Anyone that’s played Super Mario Bros. will recognize a familiar sound in this song. Except it’s not what you think. Check out the pitched percussion track that comes in at 1:00. Distorted, midrange blips played in threes. At 1:14, the higher pitched notes of this track sound like a Koopa getting kicked by Mario. For those not caught up on their 1980s gaming, you can hear the sound I’m referring to here.
Revenge of the Kicked m1
The sound in the song isn’t a Koopa sample though. It’s actually a TR-808 conga sound pitched out of it’s usual range and bathed in distortion. Nonetheless, this song sounds like the Koopas have been kicked one too many times and have returned with some heavy duty reinforcements…
TR-808 Conga Example
So there you have it – a musical instrument that sounds like a non-musical sample. Unlike my last song, which featured a non-musical sample that sounded like a musical instrument.Â