Dilla beatz

[bubbhasdance]

I'd say The Unseen and Madvillainy drove up SP-303 prices way before Donuts did. I will agree that Donuts is not my favorite Dilla hands-down, but it's easily top 3.

[Alcofribas]

No I agree it's not even close to my favorite Dilla stuff. And yeah the mythologizing is insane around that album (drove up the SP-303 ebay prices and everything). But learning where the album came from did sharpen my appreciation for it.

 

Messiaen wrote "quartet for the end of the world" while he was on death row in some fascist gulag...now, obviously the notes are the notes and that information doesn't change any of the notes, but for better or worse knowing that made me appreciate it more.

 

Those examples are in contrast to the at-least-partly-contrived narrative of (say) Disintegration Loops, where the context was supplied by the artist himself rather than Fate (or whathaveyou)

 

 

i hear that. definitely knowing the history of the record is important and also sharpened my appreciation for it back in the day.

 

coincidentally listening to "endtroducing" this morning. another incredible instrumental hip hop record w/ an enriching backstory.

 

also, not to get bogged down in this but the basinski stuff was definitely provided by Fate if one is to believe his story.

[LimpyLoo]

Yeah actually the whole Madlib/FlyLo scene prolly drove up the price (sp303s used to be 140usd-ish, now they're pushing 300). But it certainly didn't hurt that Donuts specifically was rumored to have been done on one.

[LimpyLoo]

It's also deceptively detail-minded and obsessively-slaved-over. If you actually compare it to the source materials it is mind-boggling how much work he actually did. There's a RBMA discussion about it somewhere where they really pick it apart, and even if you don't like the album there's alot to learn from Donuts in terms of technique and musicality.

[LimpyLoo]

Oops Boiler Room, not RBMA:

https://boilerroom.tv/podcast/donuts-dissected-10-years-on/

[Astro Tarot]

I think donuts is really important, if only for the fact it was the last words, speaking with samples and beats. it's a tragic album,

I mentioned before, but if you guys have some reading pleasure on the subject, his 33 and a 1/3rd is worth a shot.

 

really emphasizes the value of an artists final work, I think welcome 2 Detroit is also an amazing instrumental album.

 

but donuts is on another level, and no one has made anything like it since.

[LimpyLoo]

 

No I agree it's not even close to my favorite Dilla stuff. And yeah the mythologizing is insane around that album (drove up the SP-303 ebay prices and everything). But learning where the album came from did sharpen my appreciation for it.

 

Messiaen wrote "quartet for the end of the world" while he was on death row in some fascist gulag...now, obviously the notes are the notes and that information doesn't change any of the notes, but for better or worse knowing that made me appreciate it more.

 

Those examples are in contrast to the at-least-partly-contrived narrative of (say) Disintegration Loops, where the context was supplied by the artist himself rather than Fate (or whathaveyou)

 

i hear that. definitely knowing the history of the record is important and also sharpened my appreciation for it back in the day.

 

coincidentally listening to "endtroducing" this morning. another incredible instrumental hip hop record w/ an enriching backstory.

 

also, not to get bogged down in this but the basinski stuff was definitely provided by Fate if one is to believe his story.

It's not that I don't believe Basinski's story--I do--I'm just saying that he volunteered that narrative/context himself alongside the release of the album. As opposed to Blackstar or Donuts or Messiaen's "quartet", where the context arose naturally.

 

I might be splitting hairs here, but I think Blackstar would've been a different beast if Bowie had himself said "I'm dying and this is my farewell statement, so...just keep that in mind". The facts are still the same either way, but to me it feels a bit like the artist is trying to micro-manage my perception of the work.

 

I'm probably crazy but it just strikes me as different.

 

(BTW I absolutely love Disintegration Loops...but I did roll my eyes a bit when I heard it was being performed on the anniversary of 9/11...i guess that's what I mean by "contrived")

[dr lopez]

seriously if anyone likes sample heavy silliness the tape-beatles are where its at (also if you like orb samples)

[Alcofribas]

 

 

No I agree it's not even close to my favorite Dilla stuff. And yeah the mythologizing is insane around that album (drove up the SP-303 ebay prices and everything). But learning where the album came from did sharpen my appreciation for it.

 

Messiaen wrote "quartet for the end of the world" while he was on death row in some fascist gulag...now, obviously the notes are the notes and that information doesn't change any of the notes, but for better or worse knowing that made me appreciate it more.

 

Those examples are in contrast to the at-least-partly-contrived narrative of (say) Disintegration Loops, where the context was supplied by the artist himself rather than Fate (or whathaveyou)

 

i hear that. definitely knowing the history of the record is important and also sharpened my appreciation for it back in the day.

 

coincidentally listening to "endtroducing" this morning. another incredible instrumental hip hop record w/ an enriching backstory.

 

also, not to get bogged down in this but the basinski stuff was definitely provided by Fate if one is to believe his story.

It's not that I don't believe Basinski's story--I do--I'm just saying that he volunteered that narrative/context himself alongside the release of the album. As opposed to Blackstar or Donuts or Messiaen's "quartet", where the context arose naturally.

 

I might be splitting hairs here, but I think Blackstar would've been a different beast if Bowie had himself said "I'm dying and this is my farewell statement, so...just keep that in mind". The facts are still the same either way, but to me it feels a bit like the artist is trying to micro-manage my perception of the work.

 

I'm probably crazy but it just strikes me as different.

 

(BTW I absolutely love Disintegration Loops...but I did roll my eyes a bit when I heard it was being performed on the anniversary of 9/11...i guess that's what I mean by "contrived")

Gotcha, totally see what you mean.

[TRiP]

Love Dilla, he's truly the gift that keeps on giving - rare when you come across a musician who you instantly and exponentially appreciate.

 

Not too familiar with his offical releases, mostly been listening to mixes of demo/remix/instrumental tracks such as:

 

 

Anyone have any recomendations? So far i've heard Vintage, Dillatronic, Donuts and J Dilla's Delights. Definatley prefer the more instrumental orriented stuff but open to all.

[olo]

^ Donuts was/is my favorite release of his. I tend to prefer the instrumental work as well. He could really flip some well known records and turn them on their head.

 

You could check out Slum Village if you haven't already. He also produced some tracks for Tribe.

[drome]

@ TRiP - Ruff Draft is worth a look. Includes instrumental disc. Sicc beets.

 

https://www.discogs.com/J-Dilla-Ruff-Draft/release/933608

[TRiP]

Class, shall check out!

 

also, just want to share this incredible track (good example of the instrumental version being superior to the vocalised/rapped versions)

 

 

[olo]

^ Donuts for the win

[olo]

I have never listened to any Dilla but am aware his production is well regarded. What release should i listen to first to get a good handle on his techniques?

 

It may or may not be common knowledge, but he was pretty much on his deathbed in a hospital making this album because he knew it was his last. The album takes on a different feel altogether when you take the vocal samples into consideration.

 

J Dilla's mother, Maureen Yancey, a former opera singer, spoke of watching her son's daily routine during the making of Donuts:

 

I knew he was working on a series of beat CDs before he came to Los Angeles. Donuts was a special project that he hadn't named yet. This was the tail end of his "Dill Withers" phase, while he was living in Clinton Township, Michigan. You see, musically he went into different phases. He'd start on a project, go back, go buy more records and then go back to working on the project again.

 

I saw him all day, everyday. I would go there for breakfast, go back to Detroit to check on the daycare business I was running, and then back to his house for lunch and dinner. He was on a special diet and he was a funny eater anyway. He had to take 15 different medications, we would split them up between meals, and every other day we would binge on a brownie sundae from Big Boys. That was his treat.

 

I didn't know about the actual album Donuts until I came to Los Angeles to stay indefinitely. I got a glimpse of the music during one of the hospital stays, around his 31st birthday, when [friend and producer] House Shoes came out from Detroit to visit him. I would sneak in and listen to the work in progress while he was in dialysis. He got furious when he found out I was listening to his music! He didn't want me to listen to anything until it was a finished product.

 

He was working in the hospital. He tried to go over each beat and make sure that it was something different and make sure that there was nothing that he wanted to change. "Lightworks", oh yes, that was something! That's one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time.

 

 

[BobDobalina]

Some other great Dilla joints with instrumental versions include Jaylib's Champion Sound and SV's Fantastic Vol 2.  (TBH the fact that there are a gazillion versions of the latter is one of the most unsavory parts of his legacy, all these fools tryin to cash in on em after he gone).  Also, the Donut Shop EP (unrelated to the album) is all instrumentals and is a nice ride.

 

Some of his tracks tho just won't do without the vocals, dude could lay it down

 

 

 

^ that stereolab sample   

 

Fun one - my wife got me a Donuts t-shirt from the ST store for Xmas, and on the tagless inside part my the size is indicated with an "L" - quotation marks included .  As a devotee to the dank (and knowing Dilla and the whole ST/Jeff Jank aesthetic) I like to think that this touch is specific to the size large.

[drome]

[zaphod]

i'm still very impressed with how he flipped this sample

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh3Si9V1lJI

 

i think the production on won't do is amazing. this spacek track is great as well.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMqobFDVYEs

 

he does this kind of infinitely building, melancholic hip hop thing very well. donuts never clicked for me though, it doesn't have the magic of his production work with slum village or on other people's tracks.