Re: sampling & evolution

Tony Reid (t-bird@salata.com)
10 Feb 97 13:24:52 -0800


gh> Brian sez:
gh>
gh> Personally, I don't mind sampling. It is just that if we accept
gh> sampling to be a contemporary parallel to the revolution of be-bop, we
gh> are selling ourselves short. Be-bop was such a departure from its
gh> roots. It was truly revolutionary. I don't think that anything in
gh> music since then has been so explosive. It isn't something that we can
gh> control but I think that it helps to be aware of where we are going
gh> and where we came from.
gh>
gh>
gh> I think a move toward simplicity in music is just as
gh> revolutionary/evolutionary as bebop's complexity. Personally one
gh> of the things that draws me toward sampling-based music is its
gh> refinement, simplicity, and repetition. It takes the best and
gh> sometimes worst from another work and presents it to us in a
gh> crystallized fashion. I don't think I need to remind anybody of
gh> how complex our day-to-day lives seem. The refined beats and
gh> samples of artists like those that we talk about on this list are
gh> pretty refreshing when everything's said and done.
gh>
gh> my 2 pesos,
gh>
gh> Gordon

well, i wouldn't look at sampling as necessarily being a more simplistic
thing. look at some of the ninja tune stuff, particularly coldcut/dj food.
there are several layers going on there, not just a groove from tune a w/a
beat from tune b.

when i've talked to intellectual friends of mine (professors, writers,
etc.) about dj culture, they find it a challenge to listen to music that's
made in a way completely different than their previous conceptions about
music
creation. i think sampling has *allowed* music to be created that is
revolutionary mainly because of the subtext--anything can be transmuted.
changing the context of something (in this case music) changes it's meaning,

importance and function.

the revolution of bebop was to move jazz from being primarily a dance form,

to becoming a "serious" or "art" form--music made primarily to be listened
to.
it also allowed the soloists to stretch out, and try things they couldn't do

before--because of having to consider the dance crowd. i personally
consider
it more of a challenge to be artistic, and *still* keep butts moving, but
there's definitely a point in artistic evolution where you don't want to be
constrained by anything other than what you're hearing in your head...

i'm just starting to work w/some people that are getting
me into the 2x4 vibe (2 djs, 4 turntables all simultaneously) which is what
the ninja tune guys are known for (i.e. herbalizer, coldcut & dj food).
having come from a jazz background (i'm a keyboardist) i can say that you
have
to listen as intently to all the elements (as a player), if not more, when
you're doing a 2x4 just like when playing jazz (i'm more of a post-bop/60s
fan).

getting back to the sampling, i find that i get annoyed w/hiring people to
replay samples (or reasonable facsimilies) instead of using the original
loop.
it feels like cheating to me (oddly enough). for me, when you want to use a
particular sample, there's more than just the notes you're looking for (even
if subconsciously), there's the sound of the recording (which is what you
are
really clearing w/the record company, anyway) which adds a certain
atmosphere
and "je ne se qua" (sorry, i never took french--spanish was more practical).
i'm probably going to have to do this myself, but i'm not happy about it...

i feel that sampling is just part of a paradigm shift were experiencing
culturally (pre-millenium tension?).

t-bird

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