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June 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 6

Keith McMillen Instruments (KMI) is a California-based company that focuses on developing innovative hardware and software that allows musicians to incorporate computers and tablets into their performances with incredible levels of nuance and control. The primary technology that the company developed to unlock such advanced expressivity is called Smart Fabric, which features a layer of sensors beneath each pad that interprets subtle changes in velocity, pressure, and strike position with realistic accuracy. KMI’s first foray into the electronic drum market is the super-slim yet highly durable and versatile four-zone BopPad ($199). Let’s check it out.
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Articles in June 2018

What You Need to Know About Bass Drum Heads

While drums have existed since the dawn of civilization, it wasn’t until the 1950s, after the chemical corporation DuPont trademarked a new polyester film called Mylar, that drummers were presented with more ways to tailor their sounds via their choice…

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

New York Jazzer Jimmy Macbride

Still only in his mid-twenties, the drummer has been making a name for himself in the ultra-competitive New York City jazz scene for several years now, bringing an assured command of his instrument to recordings and live work with a sound that belies his age.

Interview by Ilya Stemkovsky | Photo by Yuki Tei
Apr 25, 2018

A Year in Transition

Photo by John Leiby There have been numerous landmark events in music history that have made certain years seem more significant than others, such as the death of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1750, which signified the end of the Baroque…

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

New Drum Gear From Tama, Remo, SJC Custom Drums, apulSoft, U.S. Drum Supply, Basal, and Vater!

  Tama Star Reserve Volume 4 Snare This snare’s copper shell is hand-hammered by master metal craftsmen in Japan and is said to produce a fat sound and rich resonance coupled with an extreme dynamic range. Also featured on this…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

What’s Your Favorite 1970s Jazz or Fusion Drumming Album?

This month, as we delve into the music and drumming of 1978, we asked our readers and social media followers to name some of their favorite records from the entire decade. Here they weigh in on great ’70s jazz and…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018
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Blake Richardson on Between the Buried and Me’s Automata, Part 1

Digging Into the Veteran Technical-Metal Group’s Latest Offering

by Willie Rose
Apr 25, 2018

Must-Know Grooves - Disco, a Drumming Staple of the 1970s

In this new series we’ll be taking a close look at some of the most influential, practical, and essential drum grooves of all time, studying a pattern’s history and learning how to play it step-by-step. If you’re serious about getting…

by Jim Riley
Apr 25, 2018

2017 Sydney Vintage and Custom Drum Expo

Australia’s finest craftsmen shine among celebrated international mainstays during a day of exhibits and performances.

Story by Bob Campbell | Photos by Michael Zaluzny
Apr 25, 2018

Turkish Cymbals Lale Kardeş Signature Series

Big, bold tones based on the classic sounds of ’60s and ’70s rock.

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018

Drum Wisdom: Jim Mola

By his own admission, Jim Mola moved to New York in 1985 to set the world on fire as a drummer. Now, after thirty-three years of experience in the trenches as a working musician, the types of gigs he’s playing…

Article by by Keith Carne | Photos by John Fell
Apr 25, 2018

Heart’s Michael Derosier

Remembers Dog & Butterfly

by Patrick Berkery
Apr 25, 2018

Techra - XCarb Drumsticks

Light and fast carbon-fiber models designed for utmost durability.

by Michael Dawson
Apr 25, 2018
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Diego Arcaute with Juana Molina

Whether playing odd-time indie electronica, contemporary pop, or folkloric acoustic music, the Argentinian drummer brings a seasoned sensitivity and open mind to the studio and the stage.

Article by Adam Budofsky | Photo by Mariko Miura
Apr 25, 2018

Bubinga Behemoth

Drummer Matt Flacche, based in Marlton, New Jersey, custom-ordered and built this month’s monster setup, a 2017 Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit in satin natural cordia finish. With previous appearances in the September 2003, July 2007, and January 2009 issues, this…

Modern Drummer
Apr 25, 2018

Dashboard Confessional’s Ben Homola

Consummate touring/recording drummer Ben Homola has recently been sporting a new C&C drumkit on the road with alt-rock band Dashboard Confessional. “The C&C maple kit I have out on the road was built for this tour,” says Homola. “One thing…

Interview and Photos by Sayre Berman
Apr 25, 2018

Foreigner’s Dennis Elliott

“I was blessed to land a gig as life-changing as Foreigner,” the London-born drummer Dennis Elliott says. “It was a band I totally believed in.” Elliott played with the group for seventeen years, powering solid-gold tracks like “Urgent,” “Feels Like…

by Robin Tolleson
Apr 25, 2018

Five-Note Phrasing - Part 2: Adding More Tension and Release

In this lesson we’ll continue exploring five-note phrases within a 16th-note subdivision. To become fluent with these groupings, you need to internalize where the five-note phrase begins and ends. To review, let’s reinforce the ability to hear the starting point…

by Marc Dicciani
Apr 25, 2018

Russ Kunkel - The Song Server

At the dawn of the ’70s, music fans noticed the credit “Drums: Russ Kunkel” popping up on reams of LP jackets. From that pivotal point, Kunkel’s momentum as a session ace surged through five decades. The drummer’s tasteful parts and…

Article by Jeff Potter | Photo by Joel Bernstein
Apr 25, 2018
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Do I Need a Fallback Plan?

Part 1: Assessing Your Path

by Russ Miller
Apr 25, 2018

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