Sampling History

Introduction

Sampling: reusing a portion of an existing sound recording in a new recording.
Mash-ups: layering two or more existing tracks (often a vocal from one, instrumental from another).
Remixes: alternate versions built from stems or multitracks of a released song.

Early History - Jazz

Jazz Contrafacts

Original

Contrafact

Early History - Electronics

Musique Concrète Techniques

Splicing: Cutting and rearranging tape to reorder audio.
Looping: Creating repeating patterns of sound from tape recordings.
Reverse Playback: Playing sounds backward for new effects.
Speed Manipulation: Changing the speed of a recording to alter pitch and timbre.
Filtering: Using EQ to remove or emphasize certain frequencies.
Reverb: Adding artificial reverb to create a sense of space.

Pierre Schaeffer - Études de bruits (1948)

The Rise of Hip Hop

Most Sampled Tracks | WhoSampled

Comparing Musique Concrète and Early Hip Hop Sampling

Aspect	Musique Concrète	Early Hip Hop Sampling
Time Period	1940s–1950s	Late 1970s–1980s
Primary Techniques	Tape splicing, looping, speed manipulation	Turntable looping, scratching, early samplers
Source Material	Everyday sounds, field recordings	Funk, soul, disco records
Aesthetic Goals	Abstract soundscapes, acousmatic listening	Danceable grooves, rhythmic energy
Cultural Context	Avant-garde art music	Urban youth culture, party scenes

The Kraftwerk Connection

Kraftwerk drew on avant-garde studio techniques (tape, synthesis) and minimalism.
Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock” (1982) interpolates motifs from Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” and rhythmic ideas from “Numbers,” fused with the TR-808 electro aesthetic.

Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force - Samples, Covers and Remixes | WhoSampled

Early Sampler - Fairlight CMI

Sesame Street: Herbie Hancock Makes Sounds

Examples from the Fairlight/other samplers

Sample Clearance—The Practical Bits

Two rights to clear: master (sound recording) and publishing (composition).
Key cases to know: Grand Upright v. Warner (1991); Bridgeport v. Dimension Films (2005, 6th Cir.); VMG Salsoul v. Ciccone (2016, 9th Cir.).
Classroom guidance: prefer public-domain/CC, licensed packs, or your own recordings. Use interpolation where appropriate. Keep stems/notes of sources and transformations.

These cases shape the modern legal framework for sampling. Emphasize the difference between transformative educational use and commercial release, and encourage students to document sources and transformations for transparency.

Grand Upright v. Warner (1991) • Biz Markie sampled Gilbert O’Sullivan without permission. • Court ruled sampling without clearance is theft (“Thou shalt not steal”). • Started the strict sample-clearance era in the U.S. music industry.

Bridgeport v. Dimension Films (2005) • N.W.A. used a 2-second Funkadelic guitar hit. • Court: any unlicensed sampling of a sound recording = infringement. • Established the rule: “Get a license or do not sample.”

VMG Salsoul v. Madonna (2016) • Dispute over a tiny horn stab in “Vogue.” • Court found it de minimis—too small to matter. • Reintroduced a limited “small-sample exception,” creating a circuit split with Bridgeport.