By Andrea Caccese

Looping and sampling are some of the staples of electronic music. These two processes allow musicians to create their own original melodies, beats and sounds from previous recordings, maybe even borrowed from other songs or audio sources.

This is also the main idea behind sound libraries and other popular collections of files that allow producers to make their own songs without the hassle or the need to use microphones, treated studio rooms or other expensive gear to capture their own sound from scratch. This might sound like a very modern and contemporary way to make music, but the whole idea dates back to a truly unique instrument named “Mellotron”.

The instrument first appeared in 1963, when it was conceived in England. The unit looks like a funky, old and bulky synth, and it works pretty much the same way: each key will allow the player to play a pre-recorded sound. There is only one major difference: instead of being stored digitally, these sounds were actually stored on vintage tapes, rolling into the instrument. For a fun taste of one of the keyboards that paved the way to electronic music as we know it, check out this video of Paul McCartney (The Beatles) having fun with his old Mellotron.

No, unfortunately The Foxgrove doesn’t own one of these sought-after toys, but we have all we need to get you started as a creator, even if you never tried before. Come join us for an introductory class to electronic music production.

This gem is brought to you by The Hunt, The Foxgrove's blog that looks into the electronic music and DJ world in the lenses of fashion, lifestyle, art and culture. If you'd like to contribute, find us at info@thefoxgrove.com.