With regard to all the talk of breaks, did someone mention the most
important part, that being they come from jazz? Breaks are not necessarliy
any drum loop strictly speaking. 'True' breaks are lifted off of old
records (like the amen) in particluar jazz recordings.
I'm holding in my hand a cool CD that I suggest some of you get ahold of
if you are not into jazz music. It's a good intro to the vast genre and
it's called "Blue Breakbeats" on Blue Note, the seminal jazz label. It's
jazzy tunes with breaks from the late 60's early 70's. The liner notes
(edited by me) read as follows:
Breaks, samples, beats? You are now entering into the mysterious world of
hip hop culture. Confused? Let's take the advice of Jimmy Castor's
"Trcglodyte" and 'Go Back, Way Back"...
New York mid-70's, and disco rules the mainstream clubs, four to the
floor, syn drums and Rashing lights dragged the dance
Floor screaming towards Saturday Night Fever culture, a scene that would
all but exclude young urban blacks.
In the block parties throughout Harlem, the Bronx end elsewhere
however a whole new thing was being created. Mixing the streetfunk of the
70's and the downhome soul of the 60's with the grittiest disco tunes
pioneering DJs like Cool Herc and Afrika Bambaattaa would use the
breakdown part of these records - a drumbeat, a riff, even a word - and
using two copies would extend them into a new rhythmic groove, using the
turntable and stylus as their instruments. The new rhythm grooves were
given vitality by scratching - the sound of the needle spinning
backwards in the groove as the DJ realigned it. The records
themselves were closely guarded secrets - their labels steamed off
to protect their identity and exclusivity. As the new rhythmic
loops developed in length so members of the audience would come
forward to improvise raps over the beat and create a whole new music.
If the drum machine - and particularly the Poland 808 - has revolutionised
the rhythmic side of rap, the breaks remain a vital ingredient, moving
from the familiar James Brown beats, screams and grunts, to the acid funky
stylings of George Clinton and the entire P-funkadelic family which rule
the floor today. Jan beats have been there since the beginning - the
cowbells of Bob James' 'Mardi Gras" formed the groove for Cool J's "Rock
the Bells" and Mantronix - but the new school has turned to jazz as
the natural soundtrack for their more concious and aware raps. Acts like
the UMC's (who recently looped Blue Mitchell's "Good Humour Man" for their
smash "One To Grown On"), A Tribe Called Quest (who used bassist Ron
Carter playing live on their last record). De La Soul, Dal tha' Funkee
Homosapien, the UK's Young Disciples and Galliano, Black Sheep, Third
Bass, Queen Latifah, Kid Frost (Gerard Wilson's "Viva Tirade" forms the
backbone of his :La Paza"), Main Source, Public Enemy (Branford Marsalis
appeared on their "Fight the Power" track) and the Jungle Brothers have
pioneered a whole new form - jazz rap - by delving ever deeper into black
music's history for the breaks. Gangstarr paid tribute to the source with
their "Jau Thang" and took it to the charts - 'Omette Coleman, he was a
soul man"...
...Inevitably Blue Note - the finest of them all - is a natural source,
just as its tunes became a mainstay of the UK jazz dance scene. The finest
in jazz is proud to present a collection of ever desirable tunes, both
electric and acoustic, which have either been sampled, or are, in our
view, on the hotlist. Get down to business, homies, and remember Bobby
Bird's advice, It's got to be funky"...
-Dean Rudland
oh yeah, some Sqaurepusher tracks using the amen:
off of Feed Me Weird Things:
Tundra
off of Hard Normal Daddy:
Vic Acid
off of Port Rhombus:
Port Rhombus
(I think Problem Child too, sometimes it's hard to tell with TJ!)
off of DJ Food's "Refried Food"
Scratch yer Hed (Square Pusher Mix)
(one of the dopest amen tracks I've ever heard. Beautiful stuff.)
peace all,
Nate Harrison
Digital Magician Inc.
www.digimagician.com
nate@digimagician.com
313.994.7316