Before the Calm
- BPM
- 170
- Half-time
- 85
- Open Key
- 7d
- Energy
- 12/100
- Pop
- 12/100
- Length
- 1:19
- Released
- 2012
- Genre
- Downtempo
- Loudness
- -24.1 dB
Key, BPM and audio features: model-based audio analysis · how we measure · catalogue updated July 2026
Other versions
- Before The Calmoriginal2B · 170
Before the Calm: very fast downtempo, F♯ major (2B), 170 BPM. It reads as brooding and low-slung. It leans atmospheric over strictly danceable. The mix is almost entirely instrumental. Its spectrum is centred in the low-mids, warm and bass-forward. The master keeps real dynamic headroom. A 2012 production that still circulates in sets. Less groove-driven than 94% of Olafur Arnalds's catalogue. In a set it works best as a warm-up or breakdown cut.
- Tempo:
- faster than 91% of Olafur Arnalds's catalogue
- Brightness:
- darker than 80% of Olafur Arnalds's catalogue
Sonic profile
Frequency spectrum
amplitude · bass → treble
FAQ
What key is Before the Calm in?
Before the Calm by Olafur Arnalds is in F♯ major, or 2B on the Camelot wheel.
What BPM is Before the Calm?
Before the Calm runs at 170 BPM, a very fast track.
What mixes well with Before the Calm?
From 2B it blends harmonically with 3B, 2A, 1B. Moving to 3B lifts the energy a step.
Is Before the Calm good for peak time?
With energy 12 out of 100 at 170 BPM, it works best as a warm-up or breakdown cut.
Mixes harmonically
2B → 1B · 3B · 2AFrom 2B, 3B (D♭ major) lifts the energy a step; 2A (E♭ minor) settles into the relative minor; 1B (B major) cools the energy down a step.
How to mix it
In 2B at 170 BPM: 3B (D♭ major) — move to 3B to push the floor harder; 2A (E♭ minor) — switch to 2A for a mood change without losing the groove; 1B (B major) — drop to 1B to bring the room down gently.
Pitch range at ±6%: 160-180 BPM — anything in that window beatmatches without sounding stretched.
Key on the fader: without key lock (Master Tempo on CDJs), above roughly +5% it plays a semitone higher, so treat it as 9B rather than 2B; below -5% it reads as 7B. With key lock on, it stays 2B across the whole range.
Programming: a warm-up or breakdown cut — early set or after a peak to reset the room.
Similar tempo
Within ±3 BPM of 170 — beatmatch without a big tempo pull.
More downtempo
More from Olafur Arnalds
Full profile
Other recommendations
Beyond strict key and genre matches: tracks that still sit in beatmatch range of 170 BPM with a compatible energy and groove — candidates for a key jump or a genre crossover.
