The Amen Break
Nate Harrison’s 2004 documentary Can I Get an Amen? on the “Amen Break”, uncovers the story behind one of the seminal breaks of the electronica/jungle/drum-n-bass scenes. Though I’d argue that James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” break is even more influential, and that the Kraftwerk/Africa Bambaata breaks are equally seminal in other genres, this is a fantastic demonstration of open culture and the profound ways that sampling can have an impact that no one could predict.
See also:
- Contrafact and the Rhythm Changes, about the essential role that appropriation plays in creating music.
- Holding a gun to Dick Clark’s head, which outlines the contempt the record industry has for its own agents, such as DJ Drama.
- Collecting samples. This was just random links, but along the same theme.
Cite this post
APA
Dash, A. (2007, March 23). The Amen Break. Anil Dash. https://anildash.com/2007/03/23/the-amen-break/
MLA
Dash, Anil. "The Amen Break." Anil Dash, 23 Mar. 2007, anildash.com/2007/03/23/the-amen-break/. Accessed .
Chicago
Dash, Anil. "The Amen Break." Anil Dash. March 23, 2007. Accessed . https://anildash.com/2007/03/23/the-amen-break/.