Getting To Know… Dan The Drum
f: How did you first get into writing and making music?
DTD: I’ve always loved music, played guitar growing up and started DJing at 14, and the Covid lockdown gave me plenty of time off work to experiment with electronic production.
f: What was the first dance record you bought?
DTD: Define ‘Dance’? I was into Reggae and 2-Tone, we used to dance to that… then Electro, I remember buying Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force’s ‘Planet Rock’ and it changed me.
f: How would you describe your sound?
DTD: I would say jazzy and soulful.
f: What’s the story behind your name?
DTD: Haha, I am a big Spurs fan (a football team in the UK), and I used to bang a big bass drum at the old White Hart Lane stadium for 12 years to get the crowd going. COYS!
f: Who were your musical influences growing up, and did they have an impact on your sound today?
DTD: Terry Hall, The Specials, Gil Scot Heron, Afrika Bambaataa and Frankie Knuckles, there are too many to mention really. Anyone in or around music has to be influenced by what they have heard.
f: What was your first release?
DTD: My first release was a track called “Jazzcazz” with Emma Noble and Ronnie Turner.
f: Which of your own tracks was the biggest labour of love to create?
DTD: Without a doubt, “The UK House Sermon”. Anyone who knows Stu Patterson will vouch for me on that one. Seriously, though, it took me a fair while to convince Stu to make the track, and we had loads of back and forth to get it right. Then going to Carmy to record vocals and then to Hastings, UK, to get Darren Morris on keys, there were a lot of miles and time spent on the release, but so worth it to me personally at the end.
f: You’ve just released your brilliant new collaborative single ‘’Hurt So Bad’ with Carmy Love, on F*CLR. What can we expect to hear?
DTD: I love live music as well as club stuff. I decided from the off that it had to feature musicians where possible and I’m lucky to have a talented bunch of friends to call on. Expect 60’s Soul with a new sounding dance bassline with Latin beats with Jazz guitar and Sax thrown in, together with the church Soul vocals of the sultry siren Miss Carmy Love.
f: Are you pleased with the results?
DTD: Extremely. It’s turned out so well and the first round of feedback has blown me away, being played by Spoony on BBC Radio 2, John Osbourne on JAZZ FM, together with Ronnie Herel, Brandon Block and Ricky Morrison on Mi – Soul radio and more.
f: There are also some remixes of the single forthcoming from Terry Jones, Leo Zero and North Street West, what did they bring to the table?
DTD: The song has had many versions over the years, I want to take the bits I liked from a number of versions and make a definitive version. So when we discussed the remixes, we decided that each one should have something that our “SHLJ” mix has… So we got Terry on Soul, Leo on Deep House and the No’West gang on Disco.
f: How did you and Carmy Love link up, and will you be working together again in the future?
DTD: Carmy was in a band called New Street Adventure, and I loved their sound, so I followed them, and Carmy and I became friends from my stalking her and her band. Haha! Yes, we will be working together again.
f: What’s been your favourite gig to play at this year?
DTD: Favourite gig this year was on the beach at Stuart Patterson’s “Amor Andalusia” event in Spain. As much as I love music, it’s nothing without lovely people; this party ticks all the boxes.
f: You also have a radio show on Totally Wired Radio. How’s that all going?
DTD: Yeah, I love doing radio, and it’s going really well, thanks. I get to play some great music – a mix of soul, Jazz, Funk, House, Disco and Reggae, and I can talk and people can’t interrupt me… winner! Haha! You can catch me once a month on The Love Generation Show. totally wired radio
f: Have you any tips for producers just starting out?
DTD: Yes, trust your ears and don’t try and do it all yourself… Dragons Den moments… Be a part of something brilliant and don’t be all of something average.
f: What’s your favourite song at the moment?
DTD: ‘Race Track in France’, from the new Brian Jackson LP.
f: What else are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
DTD: I am currently making a Jazzy house number with Darren Morris, and I’m nearly finished a new track that Emma Noble and myself have done together. I’ve also got some more remixes to look at with Terry Jones.
Dan the Drum & Carmy Love ‘Hurt So Bad’ ‘Hurt So Bad’ (Original ‘SHLJ’ Versions) EP is out now on F*CLR.