Rowan Oliver
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University of Hull School of Drama, Music and Screen Rebecoming Analogue: Groove, Breakbeats and Sampling being a Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD in the University of Hull by Rowan Anthony Oliver (March 2015) ****************** Acknowledgements Enjoyable though this project has been, it would not even have started without the inspiration provided by many people and would certainly never have been finished without the support and input of many more. The inspiration grew out of my own experiences of groove in various bands that I have had the pleasure to be part of over the years. From early forays into drumming in a band with my parents David and Rosemary, and siblings Bryony and Jeremy (using a Dr-Frankenstein- meets-W-Heath-Robinson kit), through to international recording and touring many years later, grooving has always been a part of my musical life, regardless of the stylistic context. Of the many musicians that I have played with along the way, special groovy mention must go to Max de Wardener, Leo Taylor and Dawud Abu-Asiya for Bassism (and more), Chartwell Dutiro, Chris Morphitis and Ian Grocott for Spirit Talk Mbira, John Richards, Hilary Jeffery, Tim Wright and Neil Griffiths for Sand, Mara Carlyle, Will Grove- White, Dilip Harris, Hayley Willis, Dr Simon Nelson, Justin Thurgur, Kishon Khan, Tom “Shur-I-Kan” Szirtes, Gramme, Plaid, Will Gregory and Alison for Goldfrapp, Charlie Jones, Angie Pollock, Davide Rossi, Andy Davis and Mike Crawford for Goldfrapp on tour, Adrian Meehan, Simon Naunton and Sir Walter J Wallis. As a neophyte DJ in the early 1990s in York, Richard Clay and Richard Davidson-Houston welcomed me into their Family DB collective. Both have remained firm friends ever since. Richard Clay, in particular, has offered inspiration and insight in relation to my research; he is the only academic whose face and moves instantly spring to mind whenever I hear the intro to ‘Know How’ by Young MC. Stuart Baker at Soul Jazz Records probably doesn’t realize what an amazing opportunity he provided when he offered me a job at the label’s record shop, Sounds Of The Universe. I can’t imagine a better place in which to have immersed myself in music, nor a nicer bunch of people with whom to do so (Abi, Karl, Pete, Scott, Angela and Johnny, to name a few). i Academic encouragement began as early as the mid-1990s, when Tony Myatt, David Kershaw and Neil Sorrell at the University of York were all either indulgent of, or kindly disposed towards, my peculiar stylistic preferences as an undergraduate. Doug Field and Marie Crook — great friends from York days — have each provided me with support, inspiration, encouragement and opportunity over the years. More recently, my colleagues at the University of Hull have encouraged me, forgiven my reign of terror as Director of Studies, and generously made up for my absence during a period of research leave. Particular thanks go to CMT colleagues Andrew King, Robert MacKay, Helen Mitchell, Howard Wilde, Matt Barnard, Chris Jones and Alan Young. I am enjoying getting to know colleagues at the Hull Campus too, who have been similarly accommodating of the time and energy that I have needed to devote to my research. Thanks to Alastair Borthwick for being a compassionate Head of School, to Elaine King and Mark Slater for the various supportive and illuminating conversations about this project, and to everyone else in the team. Many, many thanks go to my supervisor Peter Elsdon, who always understood exactly the best way to support my progress through this process. Thanks to my extended family too, all of whom have remained totally unbewildered in the face of this quixotic task, thus helping me to remain grounded at all times. Special mention goes to Jackie and Steve, Sidney Yanney, Steve Mowle, and Beck, Scott and Woody Glazebrook. At home recently, we realized that my middle son had only just been born when I started work on the PhD. He is now halfway to being able to legally order a pint, which is an indication of the time the project has taken (though it’s good to see that we’re both making progress of sorts, I suppose!). Each in their own ways, all three of my children have offered their perspectives and encouragement. Thank you Jacob, Arlo and Tigerlily. Ultimately neither this work, nor anything else in life, would be very worthwhile without Charlotte, my wife. She’s an incisive thinker, an enthusiastic sharer of ideas, and a mean proofreader (in a good way). She ii embodies groove more eloquently than anything I could write; she also now knows more about it than anyone should really have to. Thanks, my love. iii Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................... i Contents ................................................................................................................. iv List of figures ........................................................................................................ vi Abstract ................................................................................................................ viii Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 Groove .............................................................................................................................. 1 Breakbeats ..................................................................................................................... 1 Sampling .......................................................................................................................... 2 Conventions ................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter overview ......................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1 – Groovology and solo groove ...................................................... 8 Solo groove ................................................................................................................... 10 Groove, shared time and sampling ...................................................................... 12 Contextual senses of time ........................................................................................ 16 Messy reality versus the three categories ......................................................... 23 Chapter 2 – Groove factors .............................................................................. 28 Inter-onset intervals ................................................................................................. 29 Patterning ..................................................................................................................... 31 Displacement ............................................................................................................... 35 Ghost notes ................................................................................................................... 38 Phrasing and articulation ........................................................................................ 43 Timbre ........................................................................................................................... 44 Overlap between groove factors ........................................................................... 45 Chapter 3 – These are the breaks: Funk breakbeats in their original context ................................................................................................................... 48 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 50 ‘Funky Drummer’ (1970) ........................................................................................ 55 ‘Funky Drummer – Bonus Beat Reprise’ (1986) .............................................. 79 ‘Amen, Brother’ (1969) ............................................................................................ 85 ‘Think (About It)’ (1972) and ‘Hot Pants (Bonus Beats)’ (1988) ............... 93 iv Chapter 4 – Bring that beat back: Sampled groove in hip hop ............ 98 The breakbeat as textural rupture ................................................................... 100 ‘Impeach The President’ (1973) ........................................................................ 106 Hip hop sampling’s impact on groove factors ............................................... 119 Chapter 5 – Rebecoming analogue: Musical synergy between the breakbeat and the MC .................................................................................... 121 Fixed versus variable elements in rhythm ..................................................... 124 ‘I Know You Got Soul’ (1987) ............................................................................... 128 Giving testimony to a fulfilled break ................................................................ 142 Chapter 6 – Breakbeat science: Rhythm versus sound in jungle .... 149 Post-hip hop sample techniques and groove factors .................................. 151 Breakbeats in jungle .............................................................................................. 169 A shift in groove priorities ................................................................................... 187 Chapter 7 – Transpatiotemporal musicking: Some conclusions ..... 191 Sampling as