Diving deeper into the sounds of Sapphire

Late '60s-70s, jazz, funk, rock, and soul fused together to create some of the most memorable and sampled grooves ever. Miles Davis' 1970 record, Bitches Brew is known as the catapult into this new era of jazz. The influence of Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters album was massive in jazz and across hip hop with several tunes from the LP being sampled. Hancock isn't the only one. This era of jazz has been sampled in hip hop productions for decades. You'll immediately recognize Ronnie Foster's "Mystic Brew" in A Tribe Called Quests "Electric Relaxation", for example.

If you've ever taken a look at a jazz chart or music book, you'll see that the two main characteristics of a piece are chords and melody. Sapphire by Soul Surplus focuses primarily on these two elements so that they work together in the most harmonious way possible. As you explore the loops in the pack, you'll hear melodies highlighted with analog synth leads backed up by Fender Rhodes, all carried by a moving bassline and warm guitar chords, as heard in Melody Loop 1. You'll also come across real analog spring reverb achieved with Endless Summer Deluxe Reverb by Recovery Effects, adding a thickness and texture to the composition. You'll also discover beautiful fretless basslines effortlessly sliding in and out of each note, weaving through each chord.

All of these elements combine to create a collection that will inject old school cool into any hip hop production or any genre.