Sorry to have kept you waiting, everyone! This year , the milestone sound library has been updated every two months, and this is #014 .

With each episode, the song selections become more and more eccentric ! So, please check it out this time too♪

In the early 90s, he became immersed in hip hop and began producing his own music. From there, he began digging for the originals, or "digging" for vinyl records.

Hip-hop encompasses a wide variety of genres, but I particularly loved jazz sampled sounds. Producers of the past, such as Pete Rock , Large Professor , Q-TIP , and Primo , would sample and loop a few seconds of jazz phrases on classic machines like the MPC2000, ASR10, and SP1200. They'd then add drums and bass to create a sound. The '90s hip-hop scene was truly in its golden age.

By the way, I've been using this MPC2000 for about 20 years.

Let's go back to the original topic of jazz. When I find an artist I like, I check out all of their albums. I also check the names and instruments of the musicians who appear on the albums and dig deeper into them.

I checked every word of the information on the back of the album jacket, such as which record company released it and which decade was the most productive.

For someone like me who can't play an instrument, jazz was difficult and a bit of a challenge, but jazz in the 70s was different. It had hip-hop drum breaks and lots of great, upbeat material. Among them , Bob James is an important figure for me.

It is impossible to talk about hip-hop without his music. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the artist most sampled in hip-hop music, second only to James Brown . *According to Nishioka's research

If we were to break down jazz into smaller categories, his trademark instrument from the "fusion jazz" era was the RHODES . I was captivated by its pleasant tone and immersed in his world. His album jacket designs were also simply amazing...there were so many albums that were enjoyable to look at, listen to, and feel.

A technique that uses a single photo on both the front and back.

This is a technique that is also used on the front and back covers of the milestone catalog. This shows that I was already interested in design as well as music at this time.

It's very playful and has a warm feeling to it.

I've compiled a list of Bob James' recordings in chronological order of the albums he released, so please check them out along with the changes in his style.

PS: Finally, the lyrics of the song "Friends" (from the 7th album LUCKY SEVEN: There are seven black spots on the ladybug, and there are seven ladybugs on the front and back) make me cry. Neil Jason's voice, the melody, and Bob's Rhodes in the background really touch my heart. It's the best!

Lyrics are here.

It's so good

That after all these years

That, we can share something more than just tears

Someone like you should always be around

Though lift up my spirits when they're falling down

It's very nice to have a friend

Oh, someone to talk to some good time to spend

Someone to lean on when the road bends

Oh, it's very nice to have a friend