Following our initial Pretty Lights installment a week ago, we decided to go one deeper and delve a bit into the musical catalogue of equally talented musician, GRiZ. From spontaneous sultry sax solos to the large number of samples used in many of his tracks, there are few artists out there who have more of a hands-on approach than Grant.
While he boasts a dedicated fan base with the Liberators, even some diehards might not be able to ID every sample used in one of the many GRiZ masterpieces. These samples are very much the reason a GRiZ track can have that old-time feel while still pushing the boundaries of modern day electronic music. Take a look below to find out where some of your favorite tracks got their inspiration from.
You Got To Change
This track from 2012 is upbeat, cheerful GRiZ at his best. “You Got To Change” might not be his most popular track to date, but the unmistakable Grant feels are rampant throughout and the sax is just enough to keep us satisfied. Taking the vocal sample from Santana’s “Evil Ways”, check the :17 mark to catch it for yourself.
Smash The Funk
Off his unbelievably nice Mad Liberation album released nearly two years ago,”Smash The Funk” is my unquestioned favorite track by GRiZ. A slow intro brings you slowly into the madness that is 1:30, and the rest is pure unadulterated funk. Believe it or not, the drums are sampled from the intro of Skull Snaps “It’s A New Day” from 1973. It’s subtle, but if you pay attention you can easily pick up the influence. SUPER BONUS- “Get on the floor if you got that booty” is sampled from MC Cool Rock’s “Boot The Booty“.
Hard Times
One of his crowing jewels off the latest Rebel Era album, GRiZ does it all with “Hard Times”. The old school vocals and surprisingly hard drop are completed with the pure sax solo at the beginning of the track. Lending his famous voice to the track is Lynyrd Skynyrd off his song “Gimme Back My Bullets”. Skip to the :21 second mark to hear the soulful lyrics in its original form.
See You Again
Also off his Mad Liberation album, “See You Again” ranks towards the top of my list for favorite GRiZ tracks. This is what happens when glitch and electro-soul are blended perfectly together; it’ll be a song which no matter how many times I play it, it’ll never get old. Fast forward to the 1:27 mark in Janko Nilovic’s “Drug Song” to hear the sample which became the backbone to “See You Again”.
The Future Is Now
Again off the masterpiece that is Mad Liberation, this track shows what an artist can do when they creatively use a sample. At first glance it appears that the similarities are endless with Keith Mansfield’s “Exclusive Blend”, but give it a listen and you’ll see where Grant veers off the funk path. GRiZ uses the intro to Mansfield’s track and takes it as inspiration to “The Future Is Now”, mixing in his own horns and electro to make it a track all his own.
Gettin’ Live
Serving as the lead track off Rebel Era, Grant couldn’t have chosen a better one to do the honors. He took a page out of Quentin Tarantino’s movie “Django Unchained” and turned it into one of his most recognizable tracks to date. Using the voices of both James Brown and Tupac Shakur to the fullest of their massive potential, “Gettin’ Live” is a crowd pleaser whenever dropped at a live show.
Fall In Love Too Fast
This track might very well be the most chilled out, “kick your feet up and roll a tobacco cigarette” song Grant has made to date. Reaching all the way back half a century to Chet Baker’s “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, GRiZ made a made a classic reborn with this tasteful sample. Hit play and you’ll be instantly greeted by Baker’s vocals used at the :20 mark in “Fall In Love Too Fast”.
Feelin Brand New
Clocking in at 2010, “Feelin Brand New” is the oldest of the bunch on this list. With a little bit more electro and a little less saxophone than we’re accustomed to, this one has a bit of a different feel than some GRiZ tracks you may be used to hearing. The resemblance however lies in the old-school makeover Grant gave to the lyrics supplied by Talib Kweli in “Get By”. Skip to 1:05 to hear the the vocals as they originally were made.
DTW To DIA (The Travels of Mr. B)
Another one off Rebel Era, “DTW to DIA” is one of the most memorable parts of the night at a GRiZ show. Freestyling it and going on winding sax solos as the track progresses, this is one you need to experience live to fully appreciate. In case you don’t already know, the vocal sample at 1:28 is from Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music”. MOAR BONUS– The vocal at the 1:45 mark is sampled from Nas’ “The World Is Yours” off Illmatic
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