So this month I wanted to write about sampling. Sampling is an art form mostly devoted to vinyl, the art of making sound out of sound. When talking about sampling, you need a reference. So I decided to write about samples, or more specifically, tracks I like to sample. This is a daunting task, for there are thousands of brilliant tracks out there that are waiting to be sampled. I needed a theme. So I hit up my good friend and rare groove aficionado Mammalsounds up for some ideas. This month we are proud to present:
Dinner & Dancing with Neil deGrasse Tyson
(a soundtrack to the perfect first date with the freshest astronomer)
Arthur Verocai – Na Boca Do Sol
(Arthur Verocai, 1972)
So I wanted to start strong, set the mood at a hard, yet soft level. The contrast with the hard brass and wind instrumentation and the vocalization on this track are heart wrenching. Mr. Verocai is a Brazilian Jazz musician of the highest caliber. I’m pretty sure the Portuguese translation to this track is, “Lets get down and do the nasty this second.” Notice the flutes between the vocal segments—great little segments to separate along with the horn intro.
Lupin III – You Are Like Breeze Variation
(Castle of Cagliostro OST, 1979)
Taken from the soundtrack to the Japanese Anime classic Castle of Cagliostro. This track is more laid back, it almost has a Muzak quality to it. Though there is a strange, almost comical slide guitar throughout. If you take the flute trills, ignore the cheesy vibraphone action in the middle and the stabs at the end of the chorus, you could make something unexpected.
François De Roubaix – Piratage Nocturne
(La Grande Lessive, 1968)
Two-sided tracks are so much fun to sample, especially one made by the legendary François De Roubaix, the French film composer whose catalog is a sampling gold mine. Notice how halfway through the track it changes to a 3/4 beat focusing on sax and piano. There are so many possibilities when it comes to sampling this track. One thing I love about French tracks is the way they constantly switch keys to add emotion, making the song evolve musically.
Brian Bennett & Alan Hawkshaw – Getting It Together
(Synthesis, 1974)
This track has the right combination for a great ’70s sample, clean synths, funky performance, minimal drums. Both of these guys were sampled to death back in the early ’90s, yet this album seems to have been untouched, an unexpected funk phenomenon from the UK. Notice the jam section at the 2:30 mark on the track, easy to pull funky backing-loops to make a new track. The chorus is too fresh to leave alone, just beef it up and you’ve got yourself a hit.
Bruno Spoerri – Title
(Glückskugel, 2006)
This is the oddball pick. Only a minute long, this track goes through many musical themes. Great for separating in stabs, making something brand new when you put it back together. This was a side project from Bruno’s regular job creating jingles for advertisements. Also surprisingly funky for a German composer.
The Undisputed Truth – Space Machine
(Smokin’, 1979)
I finally found truth that aliens exist, and they are a funky bunch. The only American group on this compilation (while I’m writing this I’m watching them perform on Soul Train with massive white afros and dayglo paint on their faces). These drums kill, the bass and guitar scream sex; a great find on record. Notice around 4:50 the track goes to a female vocal and a drum machine. “Talkin’ ’bout the space machine girl!”
Earth & Fire – A Life-Time Before
(Gate to Infinity, 1977)
The reason this track starts so abruptly is because like most good Norwegian prog-rock, the album was supposed to tell a story, one song going straight in to the next. The vocals are rather silly, but there are plenty of spaces to chop out good loops or stabs between the vocals. The synth has a cheesy aspect to it, but in the right hands it could become fresh. Also notice the xylophone part at 1:08.
Charanjit Singh – Raga Bhairav
(Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat, 1982)
This album is an astonishing find. An Indian proto-acid album from ’82, five years before the first acid track was made, on the other side of the globe. Vintage synth is always in style. Especially strange ethnic synth like this. This would be something I could see Dilla fans making new, like a Flying Lotus style track. All of the tracks on this album are rather similar, the main difference is this track has that odd vocoder at the beginning.
Mort Garson – I’ve Been Over The Rainbow
(The Wozard of Iz, 1968)
This comes from a late ’60s hippie electronic revisionist version of The Wizard of Oz, called The Wozard of Iz. I personally love the novelty of this record. If you like this you should also check out Mort’s album Zodiak and his more industrial album Black Mass Lucifer. He is comparable to guys like Bruce Haack, but more thought out, using moogs instead of building his own synthesizers. Great little vocal parts at the beginning. There are no drums throughout this track, making chopping simple.
Martin Kratochvil & Jazz Q – Toledo
(Elegy, 1980)
No, not like the city in Ohio. Actually, I don’t know what this song is about. This is considered Czech jazz, though I have yet to hear anything quite like this track. Its almost as if R2-D2 joined a prog-rock band and only produced one song. A very hard track to sample, but if you do, you will have something unique.
Piero Umiliani – Tropical River
(To-Day’s Sound, 1997)
I wanted to end the album on a finishing point, the themes are so bold and beautiful, something like a dream. Piero was an Italian film composer, one of the many Italian composers worth sampling. I love how hard-panned some of the instruments are, making it easy to separate sides and take what you want. Notice at 2:52 when this strange synthesis comes in and out, making a chilled out jazz track more unique.
All of these tracks are available on Vinyl. Several are reprinted and remastered. I hope I gave you some new names to look for the next time you go digging. I will be spinning a funk set Saturday June 4th at the DC Record Fair at uncapped LIVE in the afternoon.
Mammalsounds is a DJ from the heart of Texas. He spent several years in the DC area working at XM radio and hosting the first national dubstep show. You can listen to his work on Soundcloud.
The Metaphysical has two monthlys at The Rock and Roll Hotel: GKYK with DJ Keenan (Second Saturdays, next show 6/11), and STANK! (Last Saturdays, next show 6/25). He also has a nu disco party Church, with DJ Dean every Sunday at Asylum. The Metaphysical is also in international hip hop group mathpanda and travels the globe as a DJ.
He will also be spinning at the DC Record Fair this coming Saturday (6/4) at vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE.
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