70s Soul meets Upbeat House in a new track by Ferreck Dawn & A-Trak

Dutch producer Ferreck Dawn is no stranger to Tracklib. Back in 2019, his Eddie Bo & The Soul Finders-sampling track “Louisiana” made one of our monthly Roundups—a now-defunct category replaced by a monthly selection of Hottest Flips. The second official collaboration with acclaimed producer, DJ, and Fool’s Gold label head A-Trak dips into the same flavour.

“I was browsing the website searching for old Soul and R&B vibes, as that’s the type of samples I’m looking for all the time,” explains Ferreck Dawn. “I’m a big fan of soul and R&B, and it blends really well with dance music. So when I came across ‘Love Me Or Leave Me,’ I started working with that right away. The process actually went fairly quickly. I finished the basic idea and sent it to Alain. He nailed the breakdown and we were able to finish the track after sending it back and forth a few times.”

Repurposing old music comes as a second nature to A-Trak as a turntablist (DMC & ITF world champion) and producer for the likes of Kanye West (“Champions”), Princess Nokia ("Kitana"), Dizzee Rascal ("H Town") and together with Armand van Helden as the sample-based disco/house duo Duck Sauce. “Coming from a hip-hop background, I grew up in the aesthetics of sampling,” A-Trak told Interview Magazine in 2015. “And in the classic days of hip-hop, there were all these unwritten rules about what you’re allowed to sample and what you’re not allowed to sample. (...) What I love about the current era is just how DIY everything is.”

To Ferreck Dawn, finding the sample on Tracklib sped up their do-it-yourself process to create together: “Usually when trying to clear samples, you’re never sure how long it will take, how much money it will cost, and if the owners are going to allow it," he explains. "So finding a gem like ['Love Me Or Leave Me' by] Band of Thieves on Tracklib immediately lit up the inspiration and I knew it would be a great follow-up [to ‘Coming Home’]. I think Tracklib is the ideal place to spark up inspiration and creativity. It's great that you know the sample is clearable from the get-go.”