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10 songs that feel like MKII

Matched to MKII by DJ Shadow on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

The song you love
MKII
DJ Shadow
moderate 40/100 intensity 90 BPM
Alfie's Theme — Sonny Rollins moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

Seneca — Tortoise moderate 90 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

More Than Steroids — Ryuichi Sakamoto moderate 90 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.

Chamber Music — Amon Tobin moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

Slowly — Amon Tobin moderate 85 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.

Some Alternatives — Tortoise moderate 100 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Measured 98% alike.

The Ecstatics — Explosions in the Sky moderate 90 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.

Love Streams — Tim Hecker moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

The Birth and Death of the Day — Explosions in the Sky moderate 85 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (40/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when MKII is more than you want right now.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind — Bob Dylan safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 12/100, down from 40. Nearly the same tempo, too.

If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé
If I Were a Boy — Beyoncé safe 92 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 28/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Kind of Blue — Miles Davis safe 90 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 22/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Thumbing My Way by Pearl Jam
Thumbing My Way — Pearl Jam safe 80 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 23/100, versus the original's 40. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino — Arctic Monkeys safe 85 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 13/100, down from 40. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Mr. Schwartz by Arctic Monkeys
Mr. Schwartz — Arctic Monkeys safe 85 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 16/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Marion by Bon Iver
Marion — Bon Iver safe 75 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 12/100.

In My Secret Life — Leonard Cohen safe 82 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. 12/100, versus the original's 40. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “MKII” by DJ Shadow?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Alfie's Theme” by Sonny Rollins, “Seneca” by Tortoise, “In Sarah Mencken Christ and Beethoven There Were Women and Men” by Tortoise — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “MKII” but calmer?

“Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “If I Were a Boy” by Beyoncé, “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “MKII”?

It measures 40/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and instrumental. Tempo is 90 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 34% of songs, calmer than the other 66%. Its intensity reading of 40/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and instrumental. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 71% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep5/10
Focus10/10
Workout2/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2016 in context

The 368 songs we’ve measured from 2016 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 7/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity40
Dynamics67
Tempo28
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force0
Trigger load25

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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