Is traditional digging dead?

Xabiton

Cupcake God
This is not a diss to mp3 or e diggers or really even anything about them to be honest. This is about the search for rare or at least new to the culture music that I do not hear much anymore. It seems like people don't want to venture much outside of their comfort zone these days when it comes to samples. Does anyone around here dig for new artists and new music or do you really stick to what you know or what someone else has already used? I admit I do often use samples from popular songs and even get excited when I find a record that I know has been used countless times but at the same time I am always looking for new artists that nobody else has touched. Maybe thats just me though.
 
For the newer/younger beat makers, yes, it is pretty much dead. There is really no need or desire for them to go buy records. It makes sense though, times have changed, technology has changed. The newer generations are coming up/came up in a time when it's all about getting your music for free online. I wouldn't be surprised if these people don't even buy their favorite hip hop or rock or whatever albums, let alone something just for sampling material. It seems a lot of newer/younger cats don't have an appreciation for the music they sample, they see it as just a sample. So why do they want to own something they don't care about or throw on just to listen to.

The only people who dig these days are cats who've been doin it from day 1 and cats who truly embrace the hip hop culture
 
For the newer/younger beat makers, yes, it is pretty much dead. There is really no need or desire for them to go buy records. It makes sense though, times have changed, technology has changed. The newer generations are coming up/came up in a time when it's all about getting your music for free online. I wouldn't be surprised if these people don't even buy their favorite hip hop or rock or whatever albums, let alone something just for sampling material. It seems a lot of newer/younger cats don't have an appreciation for the music they sample, they see it as just a sample. So why do they want to own something they don't care about or throw on just to listen to.

The only people who dig these days are cats who've been doin it from day 1 and cats who truly embrace the hip hop culture
thats a great point but not what i was getting at. I get that about this generation but i mean they don't even look to find something we have not heard before. They do not see the music as much more than a sample and the only music to them that is relevent or important is the music that is out now. What I am talking about is the guys who go out of their way to find that rare obscure song from some unknown russian band and sample that rather than sampling the same stuff we have been since the late 80s. Everyone that I know of under 30 that samples seems to sample the same kinds of stuff soul and jazz. Sometimes youll find the ones who flip rock because they used to love that heatmakers stuff but who here samples folk music or orchestral music? What about some south american music or west indian music? People around here seem to only flip american soul jazz and sometimes rock. I am even kinda guilty of this but I admit it. I mostly listen to 60s-80s soul funk and jazz but I have taken a liking to 50s blues also. I just don't see much of wanting to venture outside of our comfort zone you know
 
Maybe it has to do with the sound of their influences. A lot of peoples favorite producers are 9th Wonder & producers who pretty much only sample soul.

---------- Post added at 01:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 PM ----------

It's also A LOT easier to sample soul & slower jazz songs. With more obscure stuff not only do you have to have a good ear, but you have to be real creative.

When's the last time you've heard someone use the 16 levels feature of their sampler..

Doing something like that opens up the door to be able to sample some crazy ass one note guitar lick on a crazy record & turn it into a heater. Not something you can chop into 1/4s or 1/8s & flip/make sound decent easily
 
It might be more rare but it's not dead - sampling innovators like madlib, rjd2 and flying lotus sample all kinds of crazy stuff and I think most true diggers who have been doing it for a while will.

I'm still figuring my music out and it has other influences besides hiphop, but I sample all kinds of stuff - new age, pop, electronic, whatever. I think it's partly what you connect with and what you grew up with - if you grew up with soul and really connect to it, it makes sense to sample it a lot even if a lot of other people have. I like it but I like a lot of other stuff too.

I think I get caught up with how my music relates to what other people are doing and that can be a good thing but right now I'm striving to just make my music - sample what I want to sample - and not get too hung up on what other people are doing.

It is fun finding something someone sampled though - a lot of times it's just a loop that I thought they had chopped up or played. But you can turn a played out sample into something totally different. I don't see many people doing much innovating on most of these forums - mostly just immitating, not that I don't or that it doesn't have its place, just saying. Interesting thread topic.

true about the 16 levels - I do it a lot though to get my own melodies - that's why I moved from mpcs to ensoniqs cause they're way more geared towards that. I don't know how many people pitch samples on keys - it's fun though.
 
Maybe it has to do with the sound of their influences. A lot of peoples favorite producers are 9th Wonder & producers who pretty much only sample soul.

---------- Post added at 01:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 PM ----------

It's also A LOT easier to sample soul & slower jazz songs. With more obscure stuff not only do you have to have a good ear, but you have to be real creative.

When's the last time you've heard someone use the 16 levels feature of their sampler..

Doing something like that opens up the door to be able to sample some crazy ass one note guitar lick on a crazy record & turn it into a heater. Not something you can chop into 1/4s or 1/8s & flip/make sound decent easily

you are probably right influences play a lot in todays producer. I mean for it played some but I do not sound much like my favorite producers imo (DJ Premier, Dr Dre, Rza, 9th Wonder, Hi Tek, Just Blaze, The Neptunes) who all influence me to make music. They all influenced me to be different. Being different is now considered wack maybe? idk. It would be cool to have some of these guys who do not dig for something differnet chime in. Again by digging I do not mean go find records but I mean go find samples that not many other people are using. IMO a lot of producers though don't really venture beyond what is given to them or whats hot I guess. Idk I just miss the days where people would experiment with different stuff now its follow the leader. Im getting old

---------- Post added at 04:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 PM ----------

It might be more rare but it's not dead - sampling innovators like madlib, rjd2 and flying lotus sample all kinds of crazy stuff and I think most true diggers who have been doing it for a while will.

I'm still figuring my music out and it has other influences besides hiphop, but I sample all kinds of stuff - new age, pop, electronic, whatever. I think it's partly what you connect with and what you grew up with - if you grew up with soul and really connect to it, it makes sense to sample it a lot even if a lot of other people have. I like it but I like a lot of other stuff too.

I think I get caught up with how my music relates to what other people are doing and that can be a good thing but right now I'm striving to just make my music - sample what I want to sample - and not get too hung up on what other people are doing.

It is fun finding something someone sampled though - a lot of times it's just a loop that I thought they had chopped up or played. But you can turn a played out sample into something totally different. I don't see many people doing much innovating on most of these forums - mostly just immitating, not that I don't or that it doesn't have its place, just saying. Interesting thread topic.

true about the 16 levels - I do it a lot though to get my own melodies - that's why I moved from mpcs to ensoniqs cause they're way more geared towards that. I don't know how many people pitch samples on keys - it's fun though.
i wish there were more people around here who just experimented heavily. idk it seems like we have a lot of dilla or 9th wonder copy cats
 
I only sample things that I've never heard before and that have never been sampled. Always check to see if a sample I've found has been used on a major scale or not, if it has most likely I scratch it UNLESS my idea is on some total diff shit. Lately I've been tryna get off the typical soul stuff, goin for the electro, retro house shit, just tryna varietize (if that's a word) my sound.

I see what you're saying tho about the diggin trends bein dead, most cats be lookin for their influences samples and associated artists, that's just how it is wit my generation (I'm 19). The thing is they listen to these major cats and wanna sound like them so they sample stuff in the same lane.
 
It depends on who you talk to. I have made a few joints from folk stuff(its perfect for grimey ass shit) and I actually LIKE folk. I really wasn't expecting to but its pretty cool. Also flipped some east indian stuff quite awhile back....I need to revisit that ish. Soundtracks are always hella dope too. And hell yeah to classical, I made this one Mobb Deep Remix from Swan Lake awhile back, which I still think is decent.

It really depends on who you talk to is what I'm getting at.
 
I used to buy records all the time.

I haven't bought records in over a year.

People say my sampled beats are sounding better than ever, so i'm good.
 
I used to buy records all the time.

I haven't bought records in over a year.

People say my sampled beats are sounding better than ever, so i'm good.

did you read the thread beyond the title lol. It has nothing to do with beats, records or the sound. it has more to do with why is everyone sampling the same shit as everyone else and why have people been on soul for so long? Keep in mind sampling soul wasn't the real main thing until the mid 90s before that we were on jazz, classical, rock, east indian music or whatever else we can find. Now its all about 70s soul and has been for a long time. When is someone going to change it up?
 
I prefer looking for music that I've never heard before. Whenever I go to the record store with friends, they'll look at the popular artists and I head straight to the $1 records and 10 cent 45s. Love the feeling of buying vinyl, might have to hit the thrift store tomorrow now lol
 
I have to say I'm always diggin in other genres but It's usualy very hard to find anything, because other genres mean other drum patterns or different rhythms, so it's very hard to make totally different drum pattern or rhythm sound 'hip hoppish' ya know?

guess that's why people always dig in the same genres. because it's easier to convert it to a hip hop beat! At least for me it would be hard to turn a midage rock (that's what we call it in Germany) song into a headbobin hip hop track!

just my opinion!


but usually I'm always open for new genres and very interested in them! although I belong to the new generation...
 
I have to say I'm always diggin in other genres but It's usualy very hard to find anything, because other genres mean other drum patterns or different rhythms, so it's very hard to make totally different drum pattern or rhythm sound 'hip hoppish' ya know?

guess that's why people always dig in the same genres. because it's easier to convert it to a hip hop beat! At least for me it would be hard to turn a midage rock (that's what we call it in Germany) song into a headbobin hip hop track!

just my opinion!


but usually I'm always open for new genres and very interested in them! although I belong to the new generation...


I started thinking something like this last night. Maybe its style.

Cats want a signature sound with would mean sampling a certain genre. If you are all into some crazy russian sub polka genre or something its gonna be waaayy harder to find a bunch of that than a certain style of soul.
 
xab i think its got something to do with money too, maybe thats just me though. im always down to sample shit thats obscure. i absolutely love it, but on the other hand if your short on cash, which i am, as i just finished school and not working (i need to get off my ass lol), then you definitely more cautious as to what your purchasing, cos sometimes you just wanna go with your gut on some old music and shit instead of maybe take a leap onto something different or new, if i had the money i know id defintely be diving into all sorts of different genres, and yes i agree with sometimes buying records that have been sampled already. i bought the trammps record the other day, cos i just love that song, and i felt like ****ing with it for fun. you know?
 
I'm 20. my favorite kind of shit to sample is italian prog and classical...
went to the vinyl shop last night, took home 6 or 7 and not one of them was jazz or soul
 
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I think that's sort of the way it has always been. You have the majority of people who will try to stay conservative and make beats that sound typical, and then you will have the few people who will try to innovate and do something creative, and those are the ones will get recognized. Since we are on a forum of beginners and people trying to figure out how to produce, I don't think there will be many innovators on here since most people are just trying to learn fundamentals.
 
I'm a family man now and dont have the time or money to hang out at the record store all day and spend most of my cash on vinyl, but my love for record shopping will never go away, Ive been doing it since 1980ish and I still hit up a record store at least once a month...
Things are pretty much the same for me except for the order in which things happen, I used to dig for samples at the store, now I do it at home on my computer, flip the sample, and then try to find that record after the fact. Just to enhance my record collection.
 
I have never intentionally sampled anything I knew was sampled before, I try to find new sh1t and usually not soul I prefer orchestra, old movie scores, opera, foreign, choir, chinese ect... and if I do notice it's been abused I usually toss it but then again almost everything has been found in todays immense population of diggers so even if you think it's a virgin sample eighteen other dudes and the local football team already had a bukkake session on it's mp3 format, but yeah it's corny as **** if you're not looking for new or at least trying to find something new.
 
I'm a family man now and dont have the time or money to hang out at the record store all day and spend most of my cash on vinyl, but my love for record shopping will never go away, Ive been doing it since 1980ish and I still hit up a record store at least once a month...
Things are pretty much the same for me except for the order in which things happen, I used to dig for samples at the store, now I do it at home on my computer, flip the sample, and then try to find that record after the fact. Just to enhance my record collection.

having a family stopped u from digging? aint stop me. I got a wife and 2 sons and still dig on a pretty regular basis
 
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