If you know any producers or DJs you you’re more than likely seen something about their snare being shit. There memes about it all over the Internet, but where did this start? A lot of the hype started back in 2003 with Metallica “St Anger” and Lars doing what Lars does. This trash can sound drum was the original meme worthy, but it was not the last.
I once asked an established jungle producer and DJ where he gets his amazing snares. He replied that he took it from “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. So I guess if you want to “borrow” from Quincey Jones that is one way. To not have a shit snare. There are millions of audio packs and samples on the market. There are also snare based VSTs on the market like Sn4re. Why are there so many shit snares?
I think this comes from the tortured artists, at the core we all want the best sound and the best sound to fit in the rest of what we are making. As a listener a bad snares can take the energy from a well produced track or take the focus from the rest of the song. There’s a reason that hip-hop from the 90s is the boom bap era.
The snares are just as important as the lyrics and are the roadmap to rhythm. The great poet M.C. Ren said “Damn, why don’t you pump this shit up, so it could fuck with my eardrums a little bit?”
So my fellow Junglist and Junglettes I want to know what snares bring it and what snares left you wanting more or praying for a remix.
I leave you with a quote from Brother Ali “I like the snares loud enough to make your eyes blink from it”. Your snares is not shit…unless it is.
-Pac D