Drums Of Death
Drums Of Death
19-10-12
Who better to headline Hot Boy Dancing Spot's Halloween extravaganza than DRUMS OF DEATH! Some say he is a master of things that go bump in the night... Some say he is a master of all things H.O.U.S.E... Both are right! We asked him our spookiest questions and then twisted his arm with a Chinese burn until he made us this exclusive mix until we found out what's scarier: his taste in music or his skull-face-paint!
What is the scariest record you own?
The chord changes in Art Decade on Low by David Bowie have always given me the fear and the early mad stuff by Steve Reich like Pendulum Music, while not exactly scary, I find rather unsettling. Dance music though, no… Even the stupid or mad stuff is still funky.
I don't think club record is scary. some are pretty daft or funny... Like everyone else I have records that I've never played out. Usually ridiculous techno that I can't find the right time to play.
What is your idea of hell?
Pure boredom.
How does your Waves trilogy of EPs translate into the current A/V show you're touring?
My current live show is all music from the Waves EP series and new album tracks. Music and visuals sync up and it's a very immersive experience. I'll be playing some of those new things at the Halloween party. I started off as being this raw, punky, energetic bassline and wonky house guy but I've really hit my stride now. My music is stripped back, I play synths live, no singing (I let others do that in the studio) and I let the music breathe. The new live show with or without the visuals is something I really proud of.
What's been the best show for it so far in terms of how it's worked visually in the venue, how the crowd's responded to it, the atmosphere…
The debut at this year's Springfestival in Graz, Austria was amazing... it was the culmination of the all work from the start of the year and the first time seeing the whole thing in action. Well, I didn't actually see it as I was doing it, but my visual artists film the show and I've seen it. Very cool. I've also done the show at Zouk in Singapore, Razzmatazz in Barcelona and other places. It's been dope. Really a lot of fun. This is the beginning; we'll scale it up for next summer.
Here's the clip of the debut show:
What's your favourite Murk record and why?
It has to be an Oscar G solo joint. Reaching Up! (Raw Vocal Mix) - The whole track is raw and rough… love it.
How did it feel to hear Azealia Banks' vocal on your track?
It's been great, she and I have been working on/off since last year and aside from the tracks on her mixtape I'm doing something on the album. I'm working with a bunch of awesome artists right now, kind of easing into my role as a producer for other people. I'm taking two weeks out from after Halloween to work on some new Drums Of Death album music.
Is the art of song-writing a lost art in dance music?
It depends on the song. It's easy to load a piece of music with too much song. The key is stripping it back to the essentials. I don't really think anyone does this well in the UK to a consistent level. I love the Steffi record ‘Yours’, this is a prime example of pure hooky vocal and stripped back.
What vocalist would you love to work with?
If it could be anyone from any time it would have to be those we've lost… Gil Scott-Heron would be at the top of that list.
If you had a time-machine what dance floor would you visit?
I'd like to have gone to the Soundfactory or Music Box, though the privilege of hindsight means we ascribe a certain greater to value to those venues or parties but I'm not actually a retro-ist. I think there's so much good music now, we have better soundsystems and more expansive technology. I love so much of house music but I don't want to think that the best is behind us. I always want to be hit by something fresh. Saying that, I'll be DJing a ton of old jams at Dalston Superstore for Halloween… Ha Ha Ha.
Drums Of Death plays a DJ set at Hot Boy Dancing Spot next Saturday 27th October from 9pm - 4am with The Lovely Jonjo, Hello Mozart and a top bar takeover from Anal House Meltdown.
Drums Of Death