, a unique sensation is given to the listener. In OOIOO’s POLACCA, we see this on many levels. At the beginning of the piece, a slight disconnect from the vocals and the instrumentals can be heard, bringing a subtle human-like quality to the piece. As listeners we notice slight imperfections as this, but it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb, our brains can do a good job of imagining how the music would sound in sync. As the song progresses, we see participatory discrepancy at more extreme heights. By the end, it feels as if each instrument is playing at a completely different tempo, no longer creating a feel of human imperfection, and instead creating a sort of sound ecosystem, as you feel each instrument begin to match the rhythm of another, only to fall out of sync again and become its own entity.

In Sly and The Family Stone’s Spaced Cowboy, the discrepancy is much more subtle, and is most noticably heard between the vocals and the band. Stone’s vocals often fall behind the beat, establishing a relaxed and carefree tone that is mirrored by the instrumentation.

In Agua que va a caer by Patato y Totoico, the use of rhythmic discrepancy is more symbolic. The drums are being played in constant sixteenth notes, but not in line with any other instrument, which to me feels like a reference to the song’s title, which is Spanish for “Water That is Going to Fall,” the drums appear to replicate a constant rain fall, more atmospheric in nature, while still managing to establish a very dynamic groove for the rest of the band to play in and out of.

Participatory discrepancy has been seen in such a variety of genres, and has been utilized in so many different ways, that it’s hard to even categorize it as a single concept. The one example of such a technique that has stuck with me for years is drummer and music legend Questlove’s story of how he had to train his brain to play “drunker” in order to fulfill D’Angelo’s vision on his 1999 record Voodoo.

Questlove had to practically forget everything he knew about keeping a steady tempo to make the instrumentation of Voodoo sound loose and organic, and along with the music of the late J Dilla, influenced a movement of un-quantized drumming that is still present in music today.