Metalheadz: The Samples



Metalheadz: The Samples

Metalheadz recently announced that more remasters from their impeccable back catalogue are on the way very soon. They've already re-released a number of classics from the vaults over the past few years including both volumes of Full Metal Jacket, the Japanese compilations that were the equivalent over there of the first two Platinum Breakz compilations but with some alternate tracks.

To celebrate this exciting news I've put together a Spotify playlist of samples used in Metalheadz tunes from the golden era. While they continue to put out top draw material on a regular basis, the first 20-30 releases on the label are particularly venerated by the drum & bass community. Everything they put out during this time was quality, forward thinking material that continues to influence producers today. The list of artists who had 12"s on the imprint back then reads like a Drum & Bass Hall of Fame: Doc Scott, Photek, Dillinja, Source Direct, Peshay and J Majik to name just a few.

I've also included a little exclusive as I have managed to track down a sample source from one of my very favourite Metalheadz tunes, Source Direct's 'A Made Up Sound'. I wrote about this tune back in 2013 but hadn't yet found where that muffled vocal comes from but can now reveal it's from 'Workhouse Blues' by Mattie May Thomas. Source Direct sample the spoken intro that goes:
"A made up song, just about being in prison, alone"
The song was recorded in the sewing room of Mississippi State Penitentiary on 31st May 1939. Mattie May Thomas was serving a life sentence for murder but was pardoned by the governor in 1956 and released. The recordist was Herbert Halpert, an anthropologist who specialised in the collection of folk songs. The song is in the Library of Congress and was included on the 1987 collection Jailhouse Blues.

Jim & Phil may have actually sampled this from Freak Power's 'At Your Own Pace' which appeared on the In Dub - The Fried Funk Food EP in 1994 and samples 'Workhouse Blues' more extensively. That particular portion appears clean right at the end of the track. Freak Power are best remembered for 'Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out' and were produced by Norman Cook AKA Fatboy Slim.

But back to the playlist. It goes in approximate release order from MH 001 to METH 045 and also includes samples from tracks that were exclusive to the first two volumes of Platinum Breakz, plus the Tin Boxset and MDZ.02 compilations. I'm not sure exactly when Asylum's 'Da Base II Dark' was released as it has the catalogue number 00DARK and some 12"s weren't released in the right order, for example Rufige Kru's T3 / Dark Metal didn't come out till late 1996. Check the tracklist of the Metalheadz tracks the samples came from below. Big ups to Goldie, Kemistry (RIP), Storm, Ant TC1 and everyone in the Metalheadz family.

1. Doc Scott - VIP Drumz
2. Rufige Kru - VIP Rider's Ghost
3. Peshay - Represent
4. Alex Reece - Basic Principles
5. Doc Scott - It's Yours
6. Wax Doctor - Kid Caprice
7. Dillinja - The Angels Fell
8. Dillinja - Ja Know Ya Big
9. Dillinja - Brutal Bass
10. Photek - Consciousness
11. Photek - The Rain
12. Hidden Agenda - Is It Love?
13. Wax Doctor - The Spectrum
14. Wax Doctor - The Step
15. Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction
16. Asylum - Da Base II Dark
17. Lemon D - Urban Style Music
18. Lemon D - This Is LA
19. Source Direct - A Made Up Sound
20. Source Direct - The Cult
21. Hidden Agenda - Pressin' On
22. Hidden Agenda - Swing Time
23. Doc Scott - The Unofficial Ghost
24. J Majik - Final Approach
25. Source Direct - Stonekiller
26. Hidden Agenda - Dispatches #2
27. Rufige Kru - Dark Metal
28. Peshay - On The Nile
29. Codename John - The Warning
30. Dillinja - Promise
31. Hidden Agenda - Channel
32. John B - Up All Night
33. Sonic & Silver - On The Anson
34. Sonic & Silver - Innacorner
35. The Invaderz - Revealed

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