·~{dRNn}~·

Some weeks ago, I was discussing the term sampling; it was of course in relation to electronic music. I’m not into sound or music and my take on the conversation was that sampling is part of visual media too. My argument is that taken as a three-dimensional object, the moving image needs to be sampled to be experienced. Two axes of the object are the spatial coordinates x and y, and the third axis is time. Thus, film samples the moving image in the time-axis at 24 images per second; analogue video and digital video add to the sampling the spatial coordinates. However, the reorganization of a particular beat or sequence of beats of music to produce a new composition, rhythm, or even musical genre has no counterpart in the moving image media. One could argue that the narration and even framing or images of a particular film of video are remixed producing thus new productions. This is done all the time in cinema and more conspicuously in T.V. spots. This however is different from sampling and follows the logic of remix and media quotation (remediation?). When there is a case of visual sampling it is the sound that creates the rhythm, not the moving image.

Visual sampling? Close your eyes and see if you miss the images.

MONDOVISION (official full version) from Giovanni Sample on Vimeo.

Earlier and most sampled beats in popular music.