{
  "slug": "rhythim-is-rhythim",
  "name": "Rhythim Is Rhythim",
  "description": "Rhythim Is Rhythim appears 5 times in our Detroit Techno, The Eighties, The Waxonia Desk — A Way In, The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe, and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred lists, placing as high as No. 1. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.",
  "updated": "2026-08-29",
  "url": "https://waxonia.com/artist/rhythim-is-rhythim/",
  "appearanceCount": 5,
  "distinctRecordings": 1,
  "years": {
    "first": 1987,
    "last": 1987
  },
  "highestPlacing": {
    "rank": 1,
    "list": "Detroit Techno"
  },
  "appearsOn": [
    {
      "kind": "genre",
      "slug": "detroit-techno",
      "name": "Detroit Techno",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/detroit-techno/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-eighties",
      "name": "The Eighties",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/the-eighties/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-detroit-in-europe",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-detroit-in-europe/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/",
      "entries": 1
    }
  ],
  "tracks": [
    {
      "trackKey": "rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life/",
      "title": "Strings of Life",
      "year": 1987,
      "label": "Transmat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Derrick May's piano stabs have no bassline and barely a kick for half their length, and the record still functions as the most reliable emotional detonator in dance music.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-eighties",
          "name": "The Eighties",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/the-eighties/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-detroit-in-europe",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-detroit-in-europe/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Rhythim%20Is%20Rhythim%20Strings%20of%20Life",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vGFw2qeUp0s",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 1,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "detroit-techno",
        "name": "Detroit Techno",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/detroit-techno/"
      },
      "artist": "Rhythim Is Rhythim"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life/",
      "title": "Strings of Life",
      "year": 1987,
      "label": "Transmat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Derrick May's own label again, and the record the rest of the decade gets measured against. No chorus, no bassline for most of it, and no committee anywhere that would have let it out at that length.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "detroit-techno",
          "name": "Detroit Techno",
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        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-detroit-in-europe",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-detroit-in-europe/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Rhythim%20Is%20Rhythim%20Strings%20of%20Life",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vGFw2qeUp0s",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-eighties",
        "name": "The Eighties",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/the-eighties/"
      },
      "artist": "Rhythim Is Rhythim"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life/",
      "title": "Strings of Life",
      "year": 1987,
      "label": "Transmat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Start here if you think electronic music is cold. There is no bassline and barely a kick for half its length, and it still empties a room into a dancefloor faster than anything made since.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "detroit-techno",
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          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/detroit-techno/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-eighties",
          "name": "The Eighties",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/the-eighties/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-detroit-in-europe",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-detroit-in-europe/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Rhythim%20Is%20Rhythim%20Strings%20of%20Life",
          "exact": false
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      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
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        "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
      },
      "artist": "Rhythim Is Rhythim"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life/",
      "title": "Strings of Life",
      "year": 1987,
      "label": "Transmat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Obvious, and obvious for a reason. It was a Belgian and British floor record before Detroit had a market of its own, which is why a city's most famous export sounds nothing like the city that made it.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "detroit-techno",
          "name": "Detroit Techno",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/detroit-techno/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-eighties",
          "name": "The Eighties",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/the-eighties/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
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          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Rhythim%20Is%20Rhythim%20Strings%20of%20Life",
          "exact": false
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        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vGFw2qeUp0s",
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      "rank": null,
      "on": {
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        "slug": "the-desk-detroit-in-europe",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-detroit-in-europe/"
      },
      "artist": "Rhythim Is Rhythim"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/rhythim-is-rhythim--strings-of-life/",
      "title": "Strings of Life",
      "year": 1987,
      "label": "Transmat",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "No bassline, barely a kick, and it still empties a bar into a dancefloor faster than anything made since. The one record on this site nobody in thirty-eight years has argued with.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "detroit-techno",
          "name": "Detroit Techno",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/detroit-techno/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-eighties",
          "name": "The Eighties",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/the-eighties/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-detroit-in-europe",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Detroit, Heard in Europe",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-detroit-in-europe/"
        }
      ],
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      },
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}