It's been about a year since our last Sensory Percussion album roundup and we've got a new batch of incredible records made with Sensory Percussion that have come out since then. From hard-hitting hybrid beats to lush, ambient soundscapes, these 5 albums cover a lot of ground and show the versatility of Sensory Percussion as both a sound design and performance tool.
Son Lux-Everything Everywhere All At Once (Original Soundtrack)
Everything Everywhere All At Once is a movie unlike any other. A sci-fi action movie with more heart than it has any right to, this movie was an unexpected global hit, and the soundtrack is a huge part of it. Drummer Ian Chang is a longtime Sensory Percussion artist and is also the drummer for Son Lux, who scored the entire film. Huge choirs and layered arrangements match the grandiosity of the film's subject matter.
Ian Chang on his use of Sensory Percussion for this soundtrack: "In the early stages I did a sampling session with a bunch of gongs and traditional Chinese drums, then I used Sensory Percussion to make realistic versions of them at home. These drums are pretty prominent throughout the movie. I also used Sensory Percussion for some trippy textures here and there."
Check out this video for the track "Fence" featuring Moses Sumney and then stream the full album now or preorder the vinyl:
Khompa-Perceive Reality
Khompa is the name of the solo project of Italian drummer/producer Davide Compagnoni, who uses a combination of Sensory Percussion, Ableton, and a step sequencer to control both audio and video from behind the drums. On Perceive Reality, Khompa mixes the output from Sensory Percussion with his acoustic drums/cymbals to create a nice blend of organic textures and hard-hitting electronic elements.
On the meaning behind the album, Khompa says, "Perceive Reality is a vivid exhortation to deepen the relationship with reality, avoiding simple and often illusory visions. The project alerts to the fact that univocal answers do not exist and that only by developing a path of knowledge and giving ourselves the opportunity to examine things in depth, can we enter into the relationship with the existing.”
Check out the video for the track "Objective" featuring 3D animations made from photos of natural forest textures:
Vaague-Vaague
Vaague is the moniker of Belgian jazz drummer Antoine Pierre. This self-titled EP is his debut under the new name and it combines the blistering technical chops of modern jazz drumming with the glitchiness of sample-based music (courtesy of Sensory Percussion). Check out the mesmerizing video for the track "Raakma" below and then read our interview with Antoine to learn more about this project:
Tommy Crane-We're All Improvisers Now
Tommy Crane is a longtime Sensory Percussion artist and fixture of the New York jazz scene. After many years as a touring sideman, We're All Improvisers Now is Tommy's debut solo effort. With this project, he strayed away from the solo-based format of jazz music, electing for a more introspective approach, full of layered synths and sonic landscapes.
Sensory Percussion played a large role in many of these songs, and the track "Shimo" actually features a preset kit from our Sunhouse library! Check out the video below to hear how he built a track around this preset and then read our interview with Tommy to learn more about the inspiration behind the album:
Mason Self-Obscurity
Mason Self is a longtime Sensory Percussion wizard, always pushing the boundaries of what's possible by combining Sensory Percussion with modular synthesis. This album is no different; Mason used lots of innovative techniques to create immersive electronic music with a distinctly human touch. Inspired simultaneously by his outdoor adventures and his study of computer programming, Obscurity is distinctly Mason. Check out our interview with Mason about the album to learn more about his process and what he learned along the way.
