The Book of Boba Fett [Waltz, v0.8.1]

The Book of Boba Fett starts with alternativing pairs of bars that take the following number of beats: 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5.

The rest is in fairly straightforward waltz, although at 131bpm and with a few brief downbeat phase swaps.

There are at least two variations of the theme:

• Episode 5: mashed up with the Mandalorian them.
• Episode 7: With “Fett / Fett / Boba Fett” singing

… so I combined them all and fixed up the segments of 5 beats into 6.

• Tempo: 124bpm
• Date of hack: Lucas Garron, February 10, 2022
• Edit: Intro as 1[23]4[56]78 and then again as 1234567[87]8. Same for the rest of the song. (100% blend for everything)
• Field-tested: not tested yet

Double Helix (Waltz, v2)

Some songs with an 8-beat rhythm in a 3-3-2 pattern have the interesting property that there are two reasonable ways to make them a waltz: cut out beats #3 and #6, or repeat beat #8.

My first hack of Double Helix in 2013 always had a special place in my heart, because it was the perfect tempo to do both. I tried putting both patterns together because the song was too short to play only once through, and I really like how the transition has a unique feeling of “the same, but more epic”.

I finally got around to remastering that hack from scratch. In this updated version, I’ve also repeated the intro section in both meters (v1 only had the intro section in ¾). The best transition is at 1:48; other transitions are at 0:33 and 0:59.

• Tempo: 117bpm
• Date of hack: Lucas Garron, April 24, 2017
• Edit: Intro as 1[23]4[56]78 and then again as 1234567[87]8. Same for the rest of the song. (100% blend for everything)
• Field-tested: v2 not tested yet (v1 tested on May 3, 2013 at FNW)

Song of the Lonely Mountain (Waltz)

I had, in fact, not read more than a fragment of any of Tolkien’s works, nor seen any of Peter Jackson’s movies, when I went to see The Hobbit with friends after the end of last quarter. Although I didn’t learn much more than the importance of staying alive until you can be saved at dawn, it was quite pretty, and I really liked the leitmotif of the dwarves.

Kseniya suggested the credits song to me as a cha-cha, which I thought wasn’t quite clear enough… the percussion provides a better cross-step downbeat. Unfortunately, there isn’t a good instrumental version of it available, so I’ve had to fiddle around to make the lyrics sound as okay as possible until there is.

• Tempo: 119bpm
• Date of hack: Lucas Garron, December 27, 2012
• Edit: Custom hack, mostly 12[34], 100% blend, but quite a bit of other parts.
• Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, December 28, 2012

Love Story Meets Love Story (Waltz)

This is a piece the Piano Guys did befor they were the Piano Guys. It’s actually not the version mixed with “Viva La Vida” what went viral, but I still think it’s pretty nice. I’ve had a hack of this since Spring, but I didn’t get around to editing it until last week for Friday Night Waltz (my 4th time DJing!). There are some imperfect beats, but it’s quite danceable.

• Tempo: 142bpm
• Date of hack: Original hack April 17, 2012, shortened on December 24, 2012
• Edit: Pattern Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 percent, sped up to 105% tempo
• Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, December 28, 2012

Breath and Life (Waltz)

In the endless category of awesome trailer music that’s way more fun to dance to in ¾, this lovely piece from Hugo (by Audiomachine) works out very neatly.

• Tempo: 120bpm
• Date of hack: October 13, 2012
• Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent
• Field-tested: Dancebreak, November 26, 2012

Clocks (Instrumental Waltz)

Coldplay’s Clocks presents a particular challenge, because the beat have the pattern 123-123-12. Taking out the last two beats turns it into a waltz, but makes it hard to turn it into a song with the right tempo for a waltz. But then I realized: You could make it a slip jig! The consistent texture makes it appropriate to repeat the final beat (“123-123-122”). The result is a nice, mellow beat.

• Tempo: 110bpm
• Date of definitive hack: May 23, 2012
• Edit: Pattern 1234567[87]8 applied to tatums, 100% blend, sped up
• Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, May 27, 2012

Moonlight Sonata - E.S. Posthumus (Waltz)

Certain songs can be covered in so many ways. E.S. Posthumus is known for rousingly epic music, which makes for a rather grand cross-step. Interestingly, the original is actually in triplets, so this is another “back-port” to waltz.

• Tempo: 110 bpm
• Date of original hack: September 17, 2012
• Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent
• Field-tested: Daytime Dancebreak, October 12, 2012

Guardians at the Gate (Waltz)

A while ago I went on an epic waltz-hacking spree. Not that the waltz hacking was particularly epic - jut the results. Audiomachine is another artist who makes a lot of trailer music thingies… like this one. Which Brett listed as an “EPIC Rotary Waltz” at FNW.

• Tempo: 152 bpm
• Date of original hack: September 23, 2012
• Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent, 10% tempo
• Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, October 12, 2012

Arrietty’s Song (5/4 Waltz)

Richard likes to have anime / video game themed songs at Friday Night Waltz, and last week he was teaching 5/4 waltz. He uses the Trine 2 Theme in 5/4 a lot, but he also plays a lot of music from Miyazaki’s The Secret World of Arrietty. I tried converting Sho’s song because it’s at a better tempo, but Arrietty’s song sounds much smoother in 5/4.

• Tempo: 129 bpm
• Date of original hack: September 27, 2012
• Edit: Pattern 1234[56], manual beats, overlap 100%
• Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, September 28, 2012

The Dark Knight Rises (Waltz)

Summer blockbuster movies are good for one thing. Well, at least one thing, if Hans Zimmer wrote the score: drum-driven soundtracks. I played 7 hacks at FNW last weekend, and even though I hadn’t tested this one, one was by far the most awesome.

• Tempo: 164 bpm
• Date of original hack: August 29, 2012
• Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent, slowed down to 80% tempo
• Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, September 7, 2012