Amen Brother is an ongoing projects based around a 4-bar drum break from a 1969 B-Side called ‘Amen, Brother,’ by a Soul band called, the Winston’s. A drum break that has since become the most sampled and remixed break in the history of music.

 

This initially overlooked break was first sampled in the early 80’s and has gone on to become the cornerstone of many subgenres of music including Hip Hop, Drum n Bass, Jungle and Raga. It has been sampled so many times that in many of it’s forms it’s unrecognisable as being its original self.  

 

As a drummer, I have been working with this break to see how I can remix my own version through the production of art works. Could I make visual remixes of it, that I can then translate back to a drum kit and begin the process again. 

 

This has included making painting, staircases in galleries, collaborations with musicians and DJ’s and football matches. The project is unresolved and ongoing. Here are a collection of the thigs that have come from the process of trying to remix (visually) my own version of this iconic drum break.