i've been listening to a lot of dj premier and dilla instrumentals lately. one thing struck me about premier's beats today that is so obvious that i can not understand why it took me so long to figure out: all the pitched samples (everything besides the beats and bass) seem to be from one record, one song, even down to a single riff. he doesn't try to mix and match because that would throw the harmonies out of whack. am i wrong? another aspect that makes this all work so well is that there are usually only 3 distinct sounds happening: drums, bass, and a single sample. and the bass always seems to be gated (or at least timed so) to the kick drum. it's weird, too, how he takes one hook and one beat, loops it for 3 minutes with barely any variation, and makes the song go by without a moment of boredom, even on the instrumental, without lyrics.
if you haven't lately, check out the instrumental for common's "like water for chocolate." the dilla beats on that one are so right it gives me chills, and the premier beat "6th sense" is one of his top five of all time.
"Above The Clouds" needs to be on that list somewhere.
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