Recordings Taking The Reins Mark Heaney Drumscapes Vol. 1 The English drummer and composer, best known for his stint with Gang of Four, returns with a beautiful album of drum-centered music. We checked out the album—and took advantage of an opportunity to ask Mark about what went into it. Though Mark Heaney has considerable chops and can make elaborate beats with the best of them, the music on Drumscapes Vol. 1 is decidedly less about flash and more a collection of hypnotic mood pieces. “The word ‘hypnotic’ sums it up perfectly,” Heaney recently told Modern Drummer. “I’m a big fan of drum grooves that repeat and just sit. I remember hearing Can’s ‘Halleluhwah,’ which is a perfect example of that kind of thing. The drums just sit perfectly on that groove—the sound of them, just beautiful and so cool. I wanted to play the beats live and avoid any cut-and-paste. […]

June 2019 Issue