johnagrandy Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Not sure what category to post this in ... I was nosing around the ropeadope.com site and found this ( ! ) http://store.ropeadope.com/dframesetmain.j...n=1&category=15 This is a little hard to believe ... Blue Note allowing remixing and other monkeying-around with classic jazz trax by cats like Medina and Madlib. Both of these "alchemists" are very talented (I think I saw Medina live at some ropeadope event) ...... but they're really on the hip hop side of of town. I believe they work mainly in the lab/studio: production, mix, remix, sampling, dubbing. I don't know too much about either of them. I found the following here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madlib "The second, released in 2003, was a remix of Blue Note Records. This album features original Blue Note recordings, some remixed and resampled, and some replayed by Madlib, as well as rapping by M.E.D. aka Medaphoar." I don't even know what "resampling" is ... was Donald Byrd doing sampling ? "... some replayed by Madlib ..." : now I'm floating around in outer space. Sorry. I guess I'm a hip hop moron. I don't get it. Does this strike anyone else as a little ... off ? Anyone know who at BN authorized this ? More coming ? What's the point ? Anyone heard this stuff ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 What's the point ? I really don't see this as any different than the "Blue Note Composer" series, or the "For Lovers" series. It's just another way to generate revenue from thier back catalog. I wouldn't mind hearing how the material is treated. Time marches on and the music changes. Nothing really "to get" here. Sampling, cross fertilization, fusion, whatever you want to call it has been going on for hundreds of years. The Blue Note catalog is not immune, and really why would you want it to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnagrandy Posted February 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 What's the point ? I really don't see this as any different than the "Blue Note Composer" series, or the "For Lovers" series. It's just another way to generate revenue from thier back catalog. I wouldn't mind hearing how the material is treated. Time marches on and the music changes. Nothing really "to get" here. Sampling, cross fertilization, fusion, whatever you want to call it has been going on for hundreds of years. The Blue Note catalog is not immune, and really why would you want it to be? You misunderstand me. I totally dig that "Red Clay" is the 2nd most sampled song ever. But doesn't sound like that's what's going on here. Tell me if I'm wrong, but when you sample something like "Red Clay" ... you take the bass, piano, drums tracks as your rhythm line ... then you mix in other tracks, maybe other samples, maybe original stuff, either played or computer-generated ... maybe you substitute some synth drumming for Lenny White 'cause you want a more prominent beat ... maybe you have someone rap on top of it ... whatever ... "Red Clay" is almost tailor-made for this kind of reusability. But "opening up the BN vaults" ... grabbing pieces here and there ? Too much dilution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 I dunno, Alan Silva's arco solo at the beginning of "Unit Structures" would make a killer sample! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Madlib is more than turntables. You might like Yesterday's New Quintet. I've heard some of these tracks and they are very Madlib, at the same time very Blue Note. I think he did a good job, but there are shoutouts from obscure rappers (which is weird to me) as well as from Andrew Hill, Lou Donaldson, Leon Spencer etc. I have a feeling you might like this disc. Look into Yesterday's New Quintet as well if you are interested. Stones Throw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 What's the point ? I really don't see this as any different than the "Blue Note Composer" series, or the "For Lovers" series. It's just another way to generate revenue from thier back catalog. I wouldn't mind hearing how the material is treated. Time marches on and the music changes. Nothing really "to get" here. Sampling, cross fertilization, fusion, whatever you want to call it has been going on for hundreds of years. The Blue Note catalog is not immune, and really why would you want it to be? You misunderstand me. I totally dig that "Red Clay" is the 2nd most sampled song ever. But doesn't sound like that's what's going on here. Tell me if I'm wrong, but when you sample something like "Red Clay" ... you take the bass, piano, drums tracks as your rhythm line ... then you mix in other tracks, maybe other samples, maybe original stuff, either played or computer-generated ... maybe you substitute some synth drumming for Lenny White 'cause you want a more prominent beat ... maybe you have someone rap on top of it ... whatever ... "Red Clay" is almost tailor-made for this kind of reusability. But "opening up the BN vaults" ... grabbing pieces here and there ? Too much dilution. I think it's a bit of a slippery slope. However, I also think the really creative projects will rise to the top and maybe even move the music a new direction. The others will soon be forgotten and be little more than a minor embarassment to Blue Note. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnagrandy Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Madlib is more than turntables. You might like Yesterday's New Quintet. I've heard some of these tracks and they are very Madlib, at the same time very Blue Note. I think he did a good job, but there are shoutouts from obscure rappers (which is weird to me) as well as from Andrew Hill, Lou Donaldson, Leon Spencer etc. I have a feeling you might like this disc. Look into Yesterday's New Quintet as well if you are interested. Stones Throw I'd rather check it out at one of those travelling ropeadope events where you hear a pocketful of artists all at once. But isn't Yesterday's New Quintet really Madlib, Madlib, Madlib, Madlib, and Madlib ? ... so I guess I gotta buy the product to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 I think. I'm not sure. Too many aliases. Monk Hughes, Otis Jackson Jr., Malik Flavors, etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 yeah madlib does everything on the albums. i think his uncle is jon faddis, no? so he should have some music playing genes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 (edited) Remix, bad. Reissue, good. Mimicking, bad. Covering in an original manner, good. Sampling in duplicating measurements, bad. Re-contextualizing and juxtapozing samples unpredictably, good Edited February 22, 2006 by Noj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasta Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Lame. Like repainting the Mona Lisa Lame. Period. If these hacks are such fans of the music, why don't they become musicians? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnagrandy Posted February 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Lame. Like repainting the Mona Lisa Lame. Period. If these hacks are such fans of the music, why don't they become musicians? http://www.stonesthrow.com/news/shadesofblue/tracks.html I own next to none of this stuff, but I've been to some ropeadope events. Maybe they're thinking like this : "I love jazz, I love certain artists, certain albums, and I want to deliver some of that history to an audience who probably isn't going to listen to it otherwise ... but I've got something topical to say, something political, I want to use rap to deliver the message, and I want it to be danceable." Apparently Madlib does play all the instruments on YNQ : http://www.stonesthrow.com/madlib/ No question it's a trend. The next ropeadope travelling event includes Christian McBride and dj logic ... don't know if they will play together or not. WHAT IS JAZZ? it's on - the 2006 what is jazz? tour featuring the christian mcbride band, charlie hunter trio, dj logic and bobby previte launching in april and coming to a town near you this april. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DatDere Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 (edited) I thought those YNQ records were pretty dreadful. Especially the keyboard playing is pretty bad and sloppy. The idea is nice, though, but take some piano lessons or something... Edited February 22, 2006 by DatDere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 yeah, datdere i was going to say something similar but then i would get attacked. but i agree-madlib is selling a retro vibe and a retro mood and a retro style. but it has all been done before, many years ago, much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Madlib is much more adept at making beats for rap. Some of his raps are OK, but he's got a lot of lame ones too. His beats are top-notch as far as rap goes. Bought that Quasimoto album on instrumental, because the raps get old. I somewhat enjoyed the YNQ stuff at first, but found they did not stand up to repeated listens for the reasons cited above by DatDere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 i tended to get my hopes up with madlib releases, only to be disappointed. the last was that madvillian one. then i quit. i think i actually decided i like mf doom's production more at that point. a lot less complex since sometimes he is just looping a simple sample and a beat, but i like the samples he uses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari S Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 I'm not quite sure which release the writer of this topic is referring to, because if it's "Shades of Blue", that was released almost three years ago. Even though Madlib is very good at what he does (maybe 'genius' might be pushing it a bit, but...), I found it to be, well nothing special really. First of all, even though he "got access to the BN vaults", he only sampled the safest choises like Wayne's 'Footprints'. If he had the chance, why didn't he "dig deeper". And second, he only sampled the themes and not any solos. I think there would've been some intersting collages had he done that, and done it well. The Yesterday's New Quintet (or Madlib x five) has some very inspired moments, but also a lot (or too much actually) of first-grader keyboard noodling. The Stevie Wonder "tribute" he also released borders on sacrilege... "Madvillain" (by MF Doom and Madlib) is however a solid masterpiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD45 Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 "Madvillain" (by MF Doom and Madlib) is however a solid masterpiece. Agreed. I love the Sun Ra speech included as a part of one of the tunes. Dude even samples Steve Reich's Come Out in a tune. That is a pretty hip ear, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 The lyrics on Madvillain get on my nerves, another one I'd like on instrumental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasta Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 L. A. M. E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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