Nowadays it feels as if engaging the broader public in musical discourse can only be achieved through a few pitiful avenues – schadenfreude (see: Grimes, Coachella), parasocial glorification (see: any article about Taylor Swift), “beef” (see: “let’s work it out on the remix”) or maybe some sort of uncleared sample controversy.
The latter in particular are often the manifestation of the blatant injustice and outright exploitation rife in the music industry and have historically resulted in lengthy legal spats and famous falling outs.
In 2024 sampling and distributing a song with a copyrighted sample has also never been easier. Being able to rip almost anything from the internet, manipulate it however you choose and have it go viral in less than 72 hours complicates things further. In this world of unchecked musical chaos and attention-bait negativity it’s all the more meaningful that our Independent Artist of the Week Jerome Blazé choses to imbue sampling with a different meaning.
“I wanted to start highlighting my local community through sampling rather than just sharing stuff on Instagram.”
Jerome views sampling as a tool to uplift the work and voices of his local scene. On his latest single ‘Let Your Heart Fill Up’ he samples his musical contemporary and friend Zion Garcia, who has been making music in the same city as him for the past few years.
It’s interesting to see Jerome apply a technique often reserved for the “revival” or reimagination of older tracks or sounds to something so contemporary and immediate. This ethos translates in his approach to live shows too. Jerome has been busy curating eclectic lineups and working to diversify the range of live music available at local gigs. Recently putting together a lineup of himself, Sarah Levins, Scruffs + Friends (Live), and Hinano Fujisaki, Jerome makes a point to offer the audience a variety of sounds at his shows.
“I wanted to put together a really eclectic event… one lineup showing the throughline between everyone… bring all these artists from different genre areas together and show the connections.”
Jerome’s attitude towards the necessary musical diversity of the Sydney scene, as well as the undeniable technical brilliance of his releases is admirable. In another recent track ‘Is This What I Have Missed?’ he lyrically explicates his beliefs on sampling. The song initially paints a bleak picture of the local musical landscape.
“Sydney / Dormant / Dull / Dense.”
But then, a simple yet effective instruction is introduced. One that hopefully resonates far and wide.
“Say hello to your neighbour (Ooh) / Speak with your song / You know we’re getting on.”
Words by Madi Martin-Bygrave