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The reason for me wanting to do this project was partly to show that drums can be, in my opinion, a soloist instrument in a classical type recital musical situation. I have always loved minimalistic music and wanted the drums to be incorporated into that musical setting in the way that I could always hear it.

Minimalistic music makes me listen to music in a different way from the more common song forms and creatively it allows me to open and make music on the drums in a very different way.  It makes the music deeper and more introverted which makes me think about the spaces a lot more within the melodic content, and allows me the freedom to compose on the drum set.

The first time I heard ‘music for mallet instruments voices and organ’ I almost cried as all the ideas I had heard in my head were finally being realised in this amazing piece of music. The collection of Reich’ music that I had found opened up a new musical world to me and validated ideas that I could hear rhythmically in my mind. I had learnt to play xylophone for a school where I was teaching and I had started to get interested in the idea of repeating various melodic tuned percussion patterns. I would layer them in sound using the vibraphone, glockenspiel and marimba to produce different musical timbres. The ideas were very basic, but one of them we have used in this concert as a foundation for one of the pieces. I had no idea about Reich or Philip Glass or the whole minimalistic movement at this time as I was mostly into jazz, funk, rock and blues and a few classical things here and there. So, when I was introduced to the music of Steve Reich I felt on one hand rather silly that I had never heard of him before, but also happy as he was writing music that I was trying to make with my limited skills, hearing him at least validated my efforts. 

I thought  that it was about time to flex the minimalistic music muscle as I had always wanted to but realised that I would have to write something myself if I wanted it to actually happen. The drums are not usually featured in the genre, so I approached Edward Benham a tuned percussionist and composer and asked if we could get our heads together and sketch out some ideas etc..

Edward and I had toured with Siouxsie Sioux and we have known each other an awfully long time, so it seemed a natural pairing of musical/percussive minds. He too loves minimalistic music and has written countless works, he knows my drumming style and I briefed him on the kind of things that I was hearing in my head for this concert, then he went about fulfilling them for me. I made it tricky for him because I wanted the music to be written and for me to have to write my parts to whatever he had scored. This is unusual but I wanted it to move me out of any comfort zones so that I had to really push myself to new musical heights. I think we have achieved this and I am constantly re- working my own parts and refining them, I don’t think I will ever be 100% happy with them, I can always hear another way of playing and phrasing the music!

I want the audience to understand that this idea is different and whether you are aware of or a fan of minimalistic music, there is something in this music that will reach you. The idea of tuned percussion and voices is not new, but the way Edward has written the music with the drums as the featured soloist makes it a very different and exciting listening experience.

Like all art it is up to the individual to make their own minds up.

So, sit back and enjoy the experience and let the music take you too new and exciting places.

Have an enjoyable journey.

Rob Brian