Clapping Music

After a concert in Brussels during their 1972 tour of Europe, Reich and his ensemble went to a club to see a performance by two flamenco musicians on the promoter's advice.

One performer claps a basic rhythm, a variation on an African bell pattern in 128 time, for the entirety of the piece.

[citation needed] In 2012, an authorized arrangement for solo piano of Clapping Music was released on the album Which Way Is Up?

[4] Imagine Dragons used Clapping Music as the foundation for their 2012 song "On Top of the World", although only a short sample is used.

[citation needed] The piece is also utilized on a remix by James Murphy of the 2013 David Bowie song "Love Is Lost".

Clapping Music rhythm
First two patterns, abbreviated;
also common in other works by Reich
First two patterns, abbreviated;
also common in other works by Reich
Visualization as two discs sharing an identical pattern on a common spool. This pattern may be contrasted with itself at all positions by spinning one of the discs.