Block Rockin' Beats/The Chemical Brothers (Circuit Tracks Version)

video upload by Guinan

"'Back with another one of those block rockin' beats.....'
I've been searching around for an ideal Chemical Brothers track to recreate on the Circuit Tracks when up popped one of my favourite channels, ‪@smallplatesmusic‬ with a video about this classic 1997 song off the album "Dig Your Own Hole'. I've loved the band since their 'Dust Brother'/Playstation 1 days and this mix of jazz, hip-hop and breakbeats blended with their signature synths is a true anthem. (plus check out another great band, 23 Skidoo's track 'Coup' for possible 'inpiration')

See the video here [below] for his fascinating deep dive into all of the samples used and the history behind them. Highly, highly recommend for any music fan...plus also some great Koala Sample App recreations too!

After commenting I was offered access to the Koala track shown in the video, and many of the samples in this recreation come from that version. Mark this up as my first collaboration on this channel! Huge thanks for the inspiration and help ‪@smallplatesmusic‬

What you hear was all recreated on a single Novation Circuit Tracks with the drum tracks used to sequence the various samples, augmented with synth lines to underpin the sound when needed. It was recorded straight from the audio outs into a Zoom L6 without any extra synths or effects.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did making it and stay tuned!

More details for synth nerds.

BPM 109.
Synth 1 - sawtooth bass synth
Synth 2 - distorted PWM saw patch playing chords and stabs
Drum 1 - drum loops
Drum 2 - sequenced bass note samples
Drum 3 - vocal snatches and pitched gunshot(!) samples
Drum 4 - crash cymbal and 707 open and closed hihats"

Remaking "Block Rockin' Beats" on Koala Sampler

video upload by small plates music

"Back with another one of those..attempts to remake a dancefloor classic on my phone.

This early Chemical Brothers banger includes a lot of jazz, funk, soul and early hip-hop samples including Schoolly D’s raw intro, Wilton Felder’s (very technical...) bassline, and Bernard Purdie’s funky drum fills. I have a listen to the sample, tell you some interesting things I found out, then try to rebuild the track using Koala, showing you how it works (more or less).

Featuring nods to Grand Wizard Theodore, Afrika Islam, Adult Swim cartoons, and the Zulu Beat Show.

0:00-0:15 Intro - What are we doing here anyway?
0:23-1:10 Schoolly D "Back With Another One Of Those" vocal, Acqua Teen Hunger Force
1:10-1:45 The Crusaders bassline- Beastie Boys cover, every third 1/16th note, Wilton Felder's other credits
2:02-2:43 Using Koala for the bass and drums
2:43-4:07 Drums by Bernard Purdie- the sample machine
4:07- 5:20 "Hoooo!" - Early hip-hop artefacts, Grand Wizard Theodore
5:20-6:50 Afrika Islam on the Zulu Beats Show, waiting for MCs, 'We're about ready to rock steady'
6:50-7:36 "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo", "Rocksteady" Aretha Franklin drummer
7:36-9:00 Koala workout, using the samples to recreate Block Rockin' Beats"