What is Cibo Matto's "Emerald Tuesday" (heavily) sampling?

February 5, 2014 2:01 PM

I'm listening to NPR's streaming "First Listen" of Cibo Matto's "Emerald Tuesday," off the forthcoming Hotel Valentine, and I know this song it's sampling from the first note. (And I think that's the point of the lyrics, that the ghost in the song listened/listens to the sampled song all the time.) I feel like it's also something my husband listens to all the time, or that was in a movie I just saw, but I can't pin it down. My first thought was Curtis Mayfield, but I'm not finding it. I know it's going to seem obvious to me once you tell me, but nonetheless—help! What is that song?
posted by limeonaire to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Is the bass line from "Inner City Blues" by Marvin Gaye?
posted by Leontine at 2:07 PM on February 5, 2014

Response by poster: Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Afro-Cuban or Latin jazz...those are all possibilities. I'm not hearing it in the linked song, but that definitely seems like it's in the right constellation of potential artists!
posted by limeonaire at 2:34 PM on February 5, 2014

Generally whosampled.com is good at identifying stuff like this, but I think this is a bit too new to show up on there. Here's the Cibo Matto artist page, for reference. If nobody can identify the song here it might be worth checking back there a couple of months after the record's been properly released.
posted by spielzebub at 6:53 AM on February 6, 2014

The bassline is close but not exactly the same as the one in Joy (Isaac Hayes). Thanks for reminding me of new Cibo Matto!
posted by cashman at 7:15 AM on February 6, 2014

Can you specify what part you're talking about? I'd say the bassline is "live". The drumrolly thing sounds like Bongo Band "Apache", maybe.

Otherwise, it sounds pretty built-up to me, consisting of more than one sample and some live instruments.
posted by humboldt32 at 10:47 AM on February 6, 2014