A Fellow

I recently sent a message to Mountain People because I noticed that Butch - Muskatnuss samples from Mountain 003. Not just a sound but an entire loop. A really obvious one. It's the raw, incredible groove that runs through the entirity of Mountain 003.


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From: [Me]
To: mountain people
Date: Jun 17, 2009 11:40 PM
Subject: you're probably already aware of this, but...

(url to track)

I normally don't care about 'appropriation' like this.
But Mountain 003 is one of my favorite records. EVER.
Did you get any credit for this?
Money?
Fillet Mignon?
A high-five?


~ Love


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Then this conversation took place :
(url to blog no longer exists. It was basically an e-mail conversation between MP and Butch, wherein the latter denies using the sample then admits he may have forgotten to remove it before finishing the track.)

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I hadn't intended to start any kind of dispute. And I really don't know what is being said because I can't read German. But, I have to be honest, something about this kind of appropriation just rubs me the wrong way.
An artist like Girl Talk doesn't bother me; he samples popular music and runs the sample for 4-16 bars, creating new compositions from several sources. It's like hyper sampling. It's smart. It's Steinski.

But Butch uses the Mountain 003 sample(s) throughout Muskatnuss because those samples are the bulk of the track. Take out the MP samples, and what's left? Some unneccessary textures and extra sounds?

I love Mountain 003 because of its simplicity, its deadly beatcentric accuracy. This track cannot be improved. You can't improve upon perfection.
So why try and then pass it off as an original production...?