Watch this: A visual history of sampling from the Beatles to today

How does a drum loop like the famous six-second snippet of “Amen, Brother” become immortal? The answer is sample: constant, creative re-use of the original sound, in ways that shift constantly as new technology allows. That’s the idea behind “A Brief History of Sampling,” a slick new video from Eclectic Method that shows how well-known sounds transform over the decades.

In the case of The Winstons’ “Amen, Brother,” the video shows how a drum break from the 1969 track eventually finds a home in songs by everyone from the Beatles to Snow. It’s one of many examples in the video that show remix culture being born, taking shape, and at last becoming ubiquitous.