Today we continue relaxing and discuss loop-based music composition. In fact, every song is a loop in the broad sense—the melody repeats, and the structure has some repetitiveness no matter how hard we try to keep it diverse.
In another scenario, for solo performers, using loops seems almost inevitable. Likewise, it can be a surprisingly effective way of jamming out a new song. On the other side of the spectrum, we can think of a jazz band continuously improvising over a rather simple chord progression.
As usual, I am not advocating for or against this specific approach. I just find that sometimes loop-based compositions can be quite awesome. And I will surely try my best to provide great examples below.
News
The news I want to present today could not have come at a better time. On July 1, 2026, a major development occurred in the copyright infringement case brought by the rights owners of the original songs Fish Market and Poco Man Jam against more than 150 artists and companies who allegedly copied the groove of those pioneering works. The number of songs mentioned in the complaint is more than 1,800, according to various sources. You can find the news and even the legal documents online to consult. Below, I will draw your attention to the music, and you will be able to decide for yourselves whether, in your opinion, the case is warranted.
The most recent legal development was that the judge refused to grant summary judgment in the case and sent it to trial on the merits, with expert witnesses testifying and a jury having to decide the case.
It will be tricky for the jury to do so, of course. Not necessarily well-versed in musical structures or the applicable law, the jury will have to decide which experts provide the most compelling explanations.
Although the building blocks of all the compositions involved are rather basic, the similarities between some tracks can be quite astounding, while others seem to present the musical ideas in a substantially different way.
It seems as if the court will have to decide how much of a rip-off is indeed a rip-off in the copyright sense, how much is insufficient to qualify as infringement while still bringing almost no novelty and remaining extremely recognizable, and when borrowed themes instead give rise to a completely new and original composition.
I, for one, don't see particularly strong arguments on either the plaintiffs' or the defendants' side. But that doesn't mean the case will be decided by a coin toss or that a legal error is likely to be made. I personally hope that a settlement will be reached between the parties to, on the one hand, acknowledge the extensive amount of borrowing that, without a doubt, occurred over a period of more than 35 years, but, on the other hand, prevent a situation where a judgment is rendered that could significantly limit creativity when working with a limited selection of very standard building blocks.
From a purely musical perspective (and that's what this blog is all about anyway), I think the case is shedding light on how generic and stale the mainstream music industry is. Once you hear something sounding funny, childish, or not even serious enough, you may begin to suspect that its most important musical ingredients were also borrowed from some earlier work and simply reinterpreted to sound that way.
In the case of Fish Market and Poco Man Jam, I like these original tracks and find them very compelling musically. I cannot say the same about the later works that borrowed from them. Well, it is just my taste speaking. Maybe you'll have a different opinion. Here are several songs for your attention, starting with the original tracks at the heart of the lawsuit, followed by five popular tracks (out of very many) named in the case, arranged in the order of perceived similarity—from those I find most similar to those I find least similar.
Note that the case focuses primarily on the rhythm section, which makes it both broad and complicated to win. I am not here to discuss the legal details of the case or to make the final judgment. I am writing this to draw your attention to this potentially very consequential legal dispute. Here is the music:
Fish Market and Poco Man Jam by Steely & Clevie:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7J7vrF6auC8oyZtkrkCiC3
https://open.spotify.com/track/1HxYB7E7cLg67sFJxYTC0j
Dem Bow by Shabba Ranks:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7olrsn9XQ4LjeV2BQ9zW6I
Taki Taki by DJ Snake, Selena Gomez, Ozuna, Cardi B:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4w8niZpiMy6qz1mntFA5uM
Gasolina by Daddy Yankee:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5YoITs1m0q8UOQ4AW7N5ga
MIA by Bad Bunny and Drake:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ueq2zboxwAbsvHrOjdEqz
Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6habFhsOp2NvshLv26DqMb
Music Picks
Given the extensive news coverage, I won’t be writing anything about the music featured below. I would much rather prefer that you simply enjoy listening to my selection.
Dub FX:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiInBOVHpO8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA72-mzHkAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk3hzGukzwY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzGfBZfE7l8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyVqtalOXHE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJADA2fYb88&list=RDMJADA2fYb88&start_radio=1
MC Xander:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXZstAYMtQA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXvOeJ5qvAc
I Say Yeah by myself (I-GOR):
https://open.spotify.com/track/0rufvxsaefOjPvTiiXN9zP
Dopamine by WING:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7FadgR3wLDEMCImAGOl7S7
Markus K.:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4MosjGvozjFAWf9Y1SskpZ
https://open.spotify.com/track/7z1KOQ5P4xmWC9416prmkq
They Didn’t Listen by Floyd Red Crow Westerman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReDLMLbQ5zM
Final Thoughts:
From folk and blues to EDM and beatboxing, looping is an efficient technique that can help assemble a rather complex composition out of repeated short lines that come in and out, giving the track some dynamic character. A programmed drum or bass loop can serve as a solid foundation to build your track upon. In general, I think every song has its own DNA. This DNA can include loops, and if it does, then that is what’s best for the song.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about loops and anything else you would like to discuss about music. As usual, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or by email. Stay in touch and continue reading my blog. More to come very soon.
P.S.
I was so fascinated by the copyright lawsuit described in the news above that I decided to create a tribute song in which I illustrated the issue at hand through gradual variations in the lyrics. I came up with a somewhat bizarre but completely original first verse, built from rather casual building blocks. Then I let it slowly transform over the course of the next five verses, from the most apparent plagiarism into something quite substantially different. And yet, the groove remains palpable no matter how far the lyrics of the sixth verse have diverged from the initial text. I also thought that a dreamy, hypnotic sound would suit this song perfectly. Here it is. I hope you like and remember…
Fish Market Tribute by myself (I-GOR):