Mike Portnoy Learns Impossible Danny Carey Drum Part

Drumeo
24 May 202429:38

Summary

TLDRIn this engaging video, drummer Mike Portnoy takes on the daunting challenge of learning and playing a complex Tool song, known for its intricate time signatures and Danny Carey's exceptional drumming. Portnoy, despite initial hesitations, dives into the task with determination, showcasing his musical prowess and creativity. The video captures the intensity and frustration of tackling such a challenging piece, as well as the joy of conquering it, piece by piece. It's a testament to the dedication and skill required to master the art of drumming, especially when faced with the intricacies of progressive rock.

Takeaways

  • 🎢 Mike Portnoy, a renowned drummer, is challenged to learn and play a complex song by Tool, a progressive rock band.
  • πŸ€” Portnoy expresses his apprehension and confusion about the task, comparing the difficulty to that of Dream Theater's music.
  • πŸ‘ He acknowledges Danny Carey, Tool's drummer, as one of the most creative drummers he has ever heard, setting a high bar for the challenge.
  • πŸ•’ Portnoy discusses the time commitment required to learn the song, implying it will take many hours of practice.
  • πŸ”’ The script frequently mentions time signatures and complex rhythmic structures, emphasizing the song's intricacy.
  • πŸŽ₯ Portnoy considers watching Danny Carey's playthrough for visual cues to aid in learning the song.
  • πŸ”„ He talks about looping sections of the song and the importance of repetition in mastering the complex parts.
  • πŸ“ Portnoy contemplates the use of transcriptions but decides to rely on listening and counting to decipher the song's structure.
  • 🎡 The drummer experiences moments of breakthrough and frustration while attempting to crack the 'code' of the song's rhythm.
  • πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘¦ Portnoy shares a humorous interaction with his son, Max, who finds the challenge amusing and seemingly impossible.
  • πŸ† Despite the difficulty, Portnoy is determined to prove that it is possible to learn and play even the most complex of songs.

Q & A

  • What is the main challenge Mike faces in the video?

    -Mike is challenged to learn and play a complex song by Tool, which he describes as a 'mathematic equation' and one of the most difficult songs ever recorded.

  • How does Mike react to the song choice?

    -Mike is initially shocked and expresses disbelief at the complexity of the song, comparing it to the difficulty of Dream Theater's music.

  • What does Mike mention about his previous experience with the song?

    -Mike mentions that he had heard the song as a casual listener and appreciated it, but never considered learning it due to its complexity.

  • What does Mike think about Danny Carey, the drummer of Tool?

    -Mike considers Danny Carey to be one of the most creative drummers he has ever heard and acknowledges the difficulty of replicating his work.

  • What does Mike suggest as an approach to learn the song?

    -Mike suggests that he will need to listen to the song multiple times to understand the nuances and time signatures before attempting to play it.

  • What does Mike say about the time signature and its complexity?

    -Mike struggles to find the one (the downbeat) and mentions that the time signature is a triple, which adds to the complexity of the song.

  • How does Mike plan to tackle the learning process?

    -Mike plans to take a section-by-section approach, focusing on the arrangement first before tackling the time signatures and the actual drum parts.

  • What does Mike do to help with his understanding of the song?

    -Mike watches a playthrough video of Danny Carey to get a visual understanding of the performance, which he finds helpful.

  • What does Mike consider when he mentions 'cracking the code'?

    -Mike refers to understanding the complex time signatures and patterns in the song, which he compares to solving a mathematical equation.

  • How does Mike feel about the task by the end of the video?

    -Mike expresses that the task was a significant challenge but also acknowledges the beauty and mastery of the song, calling it a 'masterpiece'.

  • What does Mike's son Max think of the song choice?

    -Max finds the song choice humorous and sends a text to Mike saying 'LOL' with a million exclamation points, implying disbelief at the difficulty of the task.

Outlines

00:00

🎢 Drum Challenge Introduction

The script begins with an introduction to a drumming challenge, where Mike, presumably a drummer, is tasked with learning and playing a complex song. The song is not specified, but it's suggested to be challenging, even for a skilled musician like Mike. The speaker expresses anticipation and excitement, hinting at the difficulty of the task ahead. There's a playful banter about the song's complexity, comparing it to the work of Danny Carrey and Dream Theater, indicating a high level of intricacy and skill required to perform it.

05:00

🀯 The Complexity of Learning the Song

This paragraph delves into the intricacies of learning the challenging song. Mike discusses the need to understand the song's structure and time signatures before attempting to play it. He mentions the importance of repeated listening to grasp the nuances and the potential need for many attempts to 'crack the code' of the song's rhythm and pattern. The speaker also suggests watching a playthrough by Danny Carrey for visual aid, emphasizing the complexity of the task and the drummer's dedication to mastering it.

10:02

πŸ•ΊπŸ» Mike's Struggle with the Song's Time Signatures

In this section, Mike grapples with the song's time signatures and rhythmic patterns. He is trying to decipher the complex structure, which includes repeating cycles of sixes and fives. Mike's confusion and the struggle to find a pattern are evident as he attempts to break down the song into manageable parts. The paragraph highlights the difficulty of the task, with Mike expressing his awe at the complexity and the amount of time and effort required to learn such a song.

15:04

πŸ” Looping and Practicing the Song

Mike continues to work through the song, focusing on looping sections to practice them individually. He discusses the need to take the song section by section, acknowledging that perfecting the entire piece in one session is unrealistic. The paragraph emphasizes the iterative process of learning, with Mike planning to play along with the song from the top and see how far he can get, indicating a methodical approach to mastering the piece.

20:04

🎡 Playing Through the Song

This paragraph captures Mike's attempt to play through the song, starting from the top and progressing as far as he can. The speaker provides encouragement and support, highlighting the challenge Mike is undertaking. The paragraph includes snippets of the song being played, with applause indicating successful moments. It showcases Mike's dedication and the effort involved in attempting to play one of the most difficult songs ever recorded.

25:16

πŸ† Reflections on the Drumming Challenge

The final paragraph reflects on the entire drumming challenge. Mike expresses his amazement at having played such a difficult song, acknowledging the time and effort that must have gone into creating it. He humorously wonders whether he should thank or curse the person who gave him this challenge. The paragraph concludes with a light-hearted exchange about the song's complexity and the impressive feat of attempting to learn and perform it.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Dream Theater

Dream Theater is a progressive metal band known for their complex musical arrangements and time signatures. In the context of the video, the speaker compares the complexity of the song they are learning to the music of Dream Theater, indicating that the song is exceptionally challenging. The speaker mentions, 'this makes Dream Theater sound like Weezer,' which is a way of saying that the song's complexity is beyond what is typically found even in complex music genres.

πŸ’‘Danny Carrey

Danny Carrey is likely a misspelling or a nickname for Danny Carey, the drummer of the progressive rock band Tool. In the video script, the speaker expresses admiration for Danny Carey's creativity and drumming skills, stating that he is 'one of the most creative drummers' they've ever heard. The speaker also humorously thanks or threatens to 'kill' the person who gave them the task of learning a song by Tool, which features Danny Carey's intricate drumming.

πŸ’‘Time Signatures

Time signatures in music denote the number of beats per measure and the note value that represents one beat. The video's theme revolves around the complexity of a particular song, which includes unconventional time signatures that the speaker struggles to decipher. The script mentions 'unlock that time signature' and 'crack the code on the time signatures,' highlighting the difficulty in understanding and playing along with the song's rhythm.

πŸ’‘Playthrough

A playthrough in music refers to a complete performance of a piece of music from beginning to end. In the context of the video, the speaker is attempting a playthrough of a particularly challenging song. The term is used when the speaker considers watching Danny Carrey's playthrough for guidance, indicating that they are trying to learn and perform the song in its entirety.

πŸ’‘Weezer

Weezer is an American rock band known for their catchy melodies and simpler musical structures compared to progressive rock or metal. In the script, the speaker humorously compares the complexity of the song they are learning to Weezer, suggesting that even a band known for simpler music would seem complex in comparison to the song at hand. This is used to emphasize the extreme difficulty of the song they are tackling.

πŸ’‘Groove

In music, a groove refers to the rhythmic feel or the 'pocket' that a musician creates, often in genres like funk, jazz, and rock. The speaker mentions that they are not yet playing the groove, indicating that they are still in the process of learning the song's rhythm and feel. This is part of the challenge they face in mastering the complex drum parts of the song.

πŸ’‘Polyrhythm

A polyrhythm is a musical technique where two or more rhythms are played simultaneously, often creating a complex and layered sound. The script includes a moment where the speaker is confused by a polyrhythm being played over a certain part of the song, as indicated by 'I'm speaking out loud here, I'm just so freaking confused doesn't help if he's playing a polyrhythm over that.' This further illustrates the complexity of the music they are learning.

πŸ’‘Breakdown

In the context of music, a breakdown refers to a section of a song where the music simplifies or stops, often focusing on a single instrument or a solo. The speaker mentions needing to 'make some drumming notes for this breakdown,' indicating that there is a specific part of the song where the drumming is simplified or highlighted, and they need to prepare for it.

πŸ’‘Masterpiece

A masterpiece is a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship. The speaker refers to the song they are learning as a 'masterpiece' and a 'tasty, so creative' piece of work, showing their admiration for the song's composition. This term is used to emphasize the high level of craftsmanship they believe went into creating the song.

πŸ’‘Learning Curve

A learning curve refers to the process of acquiring new skills or knowledge, often represented graphically as a curve that starts with a steep incline indicating rapid learning, then levels off as proficiency is achieved. The speaker discusses the steep learning curve of the song, as evidenced by phrases like 'it's going to be a long night' and 'this is definitely the most Savage learning a song video droMEO has ever done,' indicating the significant effort required to master the song.

Highlights

Mike Portnoy is challenged to play a complex song by Tool, which he initially finds daunting.

Portnoy expresses his admiration for Danny Carey's creativity and musicianship.

The drummer struggles to find the 'one' in the song, highlighting the complexity of the rhythm.

Portnoy mentions his previous experience with odd time signatures in Dream Theater.

He emphasizes the difficulty of learning the song, likening it to a mathematical equation.

Portnoy watches Danny Carey's playthrough for visual assistance in understanding the song.

The drummer counts out time signatures and patterns, trying to decipher the song's structure.

Portnoy discusses the importance of repetition and practice in learning complex music.

He attempts to play along with the song, facing the challenge of odd time signatures.

Portnoy takes breaks to maintain focus and energy during the intense learning process.

The drummer reflects on the process of learning music, comparing it to solving a puzzle.

Portnoy contemplates the possibility of using transcriptions to aid in learning the song.

He expresses his awe at the complexity of the song, considering it a masterpiece.

Portnoy's son texts him, humorously acknowledging the difficulty of the song.

The drummer concludes by stating the song is one of the most difficult ever recorded.

Portnoy reflects on the entire experience, considering the challenge and the learning process.

Transcripts

00:00

what else would we give you you can play

00:03

everything I don't know if I should

00:04

thank you or kill you this isn't a song

00:08

this is a mathematic

00:11

equation you

00:13

Danny Carrey lose my

00:15

number I don't want this gig you want to

00:18

do a first attempt

00:22

no I'm speaking out loud here I'm just

00:24

so freaking confused

00:30

this makes Dream Theater sound likeing

00:35

[Music]

00:37

Weezer Mike I've waited a long time to

00:39

do this video you know it's strange I'm

00:42

not nervous about this like I should be

00:44

scared because now I'm actually expected

00:47

to nail something what would we possibly

00:50

give Mike pornoy who can play the dance

00:52

of Eternity but before we jump in if you

00:54

look at the iPad on your left and you

00:56

swipe left there's a video for you to

00:59

watch before you start oh

01:01

boy oh hey Mike Jordan here I know

01:05

that everybody at Dro has a pretty cool

01:08

challenge for you but I also know that

01:11

you my friend of the ultimate Prague

01:13

drummer you can do it your musicality

01:16

will shine through breathe get your

01:18

bottle of Advil ready it's all going to

01:21

happen you're going to have fun and I'll

01:22

see you soon

01:24

enough this this track does he know what

01:27

it is he knows what it is he said it was

01:29

a great Choice I'm a 56-year-old man

01:31

here I I I have I have my limitations

01:34

you may have heard uh Jordan did have to

01:36

learn the woven web by animals as

01:38

leaders you please we're we're not

01:41

giving you that according to the

01:43

internet in 2019 you went on record

01:45

saying this album that the song is from

01:48

was one of your top albums of 2019 so

01:51

that may help you out what did I was

01:53

what was I listened to in 2019

01:57

[Music]

02:10

h i mean this is this is tool right this

02:14

is tool it is how would you how can you

02:16

give me a tool song come

02:18

on just for you Mike I'm not Dennis

02:21

Chambers you know okay I got a problem

02:23

with this I mean for the record Danny

02:25

Cary

02:27

is one of the most creative drummers

02:29

I've ever heard so whatever I mean this

02:32

is going to be

02:35

impossible I mean do I have to play all

02:37

of that I don't have any kind of can

02:40

make your own creative choices well I

02:43

whatever you want to do here we

02:48

go let me find the

02:53

one I already can't find the one

02:57

Danny

03:00

oh there's a

03:02

[Music]

03:05

click all right we got to get the time

03:08

[Music]

03:12

signature triple

03:13

[Music]

03:15

f are the vocals

03:21

help oh

03:25

man please tell me this is only like 4

03:27

minutes long not like eight or 9 or 10

03:30

or 12

03:32

minutes you're a legend

03:34

[Music]

03:36

[Applause]

03:36

[Music]

03:39

[Applause]

03:42

Mike all right this part I

03:46

got those verses are

03:51

Killers can I just say Danny they

03:54

probably spent how many years writing

03:55

this like 10 years what do I get 10

03:58

minutes

04:01

no it's going to be a long night boys

04:03

better put that pot of coffee on it's

04:05

going to be a long

04:07

night

04:09

oh this is a play on the versus I

04:12

believe well I'll figure that out when I

04:15

come to

04:17

it is so

04:20

[Music]

04:24

good all right boys wrap it up wrap it

04:26

up get on with it you wankers

04:31

[Music]

04:33

all right so I have to start by saying

04:35

first of all that's awesome so

04:39

phenomenal I mean Danny is just so tasty

04:42

so creative but

04:47

what else would we give you you can

04:51

play everything it's one thing to write

04:53

like that it's one thing to write

04:55

like the I have written with Dream

04:57

Theater but to be put on the SP like

05:00

this is just cruel on the record this is

05:03

uh definitely the most Savage learning a

05:06

song video dromeo has ever done oh

05:08

thanks so um welcome

05:11

here uh this is going to take a little

05:13

while I'm going to probably need a round

05:15

to get just the arrangement before I

05:17

even start tackling the time signatures

05:19

and then then there's the actual drum

05:21

Parts themselves base

05:25

intro now that's the key right there

05:27

that's I got to

05:30

unlock that time signature a song like

05:33

this you need to listen to 20 30 times

05:36

to the 100 times to get these nuances we

05:40

believe in you Mike I still have yet to

05:42

crack the code on the time signatures

05:43

and the verses yeah we can Loop that as

05:45

many times as you want yeah yeah yeah

05:47

that would be

05:49

good ah oh it's a it's almost like a

05:53

nine a not time before the the tag I

05:57

think once I crack the code everything

05:59

else will fall into place assuming they

06:02

stick to those time signatures cuz a lot

06:04

of times like what we'll do in dream

06:06

theat is we'll have this wacky code that

06:10

and once you crack it then we'll

06:12

with it some more

06:14

later well that doesn't help that it

06:17

sounds like he's coming in on the upbeat

06:19

or on the two I'm speaking out loud here

06:21

I'm just so freaking

06:25

confused doesn't help if he's playing a

06:28

poly Rhythm over that

06:29

[Music]

06:31

I'm going to put add fills for the

06:33

second half of the second

06:36

chorus then the halftime

06:39

tag all right let's keep going I'm going

06:42

to have to come back to the Crack the

06:43

Code still have to make some drumming

06:46

notes for this breakdown and the pump

06:48

count

06:51

bars all right so here comes the pump

06:56

[Music]

06:58

two three these poor camera guys I feel

07:00

so bad for you

07:02

guys I mean it's building every time

07:05

every four bars something else is coming

07:07

in oh where was

07:09

I okay so four rounds of counter double

07:13

base comes in that's two

07:16

rounds land on the

07:20

four land on four guitar

07:23

setup now back to the code

07:31

[Applause]

07:31

[Music]

07:33

every time that comes in it's so

07:36

[Music]

07:40

huge snares are

07:45

on adding Phils again on the second half

07:48

of the course then the

07:51

tag what a song yeah it is it is an

07:54

amazing song to listen to It's a

07:58

nightmare to learn I will get

08:01

this it's just going to take some time

08:03

all right piss break piss and coffee

08:05

break you guys are okay with being

08:07

patient right oh yeah all the time you

08:09

need okay enjoyable us what was some of

08:11

the other ones that other people yeah

08:13

you couldn't give me a foo fighter dude

08:15

or

08:16

a God I would have loved a foo fighter

08:19

song you want to do a first attempt

08:22

no let me ask you something you

08:24

mentioned Danny car's playthrough would

08:25

it be cheating for me to watch that I

08:28

think that that could be cool uh see

08:30

already having the visual helps and this

08:33

is he's not even playing the groove yet

08:35

but

08:36

just when I have to learn a song A lot

08:39

of times I will go to YouTube and and

08:41

seeing it somehow helps cement it a

08:44

little bit

08:45

[Music]

08:55

better now it's not any easier

09:00

[Music]

09:02

all right so for starters I'll say this

09:05

when I was just listening I was only

09:07

hearing the drums but now I'm seeing

09:09

what he's performing that he's doing so

09:11

much more I still I don't know how many

09:14

full listens through it this is at this

09:16

point maybe five or you can't feel this

09:18

so I have to I have to crack the

09:21

[Music]

09:24

code we

09:28

are well and

09:31

[Music]

09:32

wonder about you

09:38

[Music]

09:55

[Music]

10:02

I so wish like I already knew how to

10:04

play this song yeah he just bust it out

10:06

and like it's

10:08

perfect do you want to take a listen to

10:10

the the verse section once more yep I'm

10:12

still I'm still trying to trying to C

10:15

crack that code watching definitely

10:17

helped the other thing would be to look

10:18

up the transcriptions we have that lever

10:21

but we're not going to give that one to

10:23

you yeah okay if it if it gets to that

10:25

point that's uh we've got that

10:30

all right keep going I think I've

10:34

getting

10:36

somewhere all right I'm counting a lot

10:38

of elens in there six and

10:44

fives 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2

10:49

3 4 5 6

10:54

[Music]

11:01

have you figured out like what the cycle

11:02

is at this point uh um well the start of

11:06

each phrase is a 66 and a five thank you

11:08

for your patience but yeah this is a

11:10

challenge uh if you don't mind

11:12

keep looping

11:13

[Music]

11:16

that 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 so it's 1 2 3 and 1

11:20

2 3 4 five I think 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1

11:25

2 3 4 okay all right that's three 3 3 43

11:31

you sure you don't want to do a food

11:32

fighter

11:32

[Music]

11:32

[Laughter]

11:34

[Music]

11:42

so how many hours are we on at this at

11:45

this point Mike we've loaded up uh Dro

11:48

songs with the transcription for Numa

11:51

yeah it's all sixes fives and threes I

11:53

mean then again all all of music is yeah

11:57

wow okay well this helps I'm not even

11:59

going to look at the actual drum

12:00

notation I'm just going to look at the

12:06

numbers 3 5 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4

12:12

5 2 3 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 4 5 6 1 2 3

12:19

4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

12:23

6 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3

12:29

all right hang

12:30

on it's got bars of five fives and

12:34

threes think of those mors as sixes and

12:37

twos but maybe maybe not are you

12:39

noticing uh like a time signature

12:42

pattern or cycle that's repeating in in

12:45

the verse I'm still trying to grasp it

12:47

do you do you know it the accents are

12:49

all weird but there is like a three

12:51

number cycle that well six 65 65 65 it's

12:57

all 65 it's pretty much all 11

13:01

6565

13:03

665 the neighbor of the

13:06

Beast I've always thought of this as

13:08

like a 12 1110 cycle or broken out I

13:11

mean sixes and fives all the way through

13:13

but this makes Dream Theater sound like

13:17

Weezer with all due respect to Weezer I

13:19

love

13:20

Weezer but yeah I mean this is this is

13:22

crazy

13:25

[Music]

13:34

even even seeing it it's hard to even

13:37

Crack the Code so when you're learning

13:40

uh for any of your other bands or

13:42

anything where what you could stop right

13:44

there whatever I have done to ever learn

13:47

for any of my bands is completely

13:49

pointless to this

13:51

exercise or to anybody else ever needing

13:53

to learn anything who who is going to

13:55

need to learn this

14:00

you might get the call and then you'll

14:02

thank us no Danny Cary lose my number I

14:05

don't want this

14:08

gig on that note here's H here's the top

14:10

of the song

14:13

[Music]

14:15

[Applause]

14:17

[Music]

14:18

[Applause]

14:21

okay uh can you take it from the the the

14:24

guitar setup

14:27

[Applause]

14:30

[Music]

14:31

okay it's not the same

14:33

thing it's

14:35

not all right hang on a second you

14:40

when the setup is in the

14:42

in the same riff and then they decide to

14:44

change it yeah what the what we'll

14:47

do in Dream Theater is we'll have this

14:49

code that and once you crack it then

14:51

we'll with it some more later this

14:53

isn't a song this is a mathematic

14:56

equation

15:00

all right let's

15:04

[Music]

15:05

go we're going to have to Loop this last

15:07

[Applause]

15:07

[Music]

15:09

[Applause]

15:12

[Music]

15:14

bit do I have to get this in one take in

15:17

one shot I would say even if we do like

15:19

a few sections of this and end the video

15:21

there's no way like the song can be

15:23

perfected in a session no there's no way

15:25

I think it would be most advantageous if

15:27

we took it section by section I mean

15:29

this is like tossing somebody like Frank

15:31

Zappa the black page the

15:34

comprehension the learning the listening

15:37

well not even get talking about the

15:38

playing the playing is just one of so

15:42

many aspects to this that is makes this

15:44

a a ridiculous experiment all right so

15:48

at this point uh do you want to just

15:50

jump to that first verse I I say let's

15:53

start from the top play along with that

15:56

and let's see where we end up is it do

15:59

you have a music stand I could put this

16:01

on yeah we can bet you one all right May

16:04

the force be with you

16:07

[Music]

16:27

[Music]

16:37

[Music]

16:45

[Music]

16:55

[Music]

17:01

you

17:03

[Music]

17:34

[Music]

17:54

[Applause]

17:55

[Music]

18:11

we

18:12

[Music]

18:14

are

18:17

Spirit I'm bound to this

18:21

[Music]

18:22

flesh we going

18:26

around watch nail

18:31

down about

18:35

you a reach out

18:40

beond this

18:42

[Music]

18:49

flesh we

18:52

are will wonder

18:58

don't

19:02

you

19:04

remember

19:07

are one

19:09

breath one

19:11

word

19:12

I one spot Sun

19:17

[Music]

20:02

[Music]

20:04

[Applause]

20:12

child W up

20:18

child Wake Up Now child wake up

20:25

child light wake up

20:29

child

20:30

[Music]

21:03

about

21:05

you of this

21:09

flesh this guys this

21:14

m this

21:18

dream wake up

21:21

remember are BN out one

21:25

breath one word

21:28

I all one SP

21:32

Sun King

21:38

[Music]

21:54

[Music]

21:58

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22:00

[Applause]

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[Music]

22:11

[Applause]

22:12

[Music]

22:13

[Applause]

22:15

[Music]

22:48

[Music]

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[Music]

23:28

n

23:32

[Music]

24:10

[Applause]

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[Music]

24:20

[Applause]

24:23

[Music]

24:27

n

24:29

a

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[Applause]

24:31

[Music]

24:52

[Music]

24:58

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