Zomevhere, Berlin, Germany
I used to have a fixed idea of how a snare drum should sound. I’d spend hours changing mics, having the drummer tune the drum, change the drum, dampen the head. Then the band Yes came out with their song, “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” The snare was thin and had a ring, completely different than what was popular at the time, and it was perfect. I began to think about sounds in another way. Popular doesn’t mean good; it’s just what a lot of people are doing. It’s more important for the sound to be unique, to have character. It can be anything as long as it cuts through the track and holds down the backbeat. An unusual snare drum sound with a ring and snares rattling like crazy might be perfect for the song. I began to let the sounds be what they wanted to be, to encourage accidents to find a different shade. And when something unique showed up, it felt like a gift.
Receive future missives HERE