DRUMS AND DRONES
Drums and Drones is the solo project of Brian Chase, drummer for rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs and NYC’s experimental music scene. Inspired initially by La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela’s legendary Dream House installation, the Drums and Drones project aims to evoke meditative qualities through the use of resonant tones and sonic subtleties derived from drums and percussion. In much the same way that this music goes “inside the sound of a drum,” a similar process is reflected in that of the listener through the process of listening. The performative compositions of Drums and Drones take two basic forms: acoustic and electroacoustic. The electroacoustic pieces set out to establish sonic environments of ‘infinite depth’ within a minimalist design. The acoustic pieces are structured as concise etudes aiming to uncover hidden possibilities within given frameworks. Drums and Drones: Decade, a triple album with 144 page book celebrating the project’s first ten years, was released in 2018 on Brian’s own Chaikin Records.
“Spread across the three CDs are luscious laboratory experiments in listening to stretched skins, wooden vessels and metallic surfaces. . . . Continually, he is immersed in his methods, gauging subtle inflections in frequency, density and transmission. The accompanying hardback book contains a wealth of procedural information[,] personal thoughts and video stills, making Drums & Drones an indispensable statement on how drummers hear sound.” – Phillip Brophy, The Wire
“Drums and Drones: Decade . . . fluidly morphs into something educational, something inspired, something ever-so-quietly groundbreaking.” – Vanessa Phan, mxdwn.com
“This 3CD + 144-page book really cements Yeah Yeah Yeahs drummer Chase’s dedication to the avant-garde. Striving to reach the meditative, Chase avoids the hackneyed. . . An altogether outstanding achievement. A+” – thevinyldistrict.com