Archive for the ‘080-100 BPM’ Category
When I put out a call for loop requests the other week, I received an outpouring of emails asking for every type of genre and beat you could imagine. Everything from tangos, odd meter math rock, slow bossa novas, death metal (I don't own a double bass pedal and my trenchcoat is at the dry cleaner) and merrengue. Quite a spectrum. And while I've kept all of these responses on file for future sessions, it was one particular request that immediately caught my ear and sent me running to the studi...
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Loop #136
While I might not use single-headed toms with Pinstripes (I stick to the coated Ambassadors), one two three things that Phil Collins and I have in common is our love for Gretsch drums.... and gated reverb. Lots of gated reverb. Also, coincidentally enough, we both have major butt-chins.
With the toms on my bebop-sized kit (18" kick, 12" tom & 14" floor tom) cranked up high, this four bar loop is a somewhat hypnotic, tribal pattern ending with four 16th note flams on the snare (...
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Loop #135
I'm not even sure if Trent Reznor drinks coffee (he strikes me as the type that might consume it by the gallon), but assuming that he did, and that he happened to spill that coffee all over his console while mixing some drum tracks, I think the end result might sound something like this. Angry, yet precise, odd meter drumming crushed all of the way down to 5 bits. Black. No Sugar.
And while I'm on the topic of NIN, here's a great interview regarding the making of the epic 2005...
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I know, I know.... things have been a little quiet around here lately. But trust me, I have a very good Reason for my absence. I would love to share more information with you at this time, but a team of international lawyers and a very large Swedish man who goes by the name, "Sven", have me sworn to secrecy "or else...". In just under a month, I will be able to provide you with all kinds of details about this very exciting project.
I've also been making some major strides in the upgrade o...
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In an attempt to keep up with the highly influential likes of Heidi Montag, Kate Gosselin and the singer of Nickelback, I've decided to dramatically change my appearance. Well, at least the appearance of this blog. The old design had served me well for the past 18 months, but I decided it was time to switch things up and produce a fresh new look.
To celebrate the launch of the site design, I wanted to share an entire (and free) loop pack with the loyal readers of this blog. I know I've bee...
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Some albums totally blow your mind when it comes to production. Other albums inspire you by the incredible musicianship. And some albums hold their own just by the level of songwriting. But it's not that often when an album comes along and takes all three of these elements to transcend the high bar of awesomeness (wow, what a horrible analogy). D'Angelo's epic 2000 release, Voodoo, is one of these special records.
Just as I was about to graduate college, thinking I knew everything there...
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Loop #122
Yep, it's still completely freezing in Boston. This makes two things certain:
1. my gas bill will be higher than my car payment.
2. my frame drum will sound awesome.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this ridiculously cold winter, the dry air combined with the heat pumping out of my furnace provides for ideal frame drum conditions. The calf skin head naturally tightens up and lends itself to some nice overtones and extra resonance.
This was especially true toda...
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Last night I had my ass kicked by a bunch of girls. Lez Zeppelin, the all female Zep tribute band, came storming through Boston, rocking a capacity crowd at The Middle East. I should have been prepared for what was to take place. My good friend and former bandmate (and current Lez Zeppelin bassist), Megan Thomas, contacted me a few weeks ago, telling me about her latest musical endeavor and inviting me to their upcoming Boston show. Megan is an amazing musician, so I knew she would nail all ...
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I drive a Toyota.
I'm from Iowa.
I own a Sheryl Crow Album.
I'm not hip hop. But I love it.
[caption id="attachment_5341" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="J Dilla - He Is Hip Hop"][/caption]
Loop #120
Today's loop is my hat tip to J Dilla and his incredible 2006 album, Donuts. While I had been familiar with Dilla's work as a producer through his collaborations with Common and Talib Kweli, it wasn't until the release of Donuts (and his untimely passing) that I...
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I had intended to spend most of today locked in my studio, laying down all kinds of new loops, guzzling a few gallons of coffee and writing my usual "top-notch" commentary... but that didn't happen. Boston's first blizzard of the year had other plans for me. Like shoveling snow all afternoon. Awesome.
Loop #116
I did manage to crank out one quick session before the day was over. While I was breaking my back, digging out my driveway, I was listening to Radiohead's classic album, "Th...
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