Dilla-Donuts???

[mrfloyd]

I popped in Dillas'-Donuts today while on my way to work. What is it about this album?? This artist?? I can not put my finger on what it is that makes Donuts so damn fun, good and inspiring to listen to??

I listened for patterns. You know...like something every song had that could induce the pleasure I have while listening to the album. I really couldn't find any....

It seemed he like uses drum loops a lot. Taking a drum loop, a short 1 bar loop and repeating it with minimal change ups. When he uses this approach he normally has a nifty, synth heavy bass line over it. And sometimes when he uses this style I don't think there are any other samples other then the drums.

Then on other tracks the sample is the most emphasized part of the track. He sometimes uses a melody of the track and layers other samples of the same song (vocals especially) over them, using kind of a blending technique. When he does this, sometimes simple drum machine type drums are used with emphasis on the bass or kick drum.

What do you guys think??? He is (not going to say was) extremely versatile. But what makes his tracks so different from the other producers out there?

It's like Donuts. It's obvious these track were meant for true instrumental productions. Some MC's (DOOM/Percee P) could sneak some crazy verses in somewhere, but not many others.
The tracks are too "crazy". Not typical hip hop tracks.

What do you guys think about this???

[p.illa]

Originally Posted by mrfloyd

What do you guys think??? He is (not going to say was) extremely versatile. But what makes his tracks so different from the other producers out there?

Yeh I really start knowing about Dilla when he came up with "Welcome to Detroit", which is when most people didn't even care about him, and I used to ask myself the same question what makes him different?

Well I realized that he got a lil "swing" in the way he loops a sample. He doesn't really need to add a loud drum to his beats, the way he chops and loop his sample will create a pattern (example: don't cry). He also think outside the box and uses any samples that he can find and make it sound the way he wants (example: Lightworks). My favorite track in that album is "Airwork" but my favorite Dilla beat of all time is "Push" on MED's album "Push comes to shove", classic track. Basically it's all about that swing that he puts in his beats that makes even the average listenner's head bop.

[[grimeshine]]

i dont think any amount of weed smoking can find a proper philosophy for donuts

[mrfloyd]

Welcome to Detroit/Slum Village...all his other works are genius for sure.

But Donuts, maybe Jay Love Japan?

Those straight instrumentals are just SO DAMN sick. Its like he doesnt stick to any game plan as far as arrangement. Like 2 minute songs....where you cant distinguish from the usual: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Break down, Outro.

He just doesnt stick to any format. Its just crazy....

What other producers create this vibe?

Im thinking Madlib....but his shit is more abstract.

Shadow has his own style but its like.....epic? Like sample based electronica music? I dont know.

None got what dilla had though, eh?

It would be hard to even emulate his work.

[p.illa]

[quote=mrfloyd;7069]None got what dilla had though, eh?
QUOTE]

You're Canadian, lmao?

[mrfloyd]

Originally Posted by p.illa

You're Canadian, lmao?

Damn you!!!!

It so sucks that Rafferty may see this.

No I am not Candian.

Damn Canadians...

[archdukezeb]

One thing I noticed is he emphasizes his kick drums with a parallel compression kind of technique I think. Like on light my fire, mash, people, or pretty much all the tracks on the album.

[[grimeshine]]

Its called Sidechain compression. or "ducking"

Its a process of compressing the entire song including drums and bass.

[archdukezeb]

my bad I use it alot and the wrong word still came to mind because I saw some link to a parallel compression tutorial.

I think your definition is kind of off though. It works just like how regular compression works through decreasing the sound a certain amount when the volume peaks the threshold but instead of using the volume info from the track you're compressing it does it from whatever track you tell it to. So you could have any sound compress any other sound.

[Rafferty]

Originally Posted by mrfloyd

It so sucks that Rafferty may see this.

^________^

yo, but what I like about donuts is how jumbly and fragmented it is. Like you were saying, 2-minute songs that have no chorus-verse-bridge anything like that, and suddenly the next track. Reminds me a bit of that tv show, Robot Chicken.

archdukezeb I think you're right about what parallel compression is.