Here’s a special one, for those who don’t shy away from weird, raw and experimental music: a rhythm-first, genre-bending collaboration that flips the usual process of songwriting on its head. Conceived by multi-instrumentalist/producer Pierre de Gaillande and bassist Mike Watt (yes, the legendary co-founder of Minutemen and fIREHOSE), this LP didn’t start with melodies or lyrics, but with drums (batterie in French)—each track constructed from exploratory percussion laid down by some of today’s most inventive drummers (Georgia Hubley, Kenny Wollesen, Dion Thurman, Yuval Lion, and more). Watt then added his signature bass work—crafted, not tossed off—which became the backbone for an all-star cast of collaborators (Wilco’s Nels Cline, Greyboy Allstars’ Robert Walter, Fastball’s Tony Scalzo, Big Lazy’s Stephen Ulrich, and more) to build on.
The result is a wild ride across rock, jazz, reggae, funk, electronics and improvisation, full of tension and intention. Skilled guests push each of the twelve tracks in unexpected and textured directions—there’s so much variation that the embeds below only reveal a fraction of the record’s richness—always grounded by the initial rhythmic pulse. As if that weren’t enough, there is a deep anti-fascist, working-class ethos underneath (lyrics in English or French, sometimes activist such as “We must stand up and resist”—from The Naxilites), but it’s the sheer creativity and refusal to be boxed in that really sells it.
Working Batterie’s Volume One, produced by Pierre de Gaillande, is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Clearly Records. Featuring Pierre de Gaillande (guitars, vocals, xylophone, vocoder, synths, trumpet, percussion, shaker, Taishogoto, radio & field recordings) and Mike Watt (bass) with—more or less in order of appearance—Yuval Lion (drums), Gerald Menke (guitars, lap steel), Tony Scalzo (vocals, guitar, organ), Quentin Jennings (Wurlitzer, lead vocals), Daria Klotz (backing vocals), Jill Paxton (lead and backing vocals), Vibeke Saugestad (backing vocals), Kenny Wollesen (drums, percussion), Robert Walter (Wurlitzer, synths), Georgia Hubley (drums), Nels Cline (guitars), Stephen Calhoon (drums), Izzy Rock (guitar, percussion), Chris Stromquist (drums), Brad Hubbard (saxophones), Dion Thurman (drums), Jules de Gaillande (vocals), Vivienne de Gaillande (vocals), Christian Gibbs (guitar), Dan Menke (drums), Frank Heer (cello), Devon Goldberg (guitar), Francisco Campion (piano), Stephen Ulrich (guitars), and Ken Thomson (clarinets) on select tracks.
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