
why does this song sound…slightly unstable? 🤷♀️ For A Tribe Called Quest’s “Electric Relaxation” Q-Tip sampled 2 sections from the song "Mystic Brew" by Ronnie Foster (pitched down -2 steps, sped up slightly). The 6 chords loop in groups of 3 bars, while the ATCQ-added beats and vocals loop in groupings of 2, 4 and 8. Additionally, the chords never quite resolve to an unambiguous I or root chord. These two factors–the 3 against 2 meter and absence of a root resolution–mean we never quite land on what feels like a “stable” home base. Like a sonic M.C. Escher drawing, it creates a deliciously tantalyzing, infinitely incomplete feeling of tension across the song. ✨ “Electric Relaxation”: Q-tip = GENIUS 🥰 on the latest One Song podcast we break down the stems & stories behind this iconic track from 1993's classic Midnight Marauders LP #musicproduction #sampling