#songbender part 30 – Xploding Plastix – More Power To Yah
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, and this time we’re back to our Norwegian friends, and this time, OH WOW it’s personal again, well WHOOOODDA THUNK
anyway. so I had my dear friend DJ Shuffle (you may have heard about this guy, he lives in my car) just unexpectedly throw this one at me this morning, like, really, without a warning, and I, somehow, did not skip this one as I thought: well well well, I remember this one being good, now let’s just check it out once again!
And for some other reasons i won’t be sharing today, this falls perfectly in line with life’s narrative. I HAD to hear this one, today, as it is, at is was, as it has been, and i haven’t listened to this album in really like at least 10 years but more likely 15 or 20. Which is NOT GOOD, i must admit, but those who know me would probably agree that certain music takes a really special mood and place and circumstance so it really gives the vibe it needs to give – by the way, this is something that humanity appears to forget pretty quickly these days. But I digress.
So basically the thing is that this is NOT a flashy song. This is not the song that you would show someone that HEY i got this xploding plastix album and it’s KILLER YO, because 1) people just don’t do that anymore, eh 2) this album is brilliant but this is not the best song.
BUUUT as we all know (well those 2 people i mean), we are NOT HERE for the flashy, “oh-i-got-this-one-immediately” type of songs over here. You can get that from anywhere, literally. Everybody will make sure you are aware of the flashy ones, especially if these people are paid to do so. But no. Not this time.
So you see, sampling is something that we’ve talked about with the guys recently, the details of it, the art of it, how it is a really REALLY interesting sort of way to deal with already existing music. And we somewhat came to the conclusion that these days it is not there anymore, and that’s mostly due to copyright, which i’m a great enemy of, by the way, and i will NOT go into that rabbit hole right now, but the point is: there never will be another Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby album. Which is very, very unfortunate, if you ask me. It came out at a perfect time, and thank whichever supreme being for that, but today, the archetype lawyer asshole idiots, fueled by the labels and the “I WANNA MY MUNNEY” type of persons would jump on it as the gyöngytyúk on the takony, to quote the old Hispanic proverb.
So it’s quite a shame, that whatever these 2 Norwegians did at their time will most likely never be done again – and that’s also a good thing of course, cause they made sure it is absolutely 100% brilliant, and it is, to this day.
Though I really have to say that I personally have the feeling of this somewhat weirdness to it: whatever was a big accomplishment, a technical feat, a light that showed the way, back in those days, is not recognized anymore. Not even by those who should do it. But maybe it’s just me, i don’t know.
But anyway, back to the track. This is sampling, hardcore fkin sampling the way nobody did it before. But done in a particularly amazing way. These are big-band and jazz samples, taken from GOD KNOWS WHEREEVER, and cut and re-cut and effected and put on some absolutely amazing electronics that I really think was unique at its time.
(now? when you get praise to have an ipad and throw stuff together on a fkin ipad and happen to have a zillion dollars for marketing and you become billie fkin eilish? it’s the SAME, RIGHT?)
pf. whatever. ok, i’ll stop this old man shouting at clouds thing, but really, this was a different time. a different audience.
but it’s amazing, and it doesn’t want to overwhelm you. there are songs on this album that go down the really deep route, giving some squarepusher or aphex twin-like drums on top of jazz samples of drums played without sticks, and double bass, and brass quartets
yeeeah I’m sure we have the same stuff today, it’s just me who’s the BLIND one, ok.
so, with all that said, please enjoy this particularly string-heavy song from guys who are in the top 5 of my favorite Norwegians ever. The rest you need to ask, i’ll not reveal.
Peace, and see you next time, hopefully.