Like Alchemy: Explore The Magic Of Sampling

Plus, news about the Newport festivals and a reflection on Jazz Appreciation Month.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna NPR About 35 years ago, a recording studio intern was experimenting with an expensive piece of equipment during a session when a happy accident led him to discover what would become hip-hop’s most essential building block: the art of digital sampling. That intern is the legendary producer Marley Marl. The postmodern innovation he stumbled upon changed rap forever. NPR’s video team and NPR Music wanted to pay tribute to the decades of sonic reinvention that followed Marl’s milestone. In our new collaborative series The Formula, we set out to highlight a living, breathing art form that has evolved just as much as it has remixed the history of recorded music. So we talked to a few masters of the craft: Just Blaze let us in on the friendly rivalry his drum patterns sparked between him and Questlove. 9th Wonder broke down the ingenious way that Kendrick Lamar mashed up three of his beats (using samples from three generations) on his Pulitzer-winning LP, DAMN. DJ Premier talked about digging through his parents’ record collection and DJ Dahi showed us how he spins records in reverse to mine something divine. And in our final video of the series this week, Salaam Remi shows how he used samples to create definitive sounds for Nas and Amy Winehouse. What we discovered is that sampling is a lot like alchemy. Even when you know how it works, it can still feel like magic. Rodney Carmichael   Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music This week on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered: the technicolor world of Chicano Batman, existential guitar rock from Diet Cig, a mind-blowing debut from actor Caleb Landry Jones and a surprising turn from Car Seat Headrest (who made Bob Boilen’s favorite album of 2016). The sixth annual Tiny Desk Contest closed for entries on April 27. We’ve noticed that many artists who entered the Contest aren't simply adapting to social distancing; they're creating music that speaks directly to our current moment. Two months after releasing the mixtape Suga, ferocious rapper Megan Thee Stallion returned with a royal guest — none other than fellow Houston native Beyoncé — on a remix of that project's lead single. Featuring April is Jazz Appreciation Month, usually marked by a joyous overspill of music in the clubs, in the classroom and across our cultural institutions. But this year, among displaced events, closed-down clubs and the death of beloved musicians, the very idea of "jazz appreciation" feels destabilizing and fraught. This week, drummer Tony Allen died at the age of 79. A pioneering drummer known for his intricate polyrhythms, he’s widely hailed as one of the founders of Afrobeat, along with his musical partner Fela Kuti. On Wednesday, two storied American music festivals — the Newport Folk Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival — announced they are being canceled for 2020 due to coronavirus concerns. Lately, we’ve been watching a lot more TV than usual. More than just a way to burn through the hours cooped up at home, television can be a vital vehicle for music discovery. So we’ve rounded up 20 television series or specials to pass the time at home or inspire your next playlist. Tiny Desk Kisha Ravi/NPR This week we shared a Tiny Desk first: a harpsichord! Mahan Esfahani, the instrument’s most ardent advocate, proved that the instrument is alive and well in his hands. We also shared another Tiny Desk concert recorded at NPR HQ before we started working from home: Daughter of Swords, aka Alexandra Sauser-Monnig. She already performed with Mountain Man, but her solo set was still and sweet, an antidote during today’s tumult.  From sunny Mexico to Bergamo, Italy, this week’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts span the globe. Longtime Alt.Latino favorites Rodrigo y Gabriela graced the Desk back in 2009; more than a decade later, they shared a set spanning their discography. Across the Atlantic, American guitarist Buck Curran has been in mandatory lockdown in Bergamo – the Italian province devastated by the pandemic – since early March. His concert features his wife Adele Pappalardo on vocal harmony.  Incoming Over the past few weeks, Paramore’s Hayley Williams has been sharing previews of her solo album, Petals for Armor. Next week, we talk to Williams herself. One More Thing Get fit in quarantine with Steve Aoki.  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy