The Future Is Sampling

Sampling has always walked a tightrope between creativity and controversy. Take an element from an existing work, add something fresh, and a whole new sound can emerge. The tiniest ideas get an unexpected second life through the eyes of a new generation. The new AM90 samples from a cast of Air Max classics (Moon Landing, OG Ostrich, Lemon Frost and Untold Truth to name a few) to create a sneaker that’s steeped in history but 100% fresh. To create the future, first you have to look to the past.

There are countless ways to flip a sample, and three people who come at this tradition from very different angles are London-based DJs and producers Ahadadream and Oh Annie Oh. We linked up with them at their favourite record stores to discuss how they like to put their own twist on classic material.

Born in Seoul and now based in London, DJ Oh Annie Oh learned her craft through mixing sample-heavy ‘90s hip-hop. As she moves into making music of her own, Annie is taking inspiration from the era-hopping attitude of her DJ sets, “When people hear something that’s instantly familiar, it triggers nostalgia.”

Ahad Elley, a.k.a. Ahadadream, is the co-founder of More Time Records and runs No ID, a London party boosting artists from the South Asian diaspora. Ahad channels the legacy of Jamaican sound systems, where samples remain integral to the culture. “It’s important to credit the original sample if you’re going to borrow from vintage material,” he says. “When I put out an edit, I like to give props to the original.”