The Art of the Sample

“SAM•PLE /’SAMP(ə)L/

verb: the act of taking a portion, or sample of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument in a different song”

De Wolfe’s expansive music catalog has been sampled countless times throughout the past twenty years by artists such as Beyoncé, Drake, Lily Allen, The Gorillaz and Jay-Z.

Now, for the first time ever, we have opened our vaults to a select team of expert beatmakers, challenging them to create new unique material using audio samples from the depths of our archives.

Jansport J
”The Art of the Sample: Jansport J”

Various Artists
”The Art of the Sample: Black Pearl”

Blockhead
”The Art of the Sample: Blockhead”

Montoya Beatz
”The Art of the Sample: Montoya Beatz”

Rodney Hazard
”The Art of the Sample: Rodney Hazard”

Black Pearl…it all started back in ‘73

“...the epitome of cool, orchestral funk / dramatic styles of the 1970s”

Black Pearl (1973) by Alan Hawkshaw & Alan Parker

Originally released in 1973, the Black Pearl album was produced in London by Alan Parker and Alan Hawkshaw – the latter of whom is perhaps best-known in the hip hop world for composing “The Champ”, the instantly recognizable break that has been widely sampled and interpolated by artists including Frank Ocean, Migos, De La Soul, Eric B and Rakim, KRS One, Black Eyed Peas, and Onyx to name but a few.

Calling all vinyl collectors, beat junkies, and appreciators of good music worldwide: you now have the chance to purchase a sealed vinyl copy of Black Pearl (1973) distributed by Fat Beats.

Black Pearl’s overall sound is the epitome of cool, orchestral funk / dramatic styles of the 1970s (e.g. “Next Stop LA”, “Collect”, “Oh! Militia”, “Choctaw”, “Black Pearl”, and “Blue Shadow”). Also featured are several more romantic, laid-back, emotive pieces such as “Miraculous Dream”, “Tryst”, “Sunny Monday”, “Melody and Lace”, “Monochrome”, “No Return”. Not to mention a couple of surprise solo honky-tonk piano jaunts – enter “The Vamp” and “Night of the Garter”.

The Art of the Sample: Black Pearl

“Audio from the original Black Pearl has been mangled and manipulated, used like an instrument to make an eclectic and exciting new album.”

To coincide with the Black Pearl vinyl re-release, almost half a century after the two Alans first composed Black Pearl, de Wolfe’s new generation of American music makers have reimagined this classic album.

BITE HARD’s hand-picked team of composers have harnessed the rich sounds of the original 70s recordings and made them their own, employing creative sampling, chopping, looping, splicing, stretching, alongside the addition of their own musical layers.

Within the album, some of the same snippets of Parker / Hawkshaw recordings have been sampled by different producers on different songs. Each time, the remixer has created new works in completely different musical directions.

“Next Stop LA” by Alan Hawkshaw, for example, is sampled and reimagined in “Next Stop LA - Audio Narcos Remix” by Audio Narcos, “Next Stop LA - Seven AM Remix” by Seven AM, and “Next Stop LA - Rizr & RealJem & Champ Beatz Remix” by Rizr, RealJem and Champ Beatz.

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The Art of the Sample: Blockhead

“...something to delight the backpacker in all of us...”

Blockhead's album is like an onion; it’s made up of layers. Layers upon layers of vintage samples from the deepest cuts of our cult catalog, evoking moods ranging from film noir (Black Silhouette) to elegant and quirky (Posse). Names like Roger Webb and Simon Haseley might mean little to the layman, but these composers have been loved by crate diggers and hitmakers, including A$AP Rocky and Beyoncé. Now, these composers are featured across Blockhead’s Art of the Sample, the first installment of the series from de Wolfe and Bite Hard. From the rolling drums of Jellyfish to the bouncing horns of And The Winner Is, there is something to delight the backpacker in all of us.

“The Art of the Sample: Blockhead” is now available to be purchased on vinyl for just $20.

The 14 track album is a limited pressing of just 1000 copies, so don’t delay!

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The Art of the Sample: Rodney Hazard

“If Law & Order took place in an alternate reality and was scored with trap beats, Rodney Hazard’s The Art of the Sample would be the soundtrack.”

Dark, meandering soundscapes support booming 808’s to paint pictures of mystery and intrigue. Sampling some of our more recent composers that specialize in ambient and atmospheric music, Rodney can make you dance (Hiatus), dream (Understood), or question reality itself (In Hindsight).

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The Art of the Sample: Montoya Beatz

“ This combination of samples and synths, with a range of drum programming, highlights Montoya’s gifts as a multi-instrumentalist and beat maker. ”

The most elective album of the Art of the Sample series belongs to Long Island based producer, Montoya Beatz. Sampling both our classic catalog and modern composers, Montoya’s contemporary approach creates diverse sounds ranging from R&B soundscapes (Vehemence) and retro funk (More Light), through to modern hip-hop (No Competition).

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