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Sampling: Original or Not?
You can listen to almost any song nowadays and hear some sort of familiar beat and trace it back to someone else. This is called sampling. Sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a sound recording in a different song or piece. Kanye West is a master of this, as well as other notable producers, such as DJ Premier. Sampling is not bound to just hip-hop though, everyone from pop to rock to dance have been sampling all the way back to the 1940′s.
The LA rap tandem "People Under the Stairs" walks around entering random record stores buying various vinyls in hopes of finding their next sample.
However, over time sampling has become more controversial, legally and musically. In earlier times, these experimental musicians did not inform or receive permission from the song owners. In the 1970′s, when hip-hop was confined to local dance parties, it was unnecessary to obtain copyright clearance. It became more necessary to pay for legal clearance as the genre went mainstream in the 1980′s. This forced hip hop to shift toward a wider aesthetic, with many producers crafting wholly original recordings to serve as backing tracks. Aside from legal issues, sampling has been both championed and criticized. Some critics, particularly those with a rockist outlook, have expressed the belief that all sampling is a lack of creativity, while others say sampling has been innovative and revolutionary.
I personally love it. With the progress of the Internet, sharing music is easier than ever and by sampling you are giving a sort of tribute to others’ hard work. I do understand the other side’s qualms about sampling because of the copyright issues. But with the restrictions and rules that are in place, song owners should be fairly compensated. For the purists who do not believe that it is not original enough, listen to Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and try to tell me the layering of sounds is not unique and amazing.
Sampling takes great skill and a nuanced musical ear to understand how to use a certain sound. It is very difficult to dig through music that spans across various genres and history, and listen to music that you may not even like, but you may find a gem of a snippet of a sound that is unbelievable to the ears. I truly believe that sampling is a method of creativity that builds off of the foundation of others and allows the sampler to add their own uniqueness to a sound.
Every Kanye West Sample as of 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XaDeC2LEdA
MBDTF samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TSDc0vZMkc
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Weekend RoundUp: MIDEM 2012 sets the stage for global music business
MIDEM, or the Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale is the largest music industry trade fair in the world, being hosted this year in Cannes, France at the Palais de France from January 28th to the 31st. The great thing about MIDEM, is that aside from hosting the biggest labels and record companies in the world, it also hosts the International Indie Summit during the conference. MIDEM is presented by the organizers as a marketplace, above all else, as it provides a platform for musicians, policy makers, marketers, and other professionals in the industry to come together and exchange ideas and resources. Some of the interviews that come out of MIDEM are truly insightful, and in many cases, give a window into the coming year in music. We’re listening this year and plan to attend next year.
Interview: DIY Extroidonaire, Zoe KeatonI always want to include professional cellist, Zoe Keaton in our posts because she is the best example of an independent artist’s success today. Watch her MIDEM interview below, and take a look at this article giving a brief look at how she’s achieved success. Definitely worth a read. We hear she might be looking for a physical distributor — someone point her in our direction!!
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Bloggers Vs. DJs
Is this the man who will replace the DJ?
In the last few years, blogs have emerged as one of the main sources of music for the public. Many bloggers are trusted to give an unbiased opinion on new artists and releases. Have they overtaken the role of the radio DJ?
It used to be that an artist would have to go to the radio station and give them a track and beg them to play it. The problem was, if you weren’t hot at the time they wouldn’t play you, but you needed them to play you to get your name out there. Chicken and the Egg. So to get play, the artist would wine and dine the DJ (with the DJ running up quite a bill) in the hopes that it would be enough to motivate the DJ to play their track. Is it worth going through all this trouble anymore?
It really comes down to public opinion and access to some sort of portable media player. For the most part I use my iPod everywhere I go, including in the car, so the radio DJ’s aren’t making my play-lists, I am. And where am I finding my music? Either Internet radio (with no DJ’s like Spotify and Pandora), blogs, or just flipping through related music on YouTube.
So then the question comes back around to “can the DJ keep his/her relevancy?” There are thousands of DJs in every state that want to be friends with artists, always looking for new drops, special songs, and a phone call. However, as the artist also wants to be friends with the DJ, the DJ is not obligated to the artist in any way and actually becomes in debt to the DJ. In the case of radio, the DJ plays what they are ordered to play. Most club DJ’s play what they think everyone wants to hear. Don’t get me wrong, there are still brave DJ’s out there who DJ the way that they want to, but they are a dying breed.
More and more music sites and blogs pop up everyday and are becoming more popular because of the endless new music, news, and fresh perspectives. If the DJ is to survive, they must be able to compete; meaning the same music you love to listen to when you’re in your car should kind of match the music you play on your show.
Don’t let my amazing blogging affect your opinion on bloggers vs. DJ’s, both are influential and play an important role in music today – just in different ways.
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I’m a S.I.N.ner
It’s okay to sin (in some cases), and in this case, it was okay to S.I.N all over the 9:30 Club. What I’m referring to is the “Strength In Numbers” national tour that was in Washington, D.C. this past Tuesday night. The tour features an excellent line-up of great bands, each bringing their own flavor to the mix.
Strength In Numbers Tour
What brought me to this show (besides the great music) was Sparks The Rescue frontman Alex, who I met when the band was playing on The Noise Tour with There For Tomorrow, Mayday Parade, and others. I took a liking to Sparks The Rescue, and decided to visit them again at the 9:30 Club. Also on the S.I.N Tour is headliner DRUGS (Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows), Hit The Lights, and Like Moths To Flames.
I arrived at the 9:30 Club right as the doors opened giving me time to talk with Alex in an indoor voice, no screaming over blaring rock music. We had a drink at the bar and a chat about Sparks The Rescue and the music industry. Then I joined the band in their dressing room and met the rest of the gang. They are a great group of gentlemen who like to make great music, and encourage all types of shenanigans and good times, which I am always game to join.
Sparks The Rescue on The SIN Tour
When their set was about to start, I headed down in front of the stage to get the full Sparks The Rescue experience. They are normally a bit more pop-oriented, but for this tour, they are performing a more varied selection of songs. I definitely applaud their choice to play the heavier songs, based on my own personal preference, and think it fits in better with what the concertgoers want. BRAVO Sparks The Rescue! You get better every time I see you!!
DRUGS on the SIN Tour
The other band I watched was DRUGS. I have seen Nick Martin, Matt Good, and Craig Owens perform many times in different bands throughout my life, and to see them all in one band was a treat. Heck, I’ll even admit that they were a part of the inspiration for my decision to pursue a career in the music industry. Even though I was bummed that Craig and Chiodos parted ways, DRUGS sure makes up for any disappointment I might have felt.
For fans ….make sure you get tickets and plan your trip to catch one of the dates on the S.I.N Tour, because this is one hell of a show, get there when the doors open so you can experience music from some great bands.
Here is the list of tour dates:
SIN Tour Schedule
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5 Ways to Get Past Writer’s Block
A BAG OF PUPPIES?!!? wait, no I need to focus and write...
Ironically I’m stuck right now on how to get started and make a clever intro…uhhh. Ok, I got it.
Did you hear about the fire at the circus? It was in tents!
Ok, not the greatest intro ever but at least it got me started and now I’m rolling! If you’re anything like me, then getting started is the hardest part about writing, and that includes lyrics. We’ve all been there. Your brain is in deep-freeze hibernation. Can’t think of a concept or that next great line. Flip-flopping on which direction you want your story to go. So I’ve decided to share my own personal secrets on how I blow up my writers block.
Here are five ways to help you get past writer’s block:
- Write about someone else’s experiences: Most people feel that they have to write about their own experiences only, but that can easily lead to a lack of imagination and a loss of creativity. A basic trend for people in this category fit into what I like to call the three-album phases: 1) Trying to make it/ The come up/ Hard knock life. 2) I’m rich!/ Success/ Fame and Fortune. 3) Retirement/ Nothing. You are a storyteller. It’s ok to write about the lives of others, whether they be fictional or real.
- Write the hooks/chorus first and come back later: There’s no need to finish a song in one sitting. Instead of wasting your time trying to find the fit for one beat, shoot off a dozen hooks and choruses and come back later.
- Listen to different things: Sometimes hearing one line or a different tune can jump-start your creative juices. Using new inspirations can create an entirely new thread of thought.
- Take a Break: Your brain, like any other part of your body, needs rest. Take this time to reboot and relax, otherwise you’re forcing lyrics that you will not want later on.
- Bounce ideas off other people: While you may feel awkward and nervous about sharing a work-in-progress, another pair of ears and eyes can really help out. A new, fresh perspective can offer the missing piece to many songs. Some people obviously didn’t get help.
So, there you have it. I have just revealed the secrets of the most successful artists of all time, from Jay-Z to The Rolling Stones to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
But this is my method, what do you guys use to help get yourself over a writing hump?
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Weekend Round Up: Behind the Scenes of SOPA
Last week proved to be a big one in the world of copyright and intellectual property. The major story being SOPA, the Stop Online Pirating Act. The act was attempting to expand the powers of law enforcement to fight intellectual property infringement and counterfeited goods produced in foreign markets. Here’s a rundown of the situation in this week’s Weekend Round-Up.
Joining a Cypher
Freestylin’ looks easy doesn’t it? Just keep talking at a rhythmic pace, sometimes switching it to keep everyone interested, and make sure you rhyme! Go ahead, find a cypher and do it. I’ll wait….
Uh, well, it was a good effort. The problem was you tried to rhyme ‘month’, and that’s a tough one.
Not every freestyle battle goes like 8 mile
The great thing about rapping is that you can slur or use phonetics to keep the rhyme scheme and rhythm consistent. ‘Orange’ has been a notorious word for being supposed unrhymable, but you can use phonetics and end the next line in ‘door hinge’.
So here’s a couple of quick hints in becoming a better freestyle rapper:
1) Keep it simple at first. Don’t get complicated in your lines or your flow.
2) Have a line ready to use as a jumping off point and go from there. Getting off to a solid start builds confidence and makes it easier as you go along.
3) Read the dictionary. Rappers like Nas did this in the early stages of his career and now he is one of the most lyrically gifted rappers in the game. The more words you know, the more ammunition you have. They are available online for free.
4) Rap about what you know. Don’t tread into un-knowledgeable waters, because then you will get stuck trying to think about subjects you know nothing about and it will disturb your flow.
5) Practice. Do it in your spare time, while daydreaming during work, or, my personal favorite, in the shower. Pick something or someone out and just rap about it. Like anything else, progress comes with repetition.
6) Work on your wordplay. Wordplay determines how clever your rap is, but is very difficult to achieve. Use puns, double entendres and ambiguous meaning to give layers to your rap.
7) Write down lines that you think of. Not all freestyles are 100% off the top. Jot down thoughts, refine them, then branch off as you get better.
8) Slow Down. If you begin to get lost during your freestyle, slow down and use some easy lines to get yourself back on track.
9) Keep it loose. If you’re with your friends and just playing around, don’t worry about impressing anyone, just have fun. That’s what everyone is there for. Don’t worry about messing up, people just enjoy other people trying.
Everyone is different, so not all these tips will be great for you, but I hope they are all helpful. Remember that freestyling can be an art, hobby, or a career, but it should always be fun. No matter how you do, everyone will enjoy it.
What other ways do you guys use to let your rhymes loose?
College Venues Launching Pad for Aspiring Musicians
Life as a struggling artist is, in a word, hard. You essentially have two jobs. Daytime Ramen noodle thief, nighttime Ramen noodle eater, thus leaving little time for those noodles on your guitar.
Most college kids are always at least one of these
You also don’t want to squander all your hard work and creativity. Posting on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Datpiff isn’t enough to get recognized. I’m not saying it doesn’t work, just look at Asher Roth. Or don’t, he does reflect the sun something awful. It’s great for your friends, but the point is, you need a venue. People will talk when they see how you are live. Gaining a cult following in this way is the first way to blow up. Wale did it in D.C., then expanded by playing in all the local venues. He still does. It’s so easy to find him.
The thing is, you may be asking, where do you go? How do you get booked without a manager? The easy answer is, with connections. All it takes is one. As a member of the University of Maryland’s Music Business Society, we are always looking for talented artists to bring to campus, whether they are well-known or local. We get this done by emailing the band directly or whoever they are associated with to let them know we are interested in having them perform. Of course this works the other way around too. Contacting and sending a sample or two of your music is a great way to get noticed. Music lovers in the music biz are always willing to give something a listen.
You might be thinking, “I’m not a big enough name to actually draw people, why would they choose me?” Well, Mr./Ms. Sadsack, college bars and small-time businesses with room for live music are always looking for up and coming acts to open for larger names. A new bar at UMD, The Barking Dog, has been trying to draw in the kids. Facing tough competition from more established venues, they have been bringing in local artists to perform live, to build interest.
So if you’re in school already, look up the school clubs and find one that organizes functions where you can perform. If you’re not in school, do the same thing! Other options include contacting your local government if they are heavily involved in your community. Mine puts on free concerts during the summer. C’mon guys, FREE CONCERT, people will be there. Live music is amazing, so get over your stage fright and get up offa that thing and try to release the pressure!
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Why we blacked out Altavoz.com
If the problem is not piracy then what is the problem. To me it’s a misunderstanding of nature of our industry with independent & major labels being consider the same for some things like legislation, policies and trade practices by groups that are supposed to represent the industry when in fact these position more often are the total opposite of what us mere tax paying non-multinational corporations “MNC” desire.
When it comes to SOPA or PIPA, the supporters if you look at it from the Indie perspective are just tying to keep their nearly cold dead corporate hands around something that is so basic to human nature ~arts & music~ that if they succeed they will alter the very nature and structure of humanity. Which to me is sharing a creation amongst ourselves that has meaning because it springs from works what have already rooted themselves within the fabric of our society.
In order for us to move forward in an age of digital and technological progress, we must be able to act impartial and realize that both sides have needs – not just wants. Big corporations, Indie representatives, politicians and most importantly, you the people, all have differing opinions on what is best. Everyone must voice their concerns, but must also wait their turn and listen to the others. The time is now to add our voice…
By blacking out our own site, we are adding our voice to this very important conversation. The compensation of creators is something that we hold dear to our heart and our jobs since without content our hearts are heavy and we as a industry lose this awesome new creative outlet, that is really just in it’s late teens. While we know piracy is an issue, we disagree that SOPA or PIPA is the way to deal with it for the Independents. Finding an agreement to avoid problems and potential revolutions that emerge from denying a populations freedom start with individuals like us that choose to blackout our own site as an act of protest.
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One Down, Two to Go
Every Summer there are three major music festivals that any music lover would die to go to: Coachella, Lollapolooza, and Bonnaroo. Each festival provides an eclectic, power-packed lineup of both popular and lesser known artists. There is something for everyone at each festival, from jam bands to rap to electronic dance music. Although the 2012 year has just begun, the wildly popular summer music festival Coachella is already sold out and it won’t be too much longer before Lollapolooza and Bonnaroo are too.
The crowd at last year's Coachella (2011)
Not long after they released their star-studded lineup for 2012, which includes headliners Radiohead, the Black Keys, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Coachella reported that all tickets were sold out. Other outstanding artists that will be performing include Florence and the Machine, Kaskade, La Roux, Arctic Monkeys, and many more.
Although Lollapolooza and Bonnaroo have yet to release their 2012 lineups, fans have much to look forward to. Judging by Lollapolooza’s lineup from last year which featured Eminem, Coldplay, Muse, the Foo Fighters, and Deadmau5, 2012′s lineup should not disappoint. For those unlucky music lovers that couldn’t get their hands on Coachella tickets in time, Lollapolooza is sure to be a worthy replacement plan.
While Bonnaroo has yet to release their 2012 lineup, last year they mixed it up a little bit with some older artists, such as Neil Young and G. Love & Special Sauce. However, Bonnaroo’s 2011 lineup still showcased many of the same artists who performed at Lollapolooza and Coachella. Eminem headlined at both Lollapolooza AND Bonnaroo!
So don’t be discouraged if you couldn’t get tickets to 2012 Coachella, try for Lollapolooza or Bonnaroo this year, you can’t go wrong.
