What's this riff?

May 9, 2012 12:32 PM

What is the name of that classic synth song or riff?

I think it's an older detroit techno song, like the riff in "Push It", but my officemate and I are convinced that it's an earlier track.

The Riff is SUPER classic and goes something like this:

dun du dun dun dun- dundundundundun
dun du dun dun dun- dundundundundun

posted by kittensofthenight to Media & Arts (17 answers total)

....Can you link to an MP3 or a video with a song which CONTAINS this riff?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:40 PM on May 9, 2012

Human League - Dont You Want Me?
posted by davebush at 12:47 PM on May 9, 2012

Push it always reminded me a little of Axel F.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 12:51 PM on May 9, 2012

Assuming you mean Push It by Salt 'N Pepa the synthesizer tone (not necessarily the melody) reminds me of Moving In Stereo by The Cars.
posted by dgeiser13 at 12:51 PM on May 9, 2012

Response by poster: Yeah, I meant Push It by Salt n' Pepa.

Empress, I am searching.

Not "Don't you want me?" but that song is great.

Admiral, I will check when I have a longer work break. That may be it.
posted by kittensofthenight at 1:02 PM on May 9, 2012

Response by poster: Empress, it's in Push It. We are sure it's close to or sampling a different, probably instrumental hit, but we may be wrong. It's definitely impacting productivity at the office.
posted by kittensofthenight at 1:08 PM on May 9, 2012

Just found a site that traces which songs sampled which other songs, that may help you.

I hadn't been lead to believe that "Push It" sampled anyone, though, and I think the riff you're thinking of may be original. But I'm at work and can't check on the site I just linked you, so feel free to prove me wrong.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:20 PM on May 9, 2012

You can find a list of 29 songs that have sampled "Push It" here (scroll down). Might be one of them.
posted by googly at 1:21 PM on May 9, 2012

Googly, that's a list of songs that took a sample FROM "Push It;" I think we're looking for songs that gave samples TO "Push It."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:22 PM on May 9, 2012

True, but we only have the OP's hunch that it is an earlier song to go on. I threw that out there in case it was a later ether than an earlier song.
posted by googly at 2:48 PM on May 9, 2012

I would like to posit that you are thinking of Cybotron "Alleys of Your Mind" which fits nicely with old detroit techno, tempo, key ... but which is sort of like every other note of the riff.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 3:02 PM on May 9, 2012

oh and list I found of what "push it" did sample were all little noodley bits, not the riff.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 3:15 PM on May 9, 2012

"Push It" was 86 or 87, so if it was actually Detroit techno, there were only a few artists putting out records that early. I'd guess Juan Atkins either as Cybotron or Model 500. Like "Alleys Of Your Mind" (as mentioned), or a few more from that era:
Cybotron - Clear
Cybotron - Techno City
Model 500 - Night Drive
Model 500 - No UFOs
Model 500 - Off To Battle
posted by p3t3 at 3:52 PM on May 9, 2012

Also, my first instinct was to say "Planet Rock", so, "Planet Rock"?
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 6:38 PM on May 9, 2012

And in turn, Planet Rock sampled Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express (though slightly sped up) and Numbers. Sure it's not Trans Europe Express? Most of the 1978-1986 portion of Kraftwerk's catalog still gets sampled, and that song especially. All the Detroit Techno peeps were down with KW as well.

ich ni san chi
posted by droplet at 7:38 PM on May 9, 2012

Yazoo - Situation?
posted by Merzbau at 9:01 PM on May 9, 2012

the bridge riff from Gary Numan's Cars?

i know, not detroit. but teuch-tronica connection and all.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 6:55 PM on May 11, 2012