Midnight In A Perfect World - these chords are beautiful

🎶 My song breakdown videos cannot be monetized due to music copyright laws. I'm a full time composer, teacher, and content creator. If you'd like to support my channel:
👍 Like, subscribe, ring the notification bell, and share!
🤚 Join my PATREON - song requests, listening parties, sheet music, & educational content: / iximusic
💄 TIP JAR (BUY ME A LIPSTICK): www.buymeacoff...
___________
🙏 SPECIAL THANKS to my amazing Patrons, without whom these videos would not be possible, credited at the end of this video!

[@iximusic]

Oh! In case anyone's been wondering about the lead vocal, I didn't analyze it in this video but it sounds to me like it's in a different key - sometimes it clashes, sometimes it works out! It's very cool.

[@NicoNice24]

That's fairly common in music that is entirely made up of samples. I've ran into some of these happy accidents as well when I made sample-based tracks just by throwing together some of my favorite music and experimenting what works. Such an exciting way of making music, I should get back into it

[@curtist358]

Vocal sample is Meredith Monk - Dolmen Music

[@laurentmarcoux2144]

yes!! I love that it fits so much even though it doesn't match the key all the time!!!!!

[@redlester]

I never realised the main chords part is a Pekka Pohjola sample. A Finnish musician who worked with Mike Oldfield in the late 70’s, which introduced me to him. I used to have his album, “The Mathematician’s Air Display” which Oldfield produced. I was unaware of the album this came from though.

[@davidellis5141]

This song & the entire Entroducing album by DJ Shadow were 100% sampled & the song & album were my favorite of 1996. Brilliant work by him to splice it all together.

[@SamplersAndThings]

Organ Donor was sampled?

[@DJKuroh]

​@@SamplersAndThings Every single sound on the album is a sample. Sometimes straight, sometimes chopped up. And he made it on an MPC60! Nuts

[@MrJonnyartist]

@@SamplersAndThingsLove Organ Donor. The whole album is in my top 10 of all time.

[@LonelyOwl]

@neinnononhe composed the arrangements of the songs with the samples

[@SteffiGrafJr]

@@SamplersAndThings kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWPYf3WQgdNjaLM - Giorgio Moroder - Tears

[@DJKuroh]

One of my top 10 albums of all time. Changed my life and way of thinking about samples in the way NIN first pushed me into extended chords and new time signatures. 100% samples. All made on a MPC60. People couldn't believe they were samples with how well he chopped up drum breaks.

[@chopperdave3868]

Same!

[@OhanaFilms]

I’ve been listening to this song since it was released and it STILL makes my chest hurt, probably even more now because it makes me think of my youth.

[@bkc8h10n4o2]

For anyone who don't know about whosampled, the two samples analyzed here are from: The Madness Subsides by Pekka Pohjola The Human Abstract by David Axelrod

[@josh34578]

Oh wow, I had no idea the song came from samples like that. Really cool to hear the parts on their own in their original contexts.

[@OIP_1]

@@josh34578 the whole album comes from samples like that! also done on an MPC60 which is just.. mindblowing. stone cold classic album, would still be so if released today

[@amneziak]

Also, listen to “Dolmen Music” by Meredith Monk for the ethereal vocals and other little parts.

[@ChrisEchoes]

@@josh34578the whole album is created using samples.

[@farn451]

used to have this record on constant rotation. sooooooooooooo good.

[@Dj_pound]

Oh hell yea! Random fact I went on tour w him couple years ago and got a song on his side label liquid amber and he asked me to do a remix to play on his mountains will fall tour. He’s a really nice guy in person. So glad you’re doing a deep dive into his classics. He’s so good 😊

[@malbennett9806]

This album has never been out of my rotation. It's one of the finest pieces of music ever made. Perfectly captures the 90's.

[@stopmikeandjim3196]

Endtroducing was one of the greatest achievements in popular music. A landmark album made entirely of samples

[@Davivd2]

Hearing this for the first time in 96 was mind blowing. Easy still on my top 10 list of albums to this day. I'm surprised that my CD hasn't worn out from all of the times it's been played.

[@klors]

Beautiful insight! (foresight, more sight...)

[@iximusic]

ha!

[@georgewhite1972]

The clock on the wall reads a quarter past midnight!!

[@exactlywhatisaid]

nice one

[@exactlywhatisaid]

one of the best songs on an insanely good album. it's so dank and then that David Axelrod sample brings it to another level

[@exactlywhatisaid]

btw, Om Unit did a cheeky remix of the David Axelrod song and it's really good. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpymf56qn8akkJo

[@xXxXx-----xXxXx]

I don't know what's going on in this video at all but I love the song * - *

[@FrankRideausonore]

Great analysis! Another secret of this progression is that it’s actually a pretty simple and effective voicing. The left hand is playing a descending bass progression G F D# D and the right hand plays chords with G as the lower note for every chords so G A# (over G) for the Gm chords, G A C (over F) for that F add9 chords, G A# D (over D#) and G C E (over D). So that common G in every chords is like the magic glue between all the chords. 😊

[@amneziak]

If you asked me what one song most represented my entire music listening life, this would be the one. The first time I heard it, I literally couldn’t do anything the rest of the day. I listened to it on repeat for at least twenty times. His song “What Does Your Soul Look Like, part 2” had the same effect.

[@HallyPorter]

Striking how good a lot of that sounds with just the piano sound.

[@SippyTango]

This whole album is a masterpiece.

[@alkatorsh07]

It was this song that got me into making electronic music. Such great memories attached to this song, and whenever it comes on my playlist it always soundtracks whatever I'm looking at so perfectly. Good stuff ixi

[@ivoc3993]

Definitely love everything about this video, thank you for taking the time! To this day, almost 30 years later, I still haven't heard anything that captures nostalgia so profoundly as this. The only thing keeping the video from being perfect is that you missed 13:33 that last piano ending part that only appears once and wraps up the song in a sorof menacing sounding chord, I'd loved to hear your take on it

[@Sabhoh]

This and 6 days are the best of DJ Shadow’s chilled atmospheric work that I’ve heard, pure transcendence

[@nikolaimikuszeit3204]

wow...always have it in the car. My brother recently got it on vinyl. Nice to see it here....just had it on today.

[@twitchyboneselectronica2375]

Beautiful breakdown on one of the most important pieces of sampling music ever - thanks.

[@Auxend]

So awesome- me and this album bonded when it came out - I had just moved to SF and had it on mini-disk as I would explore my new city on various forms of transit. Great to see someone of your caliber get into it and give it some love.

[@marcduffy1792]

Thanks!

[@jordans7411]

Subscribed!

[@hazlew1481]

Your sophistication and understanding of composition and structure is amazing and bringing me mad respect to these composers and artists. My musicality and fledgling songwriting chops make it easy for me to understand a not great song… but you’re helping me understand great music. ❤❤❤

[@cjperdock8333]

O wow you got it, finally, no one but you got it right so cool and sounds, well there's no words, you rock🤘🏻

[@chopperdave3868]

I still have my cd from the 90's. Every person I played this track for (especially hip-hop fans) loved this track. Song still gives me chills. DJ Shadow put together some genius tracks.

[@marcduffy1792]

I love his song muchly, thank you for the most excellent breakdown

[@underthinker6943]

This is one of my favourite videos on the internet

[@crispybits3765]

Entroducing is one of the albums that changed my view on music. I had been flirting with Electronica before this, but was still a bit hung up about the use of sampling and drum machines, but once this fantastic record entered my life I understood the possibilities and went in headfirst.

[@modelcitizen1977]

This whole album is magic. Right up there with OK Computer and Paul's Boutique.

[@NicoNice24]

Those chords you played at the end sound almost like a heavy metal riff. If you play them on an electric guitar in drop D tuning and distortion it sounds so metal. Anyway, phenomenal song, great album, superb artist. You got great taste, ixi

[@jasonloader8149]

Bob Wood - program director of the Chum Group here. Sorry I'm late.

[@engladtur]

Baaw-ba-wa-wa-wa-Bob *

[@minos8036]

This lesson changed my life

[@lawouach]

Fantastic to see you walk through it. A wonderful choice!

[@Juliette_Sedes]

thank you! really enjoyable to play on the keyboard 🙏🏻

[@Positive_Tea]

Nice! Shouout to Lyrics Born (on the album cover), and UC Davis and 90.3 FM KDVS!

[@setbos5385]

Thank you for giving me a greater understanding of my favorite track of all time

[@Zarathustra0512]

This is super cool, thank you

[@invzkid]

Thank you.

[@georgewhite1972]

You should listen to the original track the piano was sampled from, David Axelrod- The Human Abstract (1969). It has some of the grooviest drums and bass!

[@ChrisEchoes]

The electric piano at the beginning is from Pekka Pohjola’s The Madness Subsides.

[@PianoDentist]

Feel the same about this classic track. Lovely progression. Thanks for the breakdown. ♥ Samples in order, check out the originals. The Madness Subsides - Pekka Pohjola (Wurlitzer) The Human Abstract - David Axelrod (Lead piano line) Sower of Seeds - Baraka (Vocal samples)

[@JAYDUBYAH29]

That’s C/D sound is a classic D11 voicing from like late 70s/early 80s pop fusion. It’s everywhere. Root, b7, 9, 11. Ambiguous/pretty implied dominant double-suspension.

[@MuffinMachine]

Just for fun, the sample comes from Pekka Pahjola - the madness subsides. Thanks for breaking the part down as I've always admired it but wouldn't dare touch it.

[@NicoNice24]

Damn, such a beautiful piece of music in its own right. Thanks!

[@jaker721]

Let's goooo Endtroducing

[@agentcarbunkle]

A trip down memory lane

[@BlvckHvt]

The entire background wall - including herself - is aesthetically identical to the album cover of Plantasia - by Mort Garson. White wall ✅ Plants ✅ Plant holder on the upper right side - same color as the hype sticker on the original pressing. Also, the placement of the hype sticker is most commonly located at the upper right corner of the cover.✅ The bronze/goldish holder/lamp thing at the upper left side - same color as the font used for a sentence of text on the album cover. The placement of that text - also upper left side of the album cover.✅ Her hair (as it appears in this video) appears very dark on her head. Then creates a gradient into the reddish color as it flows below her ears. The plant vase in the center of the album cover - same color gradient as her hair - very dark to reddish.✅ If you took the Plantasia album cover and superimposed it over this video - you'll understand all of the above. What on earth would make my mind even remotely think of this? 🤪 Simple. Old school DJ mentality. Same mentality DJ Shadow has when he envisions songs as he's listening for samples. I'm from the same era as Josh. Also from Cali. Started DJing in 1985. Got my SP-1200 in 1988 - and MPC-60 in 1989. First met Josh in 1991 through the music industry when he was brought on to work on the Lifer's Group project. Anyone that was DJing and sampling in the 80s and 90s - has this same mentality of being able to envision sounds visually via album covers. Also, constantly "thinking in record covers". Example - when you're going about your day to day life - you'll see something random and think - "Oh, that looks like the so-and-so cover". This is due to years and years of flipping through records as you're DJing - and, having your mental playlists remembered via record covers/labels. Very cool video by the way. 👍 Go peep the cover... www.discogs.com/release/530794-Mort-Garson-Mother-Earths-Plantasia/image/SW1hZ2U6MTk2Njg3MjU=

[@bfarley37]

Thanks! How much would you charge me to identify chords in The Ballad of Renegade Nell by Nick Cave? It’s an okay song but I’m obsessed with the new show, and want to be able to do a version of my own, and no one’s posted chords yet. TYIA

[@iximusic]

Depending on how much time it takes, between nothing to not much. Email me? [e-mail]

[@ftlbaby]

Surprise chords are my fave 😮

[@geshel]

Check out "This is Not America" by Pat Metheny Group. Gm, bass moves down to F, EbMaj7, then back up -- but there's an E natural that comes in going up to the chorus. It's not enough to be "the same", but I wonder if someone was playing around with the chords from that song and ended up w/ what's going on here? For sure when I first heard the DJ Shadow song it instantly brought This is Not America to mind. Love both.

[@Fetzenwolf]

I noticed a flanger over the e-piano in this Song. 👀 When did you learn to play piano and where?

[@mattsonnie2989]

Yeah sounds like a flange effect with a bit of reverb and either slight echo or maybe track doubling slightly offset. Maybe both?

[@AlbertJafar]

Came here to say this. Glad I scrolled down first.

[@ignaciomittel]

i love it that it's meredith monk dolmen music! you should definetely check her out!

[@eddieowens8267]

Enjoy your analysis. Wondering if you'd attempt analyzing one of my favorite albums from around that time, The Seduction of Claude Debussey by the Art Of Noise(produced by Godley and Creme, I believe.) Made in 2000 to celebrate the life of the man who changed 20th century music. It blends Debussey's music with hip hop and jazz. Incredibly beautiful. They went out on a high note

[@eyesburning]

10:39 So beautiful!

[@Jmc401]

Add 9ths? ALWAYS. Omg thank you 🙏

[@foobarables]

The sample used by DJ shadow came from Sekoilu Seestyy by Pekka Pohjola.

[@colinburroughs9871]

I used to really dig this album, then one day I stopped listening to it, and then I more or less forgot about it. Good atmosphere and mood on this. There's things about it that I don't love anymore (the DJing it's self in some respects) but it's more or less still very cool. Frankly, it's a big ole' invitation to dig into some jazz (kinda like D&B).

[@educostanzo]

I was introduced (aha) to this album back in the day because it was mentioned in the Radiohead wikipedia page as an influence during the Kid A era. Fantastic album!

[@bendtbendt1]

Does it make sense to think about the D chord as a quartal voicing?

[@timetoarrive]

Hi Ixi, new to the channel here. I love the content and your voice!

[@justanaveragetreeg1554]

You broke this song down so elegantly, love this video :)

[@pugsofsmallstreet5858]

You really are just so awesome!!

[@whollenbeck8]

OH YEAH!

[@SuperTimtation]

Thank you!!!!! Been some places with this album. On of my favorite albums of all time.

[@iethergy]

Would love to hear you talk about bjorks ambient outro from her track family off of Vulnicura!

[@1Hominid]

I wore this album out. 😅 Thanks for another great breakdown!

[@gudlaugurrobertsson7623]

hey love you cover of DJ shadow, the people want more...

[@varlokvarlok]

best channel on YT

[@stefanherzog]

If you're interested in the samples, check out this deconstruction of the song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHrJqoeDlLyna80si=5vRDBd_RIZHlsmP1 (Maybe some already posted this here in the comments?)

[@pylonking]

Isnt the 4th chord just Cmaj with a D on the bass?

[@JAYDUBYAH29]

Such a great album. Yeah most of these super creative DJs have great ears for combining samples, but slim to none on the theory…

[@Interstellore]

This album is one of my favorites of all time. Its absolute genius, a complete one-off (quite a feat bearing in mind it’s made up of samples apart from drumming)

[@bfarley37]

See also, Air-Moon Safari, Spiritualized-Ladies and….Portishead-Roads and It Could Be Sweet, and Avalanches oh and Jonathan Bree

[@bobfarmer9120]

music doesn’t have to be complicated does it.

[@AlexG-qv8ri]

If I remember correctly the first section if from a Tears For Fears song??

[@flamesintheattic]

You probably should have credited the original artists. Pekka Pohjola - The Madness Subsides is the original piano part. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 56.

[@ABC753421869az]

OMG DJ Shadow! Hi!

[@alfredrivera4895]

sowing the seeds of love

[@mattsonnie2989]

Shadow uses samples as inspiration but then recreates them using live instruments himself, then represses them on vinyl. Which is why his music hits so different. Dudes a legit genius!

[@twitchyboneselectronica2375]

To avoid confusion / he certainly didn’t in this track.

[@mattsonnie2989]

@@twitchyboneselectronica2375 Yeah I got excited and ended up making more of a blanket statement than I meant to, wasn't sure if that applied to this or not tbh.

[@Agostoic]

Same as Portishead to some extent or so I've read somewhere.

[@chrismanleyirl]

Why do i hear "sowing rhe seeds of love"

[@JAYDUBYAH29]

D11

[@koraamis5568]

Your crediting the wrong person, the artist behind those chords is Pekka Pohjola

[@SendyTheEndless]

Don don Busch ta-Ka Don don Busch tahh Don don Bush dugga Ta'ka don Busch tak N N N N N N N NN N N NO NOW N N N N NOW APPROACHING MIDNITE!

[@Tempest_Elixir]

As many have said in the comments, the album this is from Endtroducing is a masterpiece. If you don't have time to check the whole album, the first actual song after the intro which is called "Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt" is an incredibly powerful start to a phenomenal album that you would definitely appreciate. As many said before, it was made from samples and was painstaking put together to produce an equisite puzzle from the different jigsaw pieces. He pulled most of the records from the same store to make it and there is a humbling piece of him in the store from the Hip Hop documentary "Scratch" he's a genius who is very humble. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5jTfIykh8mZZqM

[@bfarley37]

Thanks!