Using vocals to create textures
Vocals shouldn’t be restricted to adding the lead hook in a track, vocal sampling can be great for atmospheric purposes too
While vocal sampling is commonly used to provide hooks, melodies or toplines for tracks, there are plenty of more atmospheric or experimental ways to work with vocals too. Adding something recognisable as a voice can be a great way to add a natural or humanised feel to a track, but this doesn’t necessarily mean using a full sung vocal line. Sometimes just peppering a beat with ghost note-style fragments of human voice, even low in the mix, can turn a synthetic-sounding track into something more emotive. With a little processing too, it’s possible to turn raw vocal samples into textures more akin to ambient pads or atmospheric backdrops.