Friday, 21 October 2016

AMEN: SAMPLING DEBATE RESEARCH

The Amen Break is the most sampled drum break in history and sampling is the aural equivalent of appropriation in art and it is something I am familiar with from my love of Hip Hop which is Built upon the break and the sampling. However I decided to look into it a little further into the issues and debates which surround it as in a way by re-using records that use the Amen break to form a soundtrack I am sampling them. The following documentary gives a good overview of the issues and debates surrounding sampling. It makes and interesting connection with art collage  and the re-appropriation of sound rather than images to make something new.






Sampling has a long tradition within the music industry and ever since the 1960s, some artists used tape recorders to create new songs with pieces of other people’s work. Today, sampling still happens all the time with many different artists. Some DJs base their entire careers off creating musical pieces using samples. To sample, you take a piece of another artist’s work, whether vocal or instrumental, and use it to make a new song. Some songs only borrow a bass line, others use an entire chorus. The sample should only be a small part of the whole new song you create. To sample, you take a piece of another artist’s work, whether vocal or instrumental, and use it to make a new song. Some songs only borrow a bass line, others use an entire chorus. The sample should only be a small part of the whole new song you create.






Some songs have been sampled many times by multiple artists and have become famous samples. For example, the popular 1984 hip hop song “La Di Da Di” by rapper Slick Rick and beatboxer Doug E. Fresh. Other artists have used parts of “La Di Da Di” in hundreds of different songs and mixes. Most recently, Miley Cyrus borrowed the lyrics “La di da di, we like to party” for her hit song “We Can’t Stop.” Other artists have used “La Di Da Di’s” unique beats, melodies, and vocals for various purposes in their own work.

As with "fair usage" of the work of others when sampling you need to give due credit to the original and the copyright holders. This can make the difference between sampling another artist’s music and stealing it. Although you can use samples exclusively to create an entirely new song, the original artist(s) still deserve credit and need to give permission for you to use their work. Famous musicians have been taken to task for sampling other artists’ work without permission. Not all musicians end up having to go to court or pay penalties, but they still often face public disapproval.

Rapper Vanilla Ice sampled a bass line from Queen and David Bowie’s song “Under Pressure” in his own song “Ice Ice Baby.” The rapper now gives credit to the original artists, but did not originally have permission to use the track. The band the Verve was taken to court for using samples from an orchestral version of a Rolling Stones song in their own song “Bittersweet Symphony.” They ended up having to pay 100% of their royalties to the Rolling Stones.

You can safely sample music without stealing it as long as you have permission to do so. You’ll need to give the original artist credit and let them know you’re using the track before you distribute your music for sale. While copyright laws protect artists from having their tracks stolen, you can sometimes use samples without permission if they fall under fair use.

Fair use is an exception to copyright laws. It means you can use another artist’s work without their knowledge if you’re using it for specific purposes. Fair use can be difficult to define. However, most courts assess whether something falls under fair use using four criteria:
1.Purpose/character of the new material
2.Nature of the original work
3.Amount of the original work in the new material
4.Effect upon the original work’s value
You can usually use copyrighted works without permission if you use them for commentary, parody, reporting, research, education, criticism, or a few other specific reasons. If you ultimately want to sell your music to the general public, you’ll need permission for those samples.






http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/blog-why-sampling-isnt-stealing-157446#


http://www.mibba.com/Articles/Entertainment/6762/Music-Sampling-Daylight-Robbery-or-Art-Form/


http://blog.landr.com/sampling-isnt-theft/

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