Bit of a different one for you today, in only the most refreshing type of way. A gray and rainy day here in San Francisco, coupled with a slight case of the Mondays, I felt Cru The Dynamic‘s new EP called The Quick EP would showcase his unique sounds and precision drumming and programming for a bit of a cozier, vibed-out feel.
If you’ve never heard of Cru the Dynamic (real name Steve Bryant), he’s a Brooklyn-based percussionist and producer who has toured as the drummer for Benzos, Michna, Eliot Lipp, and Young & Sic. Cru the Dynamic has been able to bridge the gap between programmed beats & loops and the live performance & improvisation. Bryant was trained in Jazz but has gravitated towards hip-hop and drum & bass in both his playing and production styles.
As someone who grew up playing drums, I always have a soft spot for music that features stellar drumming and The Quick EP does exactly that. But the EP was recorded in such a way that the drums are a compliment to the other production elements rather than the main spotlight. A stand-out track for me is “Blossom” but the whole EP is a fantastic piece of art.
“There’s definitely a lot of programming that went into these tracks. Even the live drums I recorded ended up getting chopped up quite a bit. I also sampled some jam sessions I had at my studio over the past few years, which all got very chopped up, re-pitched, and processed. There are some live keys playing in there, as well as some bass lines which I played out live on a midi keyboard, which allowed me to slide around individual notes. I also laid down some very warbled vocals for “Find Us Here.” I recorded the tracks mainly with Ableton Live but also used Logic and Reason for some additional sounds & production.” – Cru the Dynamic
The Quick EP is out now on the Detroit label Young Heavy Souls (Eliot Lipp, Mux Mool, Blockhead). Check it out on Northern Transmissions here or stream/download below. AND SHOW HIM SOME LOVE!