Happy to be a guest on Drummer’s Resource Podcast this week chatting with Nick Ruffini. If you’re starting late(r) in life at something or you’re a music nerd in general, have a listen! Breakbeats, touring, practice habits, paying dues and more. Listen to the podcast here!
Break library #5 is jam packed with 33 nasty, mean and cruel drum grooves to choose from. This is the digital version. The vinyl version will be slightly different and is scheduled for late May via Old Maid/ReDefinition Records.
In the meantime, here’s “Jive Ass Coffee,” a video of one of the breaks from the library. Enjoy, and stay away from flavored coffee. Please.
Ain’t no music goin down without ! The Du-Rites sat down with Flea Market Funk for The Analog Blend to discuss our favorite (and least favorite) coffees, our coffee issues and habits, what we’ve been listening to, releasing albums in a pandemic and what 2021 holds for us as a band and individually.
I guess this is the first announcement of new music on the way! Dig in to get caffeinated and caught up. This is Flea Market Funk in partnership with Rabble and Lion Coffee and The Du-Rites rock with them both. Hit Rabble and Lion up for great coffee as well.
Excerpts of The Du-Rites performing “Jheri Curl” for our live set for Chris Frantz’ (Tom Tom Club) “Lockdown Festival”. Will stream in March in partner with The Westport (Connecticut) Public Library. First time playing as a full band in over a year and forgot how much I miss groovin with my Du Crew! We’ll also be the backing band for rock band Lulu Lewis. Stay tuned.
Highly honored to be a guest on The Working Drummer Podcast with Zack Albetta. LISTEN TO IT HERE. It starts at the 8:00 mark in the show. We discuss a whole lot, but highlights are:
My unconventional entry into drumming resulting in an instinctual non-“drummy” style and lack of “drummy” ego
How my producing background made me obsessed with the sounds of drumming
Discovering that my cred in the hiphop world meant little to nothing in the drumming world
“Convincing people that what you do can work for them” rather than changing what you do to suit everyone
The importance of restraint, whether in what to pursue or what you play
My experience interviewing legends like Purdie, Garibaldi, Greg Errico, and many others
The festival experience that showed me how all drummers are on the same team
Plenty of nuggets for those interested in drumming or navigating the music business. Enjoy.
Okay y’all, time for some holiday fun(k)! You deserve it. Here I am throwing down some Yuletide grooves with my main man and fellow drummer, the super groovy and talented Jordan Rose, and Conall Mulvenna, the funky funky Santa Man! I had a blast doing this even though I’m mean-mugging in every part but the cowbell because we were grooving. That cowbell is where the Yuletide at! Enjoy the video.
And just like that this crazy year is over. I’ve never been much of a holiday guy and with all that went down this year, the holidays are kind of an afterthought. That said, hopefully this gives you one last smile and/or dance step before 2020 is outta here. Thanks to all who supported me/The Du-Rites this year and all who’ve been following me on this wild ride.
As this insane year comes to a close, I’m proud to share some really cool new music from some legendary folks that features my drumming. Madlib, who reigns as one of the most revered record producers of our time, sampled one of my early drum break records for his latest single, “Road of the Lonely Ones.” It was released yesterday and it’s killer.
When I began releasing breakbeat records for the working musician to sample without corporate BS and legal entanglements in 2014, I had no idea these things would be used by legendary producers like Danger Mouse, Alchemist, Prince Paul and now, Madlib. But here we are, and many of the more high profile uses have actually been cleared! To begin as a sampling producer and suddenly switch focus to becoming a drummer and session musician presented a lot of challenges and was (and still is) unnerving at times, but placements like these sure help and overall it’s been a welcome and unexpected twist to my life in music. Enjoy the tune.
The Du-Rites’ A Funky Bad Time has been out for a month and this whirlwind year is about to end. That means it’s time to retreat and prepare for 2021’s releases. Breakbeat record #5 is a goal of mine so here’s a small taste of what I’ve been working on. Click the image above to watch/hear.
And we’re out! The big “Bad” release day is finally here! Appropriately, Friday the 13th. When the world gets so bad you’re forced to be funkier than you’ve ever been (or, “‘badd’ with two Ds”), here’s the result. At least for The Du-Rites. Pablo and I are super excited for the release of A Funky Bad Time, our fifth album in five years. 90% of it was written and recorded in socially distanced fashion with the backdrop of a global pandemic, death (including a spate of our favorite musicians passing), the never-ending storm of racial inequality, civil unrest and police brutality, a janky political climate, a floundering economy and an overall cloud of uncertainty. Our mission was to cut through all the darkness and limitations to give you the funkiest 35 minutes of 2020. A 35-minute funk Calgon bath. A 35-minute Space Cadillac ride up out of these insane times…before you have to get back to the 9th Zoom meeting of the day or the ear loop on your mask snapping at the most inopportune time. You be the judge…and hopefully listening to the album gives you the same escape from the chaos that we had creating it.