Today we have a special issue dedicated to tracks, which have samples from detroit techno. Drum & bass has much more common with this genre than it may seem at first sight, especially when it comes to the 90’s… As a result, we selected tracks produced by a variety of dnb heads, starting from LTJ Bukem to Cause4Concern.
First of all, we have to pay respect to Kevin Saunderson, who operated under a range of aliases, including Reese. With the help of the Roland TR-909 drum machine, he created a bass sequence, which afterwards was sampled for tens of dnb tracks. That low frequence bassline in Just Want Another Chance even got the name “reese bassline”, and it still emerges in this form or another in drum & bass productions.
Reese – Just Want Another Chance (Incognito Records, 1988)
The Renegade Featuring Ray Keith – Terrorist (Moving Shadow, 1994)
Dillinja – Deadly Deep Subs (Remix) (Deadly Vinyl, 1994)
It looks like tracks that we’ve selected were inspired by the key figures of Detroit scene, namely Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Jeff Mills. We are talking about not only their primary pseudonyms, but also to projects like Underground Resistance, Reel by Real, Model 500, 69, Psyche, and Rhythim Is Rhythim.
LTJ Bukem – Atlantis (Good Looking Records, 1993)
Reel by Real – Surkit (Interface Records, 1991)
Peshay – World of Music (Infrared, 1994)
Model 500 – The Passage (Apollo, 1992)
D&B producers, who did the tracks in this list, sampled literally everything, be it synths, pads, or vocals.
Klute – Jamm Tha Boxx (Commercial Suicide, 2003)
69 – Jam The Box (R & S Records, 1994)
Blame & Justice – Nocturnal (Blame & Justice Remix) (Moving Shadow, 1995)
Psyche – Elements (Transmat, 1990)
Wax Doctor – Never as Good (Talkin’ Loud, 1995)
Carl Craig – At Les (Buzz, 1993)
Cause4Concern are the ones who officially expressed their love for Detroit techno. They even have tracks in this kind of style.
Cause4Concern – Synergy (Cause4Concern Recordings, 2001)
Jeff Mills – Robot Replica (Tresor, 2000)
Cause4Concern – Slimeball (True Playaz, 2002)
Underground Resistance – The Wind (Shockwave Records, 1992)
Bassline in Kiss The Sky (Remix) from Frequency was taken and edited in order to create the main hook in Saint Angel.
Goldie – Saint Angel (FFRR, 1995)
Frequency – Kiss The Sky (Remix) (Lower East Side Records, 1992)
Ray Keith – Tapes (Advance Records, 1991)
Rhythim Is Rhythim – Strings Of Life (Transmat, 1987)
And, to finish off, there is an interlude from the techno compilation entitled Relics. Even this 30-second piece was once sampled!
Ray Keith vs. Nookie – Self Destruction (Dread Recordings, 1999)
Derrick May & Carl Craig – Interval I (Buzz, 1992)
Do you know more tracks from this area? Share them in the comments!