Drums Of Death

Drumz of Death is not a DJ. He is a performer. Nor is he an actual real person, rather an alter ego of the one previously known as jazzy, electronica producer Kid Twist. However, with Drumz of Death, his techno meets bass heavy metal-dance music has been hotly tipped by the music bigwigs, with the release of a full-length album imminent and a hardcore following hanging off every 4-4 beat he concocts, including a deal at Hot Chips Greco-Roman label. Angry but emotional, energetic and twisted, the face-painted mask and Papa Lazaroo-esque stage costume are a frightful and often high-octane experience in itself. But far underneath the mask is Colin, a meek and friendly character. One of the softest-spoken people I’ve ever heard, Colin is exuberant, charming and down to earth, his enthusiastic dialect coated with a thick but decipherable Scottish accent. “This a character is super villain for Greco-Roman, but at the same time he’s a manic depressive guy. He’ll go from wild crazy rave bass abandon to piano and melancholic pieces. People will understand this person through the live shows” he cryptically tells.

Attracting characters from all ends of the spectrum, Drumz has a string of remixes under his belt, incorporating many mixed styles, from dubstep to grime, and electronica to hardcore metal. How did the young and no doubt polite Colin discover music?
“ I listened to tears for fears, Michael Jackson and loads of eighties stuff. When I was young, I remember you could send off for this tape,’ he amuses ‘I was more into animation and that.. I wasn’t into music until I got into Nirvana and more grungy stuff.” Colin even used to be in a Hardcore Punk band. “Oh Aye,” he agrees, ‘I was in a bunch of them. I love the attitude in the music, the energy, but I’m more focused on the fifteen-year-old feeling like that. I started producing music quite late, after being in bands” he confesses, “It took me a long time to write a song because I was scared of the process,” he says.
So, after discovering a love for electronica and a thirst for computer production, after a healthy career in punk bands, what possessed Colin to transform to Kid Twist – and then – onto the current demonic guise.
“It was stuff like Drop the Lime, and lots of laptop stuff’ he spurts, ‘more techno stuff, more people buying laptops and stuff. I was in a group in Glasgow called Measle. I was making all this electronica stuff in the vein of Venetian snares and stuff. But when I moved to London I wanted to make more upbeat, club music and put my hat in that ring and I want a show that goes with it. The reason I do what I do is because it takes me and other people out of their comfort zone. I wanted to make it more like a hardcore show, but with tones and textures more akin to Kraftwerk, or acid house and Jamaican bass culture, with a mix of grime. I wanted to something visually, something that in personally wanted to see. People are getting bored of clubbing; I’m not saying I’m the saviour of clubbing and live dance music, but I personally wanted to make it more exciting.”

So Drumz, in his humble manner, has stated that he’s not the saviour, but does he hope to change the perception of laptop DJ’s, to blend the visual aspects of performance with clubbing sonics?
“I think ill change peoples perceptions of Scottish guys who wear make up,” he laughs. “ I don’t know, it’s a bit of an unknown path. Its down to all dj’s to change the perception of what they do. The nature of what I do is becoming less dj. I play my own stuff and when I play it’s an all Iive show. There’s version’s of tracks, samples and patches and bit and bobs that are special; it becomes less programmed and more spontaneous. There’s a lot of club music that I play that will never be released because I want it for the live show” he states.

Drumz definitely earned his name by churning out high profile, well received remixes blending recognisable tracks with a mixture of dark, light and meaningful sounds, attracting a deal with Greco-Roman. Does drums owe these remixes part of his success? Were they instrumental in his development?” I guess they have been, but I’m lucky to have been able to do what I want with them” he agrees. “It’s been good to do something different and I’ve tried to make each mix have its own feel. They have been very important to get me out there though and I’m grateful!”

“All the tracks on my EP are part of a mix tape that friends were handing round. Joe from Hot Chip got his hands on it. They put out some songs and asked me to do an album. That first 12” is more about dance-floor stuff, more of a hip-hop electro thing, which nods to Egyptian Lover: he was – and is - a big influence. The forthcoming album is going to be more fun to play, with more of a song structure though. Some of its pop music, but some of it is really full on, but not all of it ‘cause that would be boring” he whispers. “But,” he promises glefully, “they’ll be plenty of bangers on there!”