Jiddu,
My intent wasn't to bad mouth sampling in general.. I honestly don't have anything against the sampling process in general.. My only gripe is those who abuse it. So many groups today just use samples of other music, so I see originality being lost in the process. I myself sample, but I don't use others music..., If I recall one of the teenie bopper groups just re-did an earlier hip hop song from several years back....

More on soul and electronic musicianship.
Quoted from Rattley on a different post:

"I use my pedalboard with 2 61 note midi keyboards with the SCPOP and still get watery eyes sometimes when I play."

We have all gotten watery eyes Rattley. Its because all of us who play-operate electronic musical instruments can sometimes better deliver our soulfull sound to the speakers than many other instruments. The potential of sounds is infinite.
The synthesizer. Packed with soul, delivered electronically.
Your friendly electrochemically activated carbon based unit,
MORPH!

Well said Morphamatik .

Has anyone noticed how little work is getting put into the actual music, especially in rap and R&B today ?? It's like they only lay out like three tracks (usially maybe two measures of a simple analog synth line, if we're lucky, 8 notes or so, each) and just repeat them over and over again. I remember when the music sounded like it had a good 20 or 30 tracks recorded just for the music alone !! Nowadays, it sounds like they don't want to invest the money into making the music and they spend maybe ten minutes putting the music to the song together (being an experienced electronic musician, I know what it takes to make that music and I've done whole tunes just like those on the radio in like 10 minutes just to see how much time they invest in making the music.) It's like theyr throw all mhe cash into marketing and next to nothing into the music itself and heck.. Look at the music videos that are out now for this genera. Every tingle one is based on the same two or three subjects, and they all include the SAME camrea techniques (IE that damn fish eye lense that maked the guy's face really big and funny when it gets near the camera and also those anoying sped up really fast scenes) It looks like the videos take nothing to write (cuz they are all the same) and all the money goes into airplay and marketing. This has been bothering me for a long time. Thanks to big corporations, it seems like talented bands aren't getting ANY airplay or marketing. Heck.. It seems (and sounds to me) like the music is being done in ONE studio with the SAME instruments and then is shipped out to the various bands who do the vocals.. then, the same director comes along and makes a video for it using the same script and same equipment and the same camera with the fish eye lense and then speeds up the video double speed to make them look like they are dancing really fast and funny. Anyone else notice this ?? 8)

Well , unfortunately todays music is only for the LCD kids and people . By LCD I mean lowest comon dinominator people . As far as Rap and Hip Hop , it's all done on those shit box Akai MPC models , that's partly the reason why it all sounds the same . As for the producers of it , they are just vultures , they all wait and see what sells and then they copy it . I'm gonna be a little fair in saying that I'm sure that some of them can actually play . But , most of them absolutely need those MPC shit boxes , without them , they couldn't do it . Lets face it guys and girls , original thinking and looking forward is not recognized anymore . Back in the 70s KRAFTWERK was recognized because they were WAY ahead of their time and NO ONE could come close to recreating their sound . That kind of thing isn't celebrated anymore . Atleast not in the US . In Europe they are way more open minded and forward thinking in music , while also remembering the past . In the US , if you don't have great tits and ass or the latest Phat street wear , you don't get heard . This is just an idea , but , maybe if all of us came together and CRAMED our stuff down the radio stations throat , things may change . That's what the record companies do , they cram it down the stations throat .

800dv,
I totally agree with you.. I know so many people who have those MPC's, and if they didn't have the MPC they couldn't do crap for music production. What's sad is that so many people are buying the MPC for rap and hip hop, not because they think it sounds good, but because it's what everyone is using. Personally I think it's an over rated, and overpriced piece of crap. That's the problem with today's music industry.. They don't give a damn whether you can sing or not.. It's all 100% image now... Again I refer to Britney Spears.. Let's be honest guys.., yeah this girl is hot as hell, and she's built like a brick house, but she really can't sing for crap... Just take one of her most recent songs and completely strip it of all vocal processing, and just listen to her voice (dry)... It's not good at all. Then you have singers like Christina Agularie (excuse the spelling), who can sing her ass off and has a major set of pipes who doesn't get the recognition she deserves. Her vocal range is incredible, but because she wasn't the so to say inocent school girl Britney was supposed to be, she gets overlooked for her talent. What ever happened to the real R&B, and hip hop groups from the 90's.... Groups like Boyz II Men, Bel Biv DeVoe, and Shai? Those people were awsome singers.. They actually used their own natural voices and it sounded great.. Today you get all this crappy ass over processed shit that sounds awful. The US really needs to pick itself up out of this rut and get back on track with the music industry.. Lately if you're not teenie bopper material no one wants to sign you..

Well , from all the Europian friends I have as well as just reading up on some history , the US thinks it leads the world in everything . I know I an american , but I'm not a brain washed sheep either . The US doesn't lead in anything - especially music . Yes maybe we started electronic music in 1876 but the europians ( i.e. Germans ) showed us all how it's done . Thomas Dolby , Kraftwerk , Tangerine Dream , New Musik , Ultravox , Komputer , Jean Michel Jarre , The Human League , Depeche Mode , Vladimir Ussachevsky , Bulent Arel , Yaz , Erasure are but just a few who kept american groups like Devo scrambling to keep up . America is not a leader in anything except planed obsolesnce and throw away pop culture . The majority of the people have the attention span of a knat and Brittney will not be remembered 10 years from now . Europe is the market to look at , to focus on .

I think we should also consider alot of stuff that has and is still coming out of places like Asia, The middle and Far east, Australia And South America

Why does it aleays have to be the Germans or the US

why not CANADA, France, Spain, Portugal


THE MUSIK IS out there....


Heck id even listen to Arctic musik...but I guess i already did

Residents 'ESKIMO" Haha

Your'e right 800 & squeak. Quoting myself earlier in the thread..."These rappers couldn't tell you the accidentals .... and the only # they will ever know of is the one on their cell phone."

I can tell you in two words what the entire american music industry revoles around.

COPIES SOLD

Well , SoftMachine I didn't even want to get into the other countries because it makes america look even worse . But , trust me , I haven't forgotten Asia , Canada , and the rest . America is nothing but a country of users , not innovaters , just users . We soak up everything and just use it up . Hell , I was watching the history channel and remembering the space program and just watching hoe the Russians kick our ass . The only reason we won the race to the moon is the fact that the Russians suffered a horrible accident and set back , other wise they would have won that one too . We won because we were lucky , not better . In the music business America thinks that right here is the only market that matters . Just Like Morphamatik said , it's all about copies sold . It doesn't get any plainer than that .