diff --git a/strudel.mjs b/strudel.mjs
index c08519a9..5eaa8a20 100644
--- a/strudel.mjs
+++ b/strudel.mjs
@@ -426,6 +426,36 @@ class Pattern {
         return patterned
    }
 
+   _fastGap (factor) {
+        // Maybe it's better without this fallback..
+        // if (factor < 1) {
+        //     // there is no gap.. so maybe revert to _fast?
+        //     return this._fast(factor)
+        // }
+        const qf = function(span) { 
+            const cycle = span.begin.sam()
+            const begin = cycle.add(span.begin.sub(cycle).mul(factor).min(1))
+            const end   = cycle.add(span.end.sub(cycle).mul(factor).min(1))
+            return new TimeSpan(begin, end)
+        }
+        const ef = function(span) { 
+            const cycle = span.begin.sam()
+            const begin = cycle.add(span.begin.sub(cycle).div(factor).min(1))
+            const end   = cycle.add(span.end.sub(cycle).div(factor).min(1))
+            return new TimeSpan(begin, end)
+        }
+        return this.withQuerySpan(qf).withEventSpan(ef)._splitQueries()
+    }
+
+    _compressSpan(span) {
+        const b = span.begin
+        const e = span.end
+        if (b > e || b > 1 || e > 1 || b < 0 || e < 0) {
+            return silence
+        }
+        return this._fastGap(Fraction(1).div(e.sub(b)))._late(b)
+    }
+
     _fast(factor) {
         const fastQuery = this.withQueryTime(t => t.mul(factor))
         return fastQuery.withEventTime(t => t.div(factor))
@@ -573,6 +603,18 @@ function cat(...pats) {
     return fastcat(...pats)
 }
 
+function timeCat(...timepats) {
+    const total = timepats.map(a => a[0]).reduce((a,b) => a.add(b), Fraction(0))
+    let begin = Fraction(0)
+    const pats = []
+    for (const [time, pat] of timepats) {
+        const end = begin.add(time)
+        pats.push(reify(pat)._compressSpan(new TimeSpan(begin.div(total), end.div(total))))
+        begin = end
+    }
+    return stack(...pats)
+}
+
 function _sequenceCount(x) {
     if(Array.isArray(x)) {
         if (x.length == 0) {
@@ -639,7 +681,7 @@ const late  = curry((a, pat) => pat.late(a))
 const rev   = pat => pat.rev()
 
 export {Fraction, TimeSpan, Hap, Pattern, 
-    pure, stack, slowcat, fastcat, cat, sequence, polymeter, pm, polyrhythm, pr, reify, silence,
+    pure, stack, slowcat, fastcat, cat, timeCat, sequence, polymeter, pm, polyrhythm, pr, reify, silence,
     fast, slow, early, late, rev
 }
 
diff --git a/test/pattern.test.mjs b/test/pattern.test.mjs
index bd13c4d3..f234ad77 100644
--- a/test/pattern.test.mjs
+++ b/test/pattern.test.mjs
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import Fraction from 'fraction.js'
 
 import { strict as assert } from 'assert';
 
-import {TimeSpan, Hap, Pattern, pure, stack, fastcat, slowcat, cat, sequence, polyrhythm, silence, fast} from "../strudel.mjs";
+import {TimeSpan, Hap, Pattern, pure, stack, fastcat, slowcat, cat, sequence, polyrhythm, silence, fast, timeCat} from "../strudel.mjs";
+//import { Time } from 'tone';
+import pkg from 'tone';
+const { Time } = pkg;
 
 const ts = (begin, end) => new TimeSpan(Fraction(begin), Fraction(end));
 const hap = (whole, part, value) => new Hap(whole, part, value)
@@ -89,6 +92,32 @@ describe('Pattern', function() {
       assert.equal(pure("a")._fast(2).firstCycle.length, 2)
     })
   })
+  describe('_fastGap()', function () {
+    it('Makes things faster, with a gap', function () {
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        sequence("a", "b", "c")._fastGap(2).firstCycle,
+        sequence(["a","b","c"], silence).firstCycle
+      )
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        sequence("a", "b", "c")._fastGap(3).firstCycle,
+        sequence(["a","b","c"], silence, silence).firstCycle
+      )
+    })
+    it('Makes things faster, with a gap, when speeded up further', function () {
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        sequence("a", "b", "c")._fastGap(2).fast(2).firstCycle,
+        sequence(["a","b","c"], silence, ["a","b","c"], silence).firstCycle
+      )
+    })
+  })
+  describe('_compressSpan()', function () {
+    it('Can squash cycles of a pattern into a given timespan', function () {
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        pure("a")._compressSpan(new TimeSpan(0.25, 0.5)).firstCycle,
+        sequence(silence, "a", silence, silence).firstCycle
+      )
+    })
+  })
   describe('fast()', function () {
     it('Makes things faster', function () {
       assert.equal(pure("a").fast(2).firstCycle.length, 2)
@@ -195,4 +224,12 @@ describe('Pattern', function() {
       )      
     })
   })
+  describe('timeCat()', function() {
+    it('Can concatenate patterns with different relative durations', function() {
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(
+        sequence("a", ["a", "a"]).firstCycle,
+        timeCat([1,"a"], [0.5, "a"], [0.5, "a"]).firstCycle
+      )
+    })
+  })
 })