Month: October 2024

During the workshop, my team used analog gear to sample film scenes and music. We browsed YouTube for various samples, and when we found a second-long section we liked, we captured it on an Akai Sampler and recorded the playback from a MIDI keyboard into the DAW. For melodies especially, this was randomized as we sporadically captured parts of a Herbie Hancock live performance and pieced together different combinations of the one-second cuts in the DAW. For drums, we relied on the drum-one shots provided beforehand, and layered these with loops and samples recorded from YouTube, which largely consisted of hi-hats and shakers to create a sense of movement across the duration of the beat. 

The ultimate result was a gritty boom-bap beat with dirty drums layered with additional chops of a haunting piano line. The chops of piano are dark and skittering, as well as slightly detuned. This is layered with vocal chops from Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight & The Pips, which also adds to the eerie atmosphere. Further, we chose to use a power chord strike sample from Rock the Bells by LL Cool J, which made sense because RZA actually used the same sample on Protect Ya Neck. The track closes with a more melodic 4-bar loop from Midnight Train to Georgia, which serves as an outro which culminates in a fight scene sample, “Shaolin shadowboxing and the Wu-Tang sword style”. 

I observed a surprising degree of flexibility in this production style, of course incomparable to the flexibility of sampling within a DAW, but one which, in the 1990s, would have made sense. It enables a producer to borrow from vinyl, tape, VCR, CD-ROM, DVD, and many more formats of media, and in this regard was essentially limitless when it came to sampling. Since the duration of sound captured is so short, it is understandably greatly useful for sampling drums; specific snares, kicks, and hi-hats can easily be isolated and looped in their own fashion. In a more conceptual sense, this flexibility allows for a producer to build intertextual ideas – in the case of RZA, by sampling martial arts films that speak to the unique identity and story of the Wu-Tang Clan, or by sampling soul/jazz records that themselves have important places in the lexicon of African-American history, which are then used by RZA to build new history. 

There are certainly limitations that come with this process, especially with regards to ease of use and time spent, as opposed to sampling in the modern digital production landscape. However, the purposeful limitation of options really narrows down the scope of production to a more detailed, simple, and specific type of beat which becomes emblematic of this style.

The song I’ve chosen is Protect Ya Neck, Wu-Tang Clan’s debut single. I believe that it is relevant by virtue of being their debut; the thematic content and production sets a standard of what is to be expected from their discography.

The production is characteristically sample-based (according to website WhoSampled, it contains samples from 12 different songs), with a boom-bap drum pattern and tempo. The two prominent and recurring samples are that of the aforementioned drum pattern and an acoustic bassline. To allow for variety across a song that includes 7 verses from 7 different Wu-Tang members, RZA periodically introduces melodic chops; a dramatic string top line and a haunting piano litter different sections of the beat. Further, there are sporadic chops of what sounds like power chord strikes and a detuned siren that offset the repetitive drum pattern. This not only complements the changing flows, cadences, and lyrics unique to each rapper, but also allows for an arguably static beat to evolve over time.

The mix is gritty and raw, and there is a noticeable sharpness to each instrument, building an atmosphere of violence. Violence also seems to be a major lyrical theme – “Terrorize the jam like troops in Pakistan”, “Blow up your project/Then take all your assets”, “I’ll be stickin’ pins in your head like a fuckin’ nurse” – are a few examples, not discounting the fact that the title itself calls for one to protect their neck. Violence is also reflected in the film samples that RZA employs, specifically from the films Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin and Executioners from Shaolin. These are used as a way to introduce and end the instrumental, and in both instances the listener can hear punches and grunts (presumably from fight scenes), used to preface as well as echo the grittiness of the song.

What is also notable is the introduction of the track itself, a skit between a radio host and a caller who wants to hear Protect Ya Neck on the radio. The listener is enthusiastic, “You know I had to call”, and when asked “Wu-Tang again?” he replies, “Aw yeah! Again and again!”. Allegedly, this skit is based on a real interaction on a City College radio station, and reinforces Wu-Tang’s popularity and relevance even before their debut single. Arguably, this popularity is responsible for themes of violence – Wu-Tang is the best and is thus allowed to carry itself with an attitude of braggadocio seeing that it has “beaten” the rest (similar to the protagonists of the films being sampled). It is this attitude that is reflected in the musical and lyrical grittiness of the song.

One could conclude that all aspects of the song essentially tie into this one theme – violence. The production is, as previously examined, haunting, sporadic, and sharp. The film samples are reflections of physical violence. The lyrical content is graphically violent. In all regards, Protect Ya Neck serves to violently remind a listener that they are listening to the best.

My style of production is electronic, largely reliant on sampling and patching. I am fond of a variety of genres, and I blend elements of electroclash, hyperpop, grime, and cloud rap in my music. I am an artist-producer and multi-instrumentalist (although I don’t produce with many acoustic instruments, engaging with them has thoroughly shaped my musical sensibilities).

An artist-producer drifts between two commitments which, in my experience, can cause confusion while creating a piece of music:
i) A commitment to vocal performance.
ii) A commitment to instrumental performance.

These are difficult to juggle because I cannot decide if my primary responsibility is to perform or to support. It becomes even more confusing if one considers the production itself a performative aspect.
Thus, I experiment with the relationship between these two; my vocals often become instruments to my production instead of the other way around. Sometimes, this feels like a disservice to myself – after all, I have a voice which is arguably more capable and intuitive than a MIDI region.
It is this conflict that necessitates a tightrope; a line of balance between these two commitments is essential to walk on.

In many ways, being an artist-producer is very fulfilling. It gives me the ability to create my own “moments” of synchronisation between the two elements, and gives me a lot of control over what a “song” is meant to be.
On the other hand, producing for other artists is a wholly different experience that is equally fulfilling; I do believe I am inherently collaborative and having executively produced another artist’s album over the past three months has taught me how to employ subtractive production and how to try everything, at least once.

Over the first year, I look forward to developing my artistic identity through the exploration of existing works. I also thoroughly look forward to gaining mixing & mastering knowledge, areas I have never fully understood the principles of. By the end of the first year, I want to be more insular in my releases, that is to say, have informed control over all aspects (production, performance, engineering, artwork, promotion).

Further, I am interested in exploring the place of a musician in the contemporary world. I am looking forward to being able to exact my experiences with music in terms I can explain. This is something I’ve never been able to do, largely because I have never studied music academically, and all I know I have learnt from trial and error. Music production has taught me how to learn, and I am looking forward to (formally) learning about something I identify with.