TRANSFORM: The Art of Making Something your Own

Hey there!

Imagine having the ability to take any piece of music as source material and transform it into something uniquely yours. Something that carries your distinct fingerprint, your creative DNA.

Sound impossible? It's not. In fact, it's the core of what we're exploring in this second instalment of our creativity series: TRANSFORM.

The Producer's Dilemma

Let's address the elephant in the room first. If you're new to music production (or even if you've been at it for years), you've probably encountered these questions:

"Is using samples cheating?"

"Am I a 'real producer' if I use loops?"

"Should I feel guilty about not creating everything from scratch?"

Let me be crystal clear: No, using samples is NOT cheating! Why would sampling be any less legitimate than playing an instrument? Both are forms of musical expression requiring skill, taste, and creativity.

We're no longer in the 1980s—often called the "golden age" of sampling—when copyright laws hadn't caught up with the practice. These days, copyright legislation is much clearer, and while this makes sampling less flexible, it also creates a more sustainable ecosystem for all musicians.

But the stigma persists, doesn't it? That nagging voice suggesting you're taking the "easy way out" by incorporating pre-existing elements.

The REAL Problem With Samples

The issue isn't using samples—it's how you use them.

Beyond Loop Dragging

There's a world of difference between:

1. Lazily dragging and dropping loops from a sample pack, calling it a day, and declaring "Beatport hit, here we come!"

2. Taking those same samples and transforming them into something unrecognizable, something that could only exist in your musical universe

The key is transformation—the art of making something your own.

Your Sampling Journey

Many of us (myself included) started our production journeys with sample packs and libraries. It's a perfectly logical pathway! You have musical taste and ideas but haven't yet developed all the technical skills to create everything from scratch.

This is how I began producing electronic music, and I'd bet it's familiar to many of you too.

The transformation magic happens when you start manipulating these sounds:

• Adding effects and processing

• Changing tempo and pitch

• Combining different elements in unexpected ways

• Recontextualizing sounds to serve new purposes

These techniques breathe new life into samples, allowing you to infuse them with your unique perspective and creative intent.

From Mellotron to Modern DAWs

Our ability to transform sound has evolved dramatically over the decades

1970s: Early samplers emerge, like the Mellotron and the groundbreaking Fairlight CMI. Created by Peter Fogel and Kim Ryrie in 1979, the Fairlight was revolutionary—a polyphonic digital synthesizer with a "touch screen" controlled by a light pen. Though wildly expensive, it defined that characteristic '80s sound we all recognize.

1980s: The introduction of more accessible sampling hardware like the Akai MPC series and E-MU SP-1200 democratized sampling. Suddenly, producers could create full songs without a studio, sparking a worldwide boom in electronic and sample-based music far beyond its Bronx origins.

1990s -2000s: Albums like DJ Shadow's Endtroducing (1996) and The Avalanches' Since I Left You (2001) pushed sampling to new heights, using thousands of samples to create entirely original works.

Today: Modern DAWs and software have made sampling more accessible than ever, with innovative tools for manipulating sound in ways previously unimaginable. Did you know that in 2022, 1 out of every 5 hit songs sampled a previous record? (Source: Tracklib)

Giving Credit Where Credit's Due

Let's tackle another common concern: Is sampling stealing?

Sampling is an artistic expression—a way to give music new life. It's not stealing as long as you treat sampling fairly. This means properly clearing and licensing music to respect another musician's hard work and rights.

Services like Tracklib have made this process much easier. You can download music to work with, create your new track, and come back to clear it for official release when you're ready.

But why sample original music when you can use royalty-free audio? Because sampling original music brings a sound and spirit that can't be recreated. From the character of analog studio gear to the chemistry between musicians—those magical moments are only captured in real music.

The Sample Hunter's Ear

Not all sampling is created equal. The first creative act in sampling isn't the technical process—it's the selection itself.

What makes a good sample or influence?

1. Emotional resonance - Does it evoke a feeling or memory?

2. Sonic character - Does it have a texture or imperfection that can't be easily synthesized?

3. Transformative potential - Can you hear possibilities beyond its original context?

4. Personal connection - Does it speak to your artistic sensibilities?

The best producers aren't just technically skilled; they have exceptional "sample radar"—the ability to hear potential in unexpected places.

Consider artists like Daft Punk and J Dilla, whose ability to identify perfect samples to transform is nothing short of mind-blowing:

• Daft Punk's "Discovery" album (Sample Breakdown): Listen here

• J Dilla - "Don't Cry" (Sample Breakdown): Listen here

Their work proves that sampling is an art form in itself. While it's not the same as playing an instrument, it gives music a continuation, evolving the original story in new and exciting ways.
There are many more examples of artists whose talent for sampling is inspiring. Some personal favourites include The Prodigy, Burial, Moby, Four Tet, and many more. Each brings their unique approach to transforming source material into something distinctly their own."

Your Transformation Toolkit

So how exactly do you transform a sample? Here are the most common techniques:

Looping: Taking a section of audio and repeating it seamlessly

Chopping: Cutting samples into smaller pieces and rearranging them to create new patterns

Layering: Combining multiple samples simultaneously to create rich, complex textures

Tempo Changes: Speeding up or slowing down samples (which also affects pitch)

Time Stretching: Changing tempo while maintaining pitch

Pitch Shifting: Adjusting pitch while maintaining tempo

Equalization: Tweaking frequency levels to achieve balance and clarity

Reversing: Playing the audio backward for unique effects

Resampling: Recording processed audio to create entirely new samples

Stem Splitting: Using AI or software to separate songs into individual components like drums and vocals

The key to all these techniques is recontextualization—taking sounds out of their original environment and placing them somewhere new, where they can tell a different story.

Finding Your Sonic Signature

The goal of transformation isn't just to change a sound—it's to infuse it with your artistic identity. Every effect you apply, every parameter you tweak, every decision you make contributes to your unique sonic signature.

When Transformation Becomes Creation

Great transformations can completely change the emotional impact of a sound. What once evoked nostalgia might now create tension; what once felt melancholic might now inspire hope.

The boundary between transformation and creation is fluid—at what point does a heavily processed sample become an entirely new sound? This creative grey area is where many of the most exciting musical innovations happen.

Freedom Through Transformation

When you master the art of transformation, you gain creative freedom. You're no longer limited by your technical abilities to play instruments or program perfect drum patterns. Instead, you can work with any sound that inspires you, moulding it into your vision.

This opens up possibilities for:

• Unique textures and aesthetics

• Fusion between organic and electronic elements

• Sounds that couldn't exist in the natural world

• Cross-genre pollination that creates new musical territories

No One's Checking Your Ingredients

Remember this: the dancer on the floor doesn't care whether you meticulously programmed every hi-hat or cleverly transformed a sample. They care about how the music makes them feel.

Your creative process matters to you, but the emotional impact of your music is what resonates with listeners. Transform sounds in ways that serve your artistic vision and connect with your audience—that's what truly matters.

From Student to Master

As you continue exploring the art of transformation, I encourage you to:

1. Listen widely and develop your "sample radar"

2. Experiment with different processing techniques

3. Push samples beyond recognition

4. Find your unique approach to transformation

5. Respect the original creators through proper licensing

Resources to Explore

1. Sample Breakdown: The Most Iconic Electronic Music Sample of Every Year (1990-2024) by Tracklib

2. “A Brief History of Sampling” by Thomann - Where did this art form originate? How did it develop and what events helped it become what it is today? Is sampling somebody else’s work an ethical practice? We will cover all of these points in the follow “mini history lesson” about the art of sampling in music

3. Remix Theory: The Aesthetics of Sampling" by Eduardo Navas - Explores the cultural and artistic implications of sampling in electronic music.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our creativity series, where we'll explore how to COMBINE transformed elements into cohesive musical works!

Until next time,

Heath

P.S. I'd love to hear about your experiences with transformation! What's your favourite technique for making samples your own? Reply to this email and let me know!