Watch a Deconstruction of Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy”
Ski Oakenfull deconstructs the hit at Ableton Loop in Berlin for Point Blank Music School.
In Point Blank‘s latest track deconstruction, lead course developer Ski Oakenfull breaks down Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy.”
In the video, which was recorded at Ableton Loop, Ski runs through the samples used, including the break from JJ Johnson’s “Parade Strut” and the vocal snippet from “Planetary Citizen” by John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He then goes on to look at the string parts, which he composes from Ableton’s own inbuilt String Ensemble pack, and the bell riff, which is remade using an old hotel bell. For the track’s incredible vocals, he enlists the help of Valerie Etienne of Galiano and Jamiroquai, who recorded some acapellas for the deconstruction.
You can check out the full deconstruction in the video above, with more on Point Blank and its courses here.