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Mike Lowry 
(September 2005 Issue)
Jamming On Beats

After nine years of non-stop touring, Baltimore's Lake Trout is regarded as one of the top jam bands in the country. What sets them apart from other bands in the genre is their continually evolving sound, which not only includes straight-up rock and funk, but also electronica, ambient music, and'thanks to the talents of drummer Mike Lowry - breakbeats and manic drum 'n' bass backing. It all comes together on the band's excellent third album, Another One Lost.

Although Mike cites Tower Of Power's David Garibaldi as his biggest early drumming influence, it's actually deejay and producer DJ Shadow (a.k.a. Josh Davis) who's had the biggest impact on his current playing style. "DJ Shadow's record Endtroducing changed my life," Mike says. "The drums on that album are so musical. It's all about intensity through repetition, not just through getting busier. When you strip something down and play it over and over again, over a long period of time the slightest subtlety takes it up a notch, so you don't have to overplay. For the music we're doing, there aren't lots of crazy time-signature changes to keep up with, so that approach works. I think of my own playing within Trout as almost a continuous sample."

Gail Worley

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