I’ve already rambled on about sample-based music and remix culture in previous posts, so I won’t bore you with it again, but I would like to take a moment to introduce you to Ophir Kutiel, aka Kutiman.
Kutiman is the 21st-century extension of the DJs who, in the early days of hip-hop, would dig through crates of old funk and soul records to find the perfect break, the perfect beat, upon which to build their music. A graduate of the jazz program at Rimon Music College in Israel, Kutiman rose to internet fame in 2009, when he spent two months sifting through hundreds of YouTube videos people had posted of themselves playing instruments, found snippets that caught his ear, and pasted them together to create a series of songs called ThruYOU. The results are as incredible to watch as they are to listen to.
He’s posted several other songs using the same method in the years since, and they’re all worth a listen, but this one, to me, stands out.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The singer. Sounds like a combination of Billie Holiday and Bajka.
2. The light drums that come in at 1:23, giving the song its groove.
3. The fact that none of the people in the video had any idea that the clip they were uploading would become part of something like this. It’s this kind of unintentional collaboration that makes the internet a beautiful thing.
Recommended listening activity:
Using clippings from old magazines to make a birthday card for someone.