ORCHESTRA STAB... OY!

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So, what of this plucky little musical maneuver? In particular, the synthesized orchestra stab...

First memorable use in a public/pop culture context: Yes "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" c/o Trevor Horn in 1983. Not coincidentally used heavily by the first lineup of Art Of Noise in 1983. Since, used heavily throughout the 80s in everything from new wave, r&b, latino disco, and all forms of music that relied on some synthesized orchestration.

But where did it all go wrong?

It completely died in hip-hop by the 90s. New forms of electronic dance music kinda shuffled it off the side quietly. And pop music kinda rocked it up a bit. Otherwise, it has only remained untouched in 1) toy synthesizers, and 2) goth bands. Coincidence? Connection? You make the call.

Does the famed ORCHESTRA STAB deserve a recount? Or should it continue to die? Most memorable orchestra stabs? Most superfluous orchestra stabs? What about favorite flavors? Was the ORCHESTRA STAB an exercise of musical vomit to begin with? Can it be saved and revamped?

ORCHESTRA STAB! ORCHESTRA STAB!

― Brian MacDonald, Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

search SIX GUN (44 MAG MIX) by DECADENT DUB TEAM (and sean penn i think??) and remixed by DR DRE from the colors soundtrack, it is sick. orchestra stabs are some of my favorite shit ever.

― ethan, Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's actually called an "orchestral hit", or at least it is on keyboards that have some preprogrammed into it, anyway.

― matthew m., Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, I love em. The more the better. I'm listening to "Gamble Rumble" by Move right now and it uses them constantly.

― Vinnie, Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

let us not forget its use on the opening track of the last album by that barometer of all that is hip in poprockdance music, Armand Van fucking Helden

― M Matos, Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

search: Aaliyah's "U Got Nerve", with tightly wound rubber bands hitting the orchestra.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Saturday, 16 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Planet Rock"

― Oliver, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Great Orch. Hits: New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle Pet Shop Boys - So Hard Duran Duran - View To A Kill (aka the only decent Duran Duran song)

― Nik, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Personal feelings aside, it's ripe for a reintroduction. I predict that it will join the Phil Collins-"In The Air Tonight"-"Miami Vice" tom fill (recently used on the N.E.R.D. record [although played live, I think]) as a perfect little reminder of the 1980's. A sonic madeline, if that works for you. I'm racking my brain thinking of a third such bit of sound that has the same kind of 80's-reminiscent effect, but I can't come up with one (maybe this will be a very limited trend).

― Rufus King, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

LINN DRUMS!!

― mark s, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Here are some more for you:

TR808 drums (oh..but they never went away!), slap bass, clean electric guitar plastered with the Eventide Harmoniser (eg 'Walking On The Moon'), big fat analog synth chords (eg 'Jump' by Van Halen), the heavily reverbed snare on most things, and (from early House) barking dog and 'jack..jack..j-j-j-jack your body' samples.

― David, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The suave fretless bass stylings of Pino Palladino?

― Bill E, Sunday, 17 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

and (from early House) barking dog and 'jack..jack..j-j-j-jack your body' samples.

if you're talking early house you can't neglect to mention the james brown 'yeah... whoo!' sample (from lyn collins' 'think') and the whole piano chord thing.

― minna, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Other great orch hit: The Unforgettable Fire.

― Nik, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Calling it a "stab" sounds better than hit.

― Sean, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Take it up with Kurzweil!

― matthew m., Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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