Production Breakdown: The Sample Behind the Sample Behind Game’s “Red Nation”

Especially when the medium was in its infancy, composing for video games was a tricky and somewhat thankless task. Though it took true ingenuity to craft classic tunes within the strict limitations imposed by antique [videogame] hardware, gamers questing for a high score paid little thought to the men behind those catchy melodies. For example, while every connouisseur of electronic music knows the name “Zombie Nation,” few remember that of David Whittaker, the prolific composer who provided the hook for the former's biggest hit. This week, inspired by Cool and Dre's use of “Kernkraft 400” on Game's “Red Nation,” I take a look at the sample behind the sample.

Released in 1984 for the Commodore 64 (and ported to the lesser-known ZX Spectrum, MSX and Tatung Einstein systems), Lazy Jones boasted a unique premise: playing as the title character, a shiftless hotel employee, you move from suite to suite, shirking your duties by playing 15 different arcade titles. That's right: in what may be the first recorded instance of meta-slacking, Lazy Jones allows you to evade your responsibilities and play video-games while you evade your responsibilities and play video games.



As you'll notice in the clip above, the game featured an innovative soundtrack to match its unusual premise; featuring only two voices – a sawtooth synth and bass – and all following the same tempo, each of the game's 21 subtunes would switch out seamlessly as you navigated the game world. Some were original, others quoted from pre-existing songs (such as Nena's 99 Luftballoons), and one distinguished itself form the pack by becoming a smash hit in its own right.

1984 Commodore 64 game Lazy Jones by David Whittaker called "Stardust"


This tune, originally written to accompany a simple space shooter by the name of “Stardust,” just had that special something that made for a great hook – of course, hindsight is 20-20. In any case, Munich-based DJ/producer Florian Senfter took such a shine to it that he flipped the sample – unlicensed, might I add – into a joint that was ultimately included on his 1999 debut as Zombie Nation, titled Leichenschmaus.



If that doesn't sound like the version of the record you know and (perhaps) love, well you have some good ears my friend, but it probably isn't. After the independently-released original version of “Kernkraft” (which means "nuclear power" in German, for anyone who was wondering) began to show signs of success, Zombie Nation enlisted Italian remix producer DJ Gius to put a more commercially viable spin on the dancefloor scorcher. The result was this rendition, a tremendous success on either side of the Atlantic.



Still not the “Kernkraft” you're looking for? If you're wondering where those iconic “Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh”s come in, the answer is... here. Originally included on Zombie Nation's Kernkraft EP as the “Live in Berlin” remix but better known “Sport Chant Stadium Version” was what found the joint a place in sports arenas and stadiums worldwide, and marked its evolution into a universally-renowned electronic classic.



Of course, that's not the end of 'Kernkraft 400's story. As I mentioned at the top, it's now become the basis for Game's most acclaimed single in a good long while.



The Cool & Dre-produced “Red Nation,” which found Game heralding a Blood revolution as hookman Weezy played the Trotsky to his Lenin, is only the latest and (arguably) greatest in a string “Kernkraft” samplings.

East Coast mainstay Maino and Scram Jones tried a similar (if more club-oriented) approach back in 2009, declaring war on the game on mixtape single. “We Gonna Win (Maino Nation)”



And L.A. electro-hopsters LMFAO subtly invoked its dancefloor-packing power on “Lil Hipster Girl,” off their 2009 debut set,Party Rock (the sample shows up right around the two-minute mark).



Never one to pass up an unusual sample selection, rapper/producer Charles Hamilton used the “Stadium Chant” version as a backdrop for revolutionary rhetoric, Star Trek references and other assorted craziness on “Let It Go,” off 2008 mixtape Outside Looking.



Last but not least, in 08 those same 'whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh's got a Southern-fried makeover courtesy of Three 6 Mafia. Produced by DJ Paul and Juicy J, the Pimp-C-assisted Last 2 Walk inclusion dresses up the source material in additional synth lines and punched-up percussion.



Lest we forget, though, it all comes back to the ingenuity of a single man, working within the limitations of a Commodore's SID chip (and a few self-imposed ones to boot). For those wondering, the story of “Stardust”/”Kernkraft 400” had a happy ending for David Whittaker; according to Wikipedia, Zombie Nation settled scores with the composer by awarding him an “undisclosed amount of money.” On that uplifting note, I'ma take my leave – as always, though, readers are encouraged to school me on any samples I missed!