OG Drum Breaks

Soundcheck Breaks

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Whilst on tour in 2022 I recorded myself playing during soundchecks. I had this idea to make drum breaks that emphasised the sound of the room, so that when they’re chopped up together in sequence you can hear the size/shape of the space changing.

I don’t know how successful I was in achieving that, but what I did end up with is 50+ unique sounding drum loops, all of which I smashed through a vintage SpectraSonics 610 Complimiter for some real analog grit and saturation. This special unit makes everything sound great.

These breaks are rough around the edges; recorded on a single mic setup in the 30 seconds between setting up and soundchecking for that night’s show, expect some ambient noise, background voices and the occasional muted toot of a saxophone. I like to think they’re full of character and capture an energy unlike that of a studio environment, perfect for chopping up, stretching, warping and rearranging.