Sampling in music

[Catherine..]

What do you think of the samples in music?
For instance Timbaland took Nina Simone - Sinnerman and turned it into Timbaland where you gon' run to.

I think sometimes it works well, and makes people look up the original sons. But what happened to originality. And conjuring up a melody or music piece from scratch.

 

[arXter]

good topic

i think it depends on the extent of sampling (if we're talking about using existing music)

taking and using full melodies as they are is just dumb - although sometimes it can bring something new to the table to an audience that may never hear of it e.g. Timbaland jacking Middle-Eastern stuff - but it's still iffy.

but using sampling as an additional instrument is where it gets really creative. it really is an art form in itself and when done right e.g. layering small snippets, processing them, arranging etc. as an accompaniment to your own piece, it can sound beautiful.

the best producer to have ever laid hands on a sampler has to be J Dilla. now there was a genius who knew how to make beats.

someone else who is so so creative in this is Steve Spacek

http://www.myspace.com/stevespacek

and you get many non-hip-hop producers sampling (ever since the late 70s) and still coming out with authentic music.

so i have absolutely nothing against sampling original music per se - it just depends on how you do it.

 

[eighthnoterojo]

But what happened to originality. And conjuring up a melody or music piece from scratch.

I'm still looking...

While we're at it, what happened to playing musical instruments too?

Ok, I shouldn't generalize; there are still a few things that are original here and there. Samples can be used in original ways, but often they aren't. I guess same goes for stuff played on instruments though...

 

[BillieJeanDarling]

I like it as far as it's done well. For example, Kanye West is great at sampling tracks IMO. Song like Stronger and Good Life are excellent, they don't have too much of the original track, and it fits. However I don't like Rihanna's Don't Stop The Music. The track sounds too full with the WBSS sample, IMO, and it's all over the place.

So as long as the sample works and it fits with the song, I don't have a problem in it. But when it's done too much, it loses it's meaning. People should do something new instead of just grabbing a familiar beat from a classic and building a new song around it. Often those kind of songs just make you want to go and listen to the original track.

 

[motown lady]

(Late 70's) Sampling in music....began as a 'great technique'...but sadly, at some point, became :mello:mainstream...& thus....overdoneuke:

I honestly believe it's at least a bit responsible for the declining state of today's music industry. If artists continue to 'sample their way through' rather than to compose/create something new, the industry will remain at a standstill.

MJ recently responded in his Ebony interview, that a 'Michael Jackson budget' wasn't necessary for a true artist/musician to make music!
So true... just ask Berry Gordy & Artists about the humble beginnings of the Motown sound, or Bill Withers, Prince or Lenny K. & Alicia K.,(who's sampled tracks I care least for) for that matter.

 

[DuranDuran]

It can be interesting if obscure, non famous tracks are used. But I don't like that Puffy P. Diddy style of just rapping over an instrumental track of old pop hits, nor that speeding up of old soul vocals. That's annoying, lol. I think turntable scratching is better than just taking a bit of a track and putting it into a computer.