Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop on HackerTube: recommended by 15 Hacker News commenters across 11 separate months, 2011–2026.
documentary · evergreen
Nate Harrison's 2004 video history of the Amen Break, a six-second drum sample from a 1969 b-side that became the basis of hip-hop sampling, jungle and drum and bass. It is also a meditation on cultural ownership and creativity.
A perennial HN recommendation, brought up whenever sampling, copyright or music history comes up, often described as a must-watch.
“this is an excellent 20-minute video about the history of the Amen Break”
20 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
Here's the video to watch on the history of the Amen Break. It's very in-depth and I highly recommend it. I just noticed it's 20 years old too! ▶ this video
in “A 25-Year-Fight over a 2-Second Sample” · View on HN
This is my favorite video on the Amen break from about 20 years ago that explains the history and more of the context ▶ this video
in “Shared DNA in Music” · View on HN
17 Years ago this audio/video explained it all. Props to the artist Landon for laying down the audio to a record and playing the audio (with examples) from the record. 6.8 millions views - the Winstons will never be forgotten. ▶ this video
in “A History of the Amen Break: From the Winstons to Futurama and Om Unit” · View on HN
For those who don't know what the Amen Break is, here is the most important documentary ever done: ▶ this video
in “Typedrummer” · View on HN
The TR-808 is up there with samplers and the Amen Break in terms of defining modern music. If you have twenty minutes, there's a wonderful video explaining the Amen Break that I suggest everybody watch at least once: ▶ this video
in “The Roland TR-808: the drum machine that revolutionised music” · View on HN
For anyone interested in more thoughts on copyright and (the killing of) culture, I highly recommend this video on the Amen break: ▶ this video Additionally, this comic is informative and fun: [link]
in “Houston, We Have A Public Domain Problem” · View on HN
If you want to go farther down the rabbit hole, this is an excellent 20-minute video about the history of the Amen Break, the "six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures" and the rise of sampling: ▶ this video
in “The Economics Of Girl Talk” · View on HN
I wish you the best of luck Mdotstrange (if you didn't see it, he posted in this thread claiming BFM actively claimed copyright over the sound of wind.) Yes, piracy and copyright infringement is rampant, but by both individuals and corporations. A great example is the Amen Break. If you've got 20 minutes, I can't suggest this video enough for everyone: ▶ this video It's in everything from old hip hop, to Oasis' "D'You Know What I Mean?" to the original Futurama theme song! And all used with, according to the creators, absolutely zero royalties. (And they're fine with it, having been told. They get it.)
in “Youtube claims I don't own my own film” · View on HN
...and here's a great documentary about this: ▶ this video This is a video about Amen Break, read from a wax disc which can't survive more than 5-6 plays.
in “Teenage Engineering: Introducing APC-2” · View on HN
If you aren’t familiar with the Amen Break, here’s a now classic 18 minute documentary on the Amen Break and its origins and evolution: ▶ this video
in “Bubble Sorted Amen Break” · View on HN
▶ this video great deep dive into the Amen break. this video is from the yt days of yore, nice to see the yt algo still propping it up.
in “Bubble Sorted Amen Break” · View on HN
This documentary from 2004 (uploaded to YouTube in 2006(!)) is how I learned about the Amen Break and it's immense influence on the music of the 80s and 90s: ▶ this video
in “Bubble Sorted Amen Break” · View on HN
This is a very informative video on the "Amen break" ▶ this video I am sure most readers have heard it somewhere. It really is ubiquitous.
in “The Musicians Behind One of the Most Sampled Songs in History Finally Got Paid” · View on HN
For anyone with 20 minutes to spare, here is a great video explaining the prevalence of the "Amen Break" sample. ▶ this video
in “Lawyer attacking The Oatmeal shocked by big mean Internet’s reaction” · View on HN
My favourite is the story of "Amen Brother", a forgettable (?) b-side instrumental by sixties funk band The Winstons that just happened to feature a really sweet break beat ... which went on to spawn an entire musical genre. ▶ this video
in “John Mayer on Finishing Awful Songs” · View on HN
Amen! ▶ this video The very best of jungle was "UK Apache with Shy FX - Original Nuttah". It got a bit of re-release for its 25th birthday (5 years ago) with an intro by Idris Elba. [link] Ali G gave jungle a moment to shine: [link] And jungle isnt dead its just evolved a bit! Nia Archives - Off Wiv Ya Headz from last year: [link] Amen brother, Amen!
in “The Impact of Jungle Music in 90s Video Game Development” · View on HN
This is how copyright law is broken. It offers artists next to no protection. ▶ this video Edit: it really only benefits large companies who have managed to exploit it.
in “Judge Decides Against Internet Archive” · View on HN
Speaking of Wilhelm Screams of music, the Amen break is nearly as ubiquitous as the 808 clap. It helped catalyze Hip-hop, while Rave, and then Jungle and dnb, were virtually born out of that loop as Athena was born from Zeus' skull. ▶ this video
in “Dropping Acid” · View on HN
and that, in turn, reminds me of The Most Important 6 Second Drum Loop ▶ this video and Raiding the 20th Century [link]
in “Theft: A History of Music” · View on HN
That's substantially overstating the case. The TR-808 is an iconic drum machine, but you're far more likely to hear a cut-up sample of the Amen Break or the Funky Drummer Break. The importance of the TR-808, TR-909 and TB-303 is largely accidental. These units were a commercial failure and gained cult success largely because they could be bought cheaply. In much the same way, grunge musicians tended to use whatever horrible old guitars were languishing at the back of pawn shops - Fender Jaguars and Jazzmasters, Mosrites, Teiscos and Danelectros. In my opinion, by far the most important work done by Roland was the development of the MIDI standard. Ikutaro Kakehashi and Dave Smith moved mountains to get the industry to agree on a common standard. MIDI was the starting pistol for the modern age of music production. [link] [link] ▶ this video
in “Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland, has died” · View on HN