African Rhythms - Percussion loops & Ethnic Samples

Rivmixx Review - African Rhythms

By: Steve Hillier (Rivmixx ) - 02/02/2010

Nothing beats a new set of samples when you're looking for inspiration - but here's a collection you might not have considered. African Rhythms by Wave Alchemy is a sample download that comes as a 167MB folder of .wav files.

This collection features African percussion instruments playing rhythms that are ideal for the dancefloor; the loops range in tempo from 125BPM to 130BPM including some tasty fills that will fit into your tunes with ease. Featured drums include Djembe, Bougarabou, Sabar, Kutiro and Kpanlogo, each sourced from West Africa.

You might be familiar with the sound of the Djembe and Sabar; the others may well be new territory but a welcome addition to your sound palette nonetheless. Although unfamiliar, each loop has that unmistakable West African vibe that feels so exciting. They're very well recorded too. Clear, crisp and vibrant, they certainly add a brand new flavour to tired beats. And there's nothing quite like the sound of a real human playing to liven up a programmed drum track.

Each loop includes the tempo in its file name, which is a huge time saver when you're browsing through dozens of loops; if only all sample houses would do the same! The shaker loops, which use an old skool production trick, was our particular favourite. Run a shaker loop quietly underneath the chorus section of your song and you get an instant yet subtle energy uplift - these loops complete the task admirably. And the 8.99GBP asking price is a bit of a bargain for that result alone.