JLS have defended the use of vocal effects and sampling in music.

The ‘Beat Again’ hitmakers – who released `The Club Is Alive` which sampled `The Sound of Music` and featured heavy use of effects on their voices in 2010 – can’t understand why artists are criticised for using technology in their songs so long as they are capable of pulling off a live performance.

Singer Aston Merrygold said: “If you get critics come and see the show, we can sing it live, so what’s the problem, so it’s kind of pointless for them to criticise.”

Band mate Oritse Williams told how he felt it was simply part of the “new school generation” of pop.

He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “Music has moved forward in such an amazing way, and we are in a new school generation and that generation, stuff like music effects, auto tune and sampling is part of that.”

While the quartet – also comprising Marvin Humes and Jonathan ‘JB’ Gill – are planning to learn more instruments to play during their live shows, they insist they will continue to use vocal effects because their fans like them.

Marvin said: “It’s all about people wanting that in the music, so we will deliver it to them.”