The secret rhythm behind Radiohead’s “Videotape”

In Vox’s first episode of Earworm, they talk with Warren Lain. He’s a Radiohead fan who also happens to be an incredibly talented musician and music teacher. In December, 2016 he uploaded a 38-minute video to YouTube about the Radiohead song “Videotape.” He had been thinking about the music theory behind this seemingly simple song for the better part of a decade. The reason? “Videotape”, a slow rhythmically monotonous song, is actually syncopated. For music lovers like me who are simply useless with the recording studio, I’m loving the explanation about this musical illusion.