> The actual riddim sounds completely uninteresting to my American ears
ok, let me try to make it more interesting.
you seem to think riddim is something from the past. you may remember the music from "run the world" by Beyonce. that riddim is called "pon de floor" riddim. it was created by diplo. (warning nsfw video).
riddim is essentially coding patterns for music. since each riddim has a name it creates a DSL that lets DJs and MCs go meta with the music and focus on making the most catchy sound.
another interesting aspect is it's free from intellectual property. it makes for a good example of the impact of free culture on creativity.
of course he did :) free culture does not prevent one from profiting from non-free culture. on a similar note, there's another thread on how Monty got paid twice for mysql.
And the other side of the coin: you better believe a lot of people were cease and desisted out of using Pon De Floor in tracks too.
My point was that riddims unfortunately aren't as free. But the culture around them uses them as if they are (at home, at small parties, in mixes for friends etc), until they're not (on the public internet, played at clubs, in mixes played on radio etc)
ok, let me try to make it more interesting.
you seem to think riddim is something from the past. you may remember the music from "run the world" by Beyonce. that riddim is called "pon de floor" riddim. it was created by diplo. (warning nsfw video).
riddim is essentially coding patterns for music. since each riddim has a name it creates a DSL that lets DJs and MCs go meta with the music and focus on making the most catchy sound.
another interesting aspect is it's free from intellectual property. it makes for a good example of the impact of free culture on creativity.