TD-CHUMS011
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TD-CHUMS011

Hot on the heels of Luv (LuvLuv) comes a sublime new Drum Chums from midlands madlads Wrekin Havoc. Over the years we’ve shared great tunes, fun times and A-grade dance floor debauchery with these permanent party people (our first encounter almost exactly like that Spiderman pointing meme) so it made more sense than we usually do to invite them aboard the V*nga bus for some Balearic-disco edit excellence.

Things kick off with the sexy throb of “Shine A Light”, a stonewashed funk workout complete with Paisley guitars, Troutman bass grunts and some big time blue-eyed soul vocals. It’s a bit like an extended and unheard collaboration between George Michael and Tears For Fears recorded immediately after a particularly heavy night at Future. Unsurprising perhaps that this one’s been getting a whole lot of love from DJ Harvey.

“Mars Bar Party” grabs you by the hips from the first bar of its swaying Mediterranean house rhythm, then tugs at every single one of your heartstrings with melancholic pads and a silken vocal croon. Fuuuuuuckin’ hell! Sorry, was totally bewitched by the primal power of piano house magic - it’s like John Rocca was in the room for a second. Armed with an awesome arrangement and clocking in at ten massive minutes, this may be the ultimate Balearic house journey.

If all this weren’t enough to have you stocking up on 5-HTP and sinus rinse, those crafty cats close the set out with the shimmering disco euphoria of “Leccy Meet Her”. The bottom end pulses endlessly, Cowley synths trill and crystal clear Vox soar above, sending us far off into mirrorball orbit. If this isn’t a hit at Horse Meat, we’ll neck a bottle of poppers and never eat a tomato again.

Each and every track Wrekin Havoc touch is a pearler, but we’re particularly chuffed with ourselves for snapping this top trio up.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed.

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Mix 018
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Mix 018

Phwoar yeeeah!! Joss straight out of the gate dropping a new Talking Drums Radio mix like a proverbial hot beverage right into your lap. Jesus! What are you going to do!?! Tenting your trousers, frantic scrabbling about for napkins to try and mop it all up but I’m afraid the damage is done. Third degree burns all over your nethers. But this time it feels… good?

That’s right. Housey heaters all the way through. Taken up and down and all round the… houses(!?) A quick glance over that tracklist tells you everything what this is all about.

Listen, download, stream on our website. Link in bio.

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TD-CHUMS010
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TD-CHUMS010

Punching our ticket for the tenth trip on the Drum Chums line, we rattle past the control centre, where Approach Release delivers another masterclass in genre-blurring brilliance. Darting through emotional New Beat, psychedelic soul, stomping Afro-disco and coastal cosmic, AR keeps things right on track and perfectly off the rails.

"So Wrong" starts the party with a growl and a gurn, all gnarly sequences and robotic drums until that mournful vocal moves us into a land of Lynchian longing. Teardrops on the dance floor, clouds in your coffee, it's, it's, Goth Italo folks. Shifting tone like McCrae shifted gears, Approach Release moves on from Main-Room Gloom into the smooth and sensual soul of "LuvLuvLuv". Low-slung, lilting, loose and lysergic, this versatile version-excursion works wonders as warm up and rub down, its brilliant bedroom vocals floating atop the synthetic and psychedelic groove.

Over on the B-side, "E-Killa" bursts out the speakers with about 100,00 volts of Afro-disco energy, each one perfectly harnessed to whip a crowd into a grinning frenzy. Armed with an unstoppable arrangement, vital vocals and a stomping rhythm section, this delicious drink of tropical pop just keeps on fizzing. For an encore, Approach Release drops the deeply dramatic "Lou Cee", a full-hearted bit of Balearique-brilliance stacked with enough synth strings, faux-accordion and earnest outpourings to give Chris Rea a run in the anthem stakes.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed.

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Mix 017
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Mix 017

Well now. It’s been proper ages since we pumped out a TD Radio mix. Very off the cuff and loose approach to it. Head round Patrick’s gaff and knock it out. So what? Some of the mixing is also off the cuff and loosey goose? What of it? We had fun.

Opening with @approach_release ‘So Wrong’ - maybe my favourite. When the guitar comes in? Get out of here. Pure heartbreak. Left field creepster disco then frankly all over the shop as far as selections go. Something for everyone! Tunes from Caravan off one of our fave labels @planettriprecords , Robert Palmer, @mark_grusane , Fiona Franklin, Dazion… you know the score.

Special mention to the closer on good friend @backyardbalearic label Melodies Of Love 12” - bonefied.

Stream and download off the TD website.

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TD008
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TD008

Team TD get back to it... paying their own oddball homage to some of our DJ deities in the form of Talking Drums Volume 8.

Keeping things diverse-yet-disco, this little mover grooves through Muzic Box pump, Lofty symphonics and a Ku-curveball with a smile on its face and a pep in its step.

Limited Press - Numbered Insert - Drum Fun Guaranteed.

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TD-CHUMS009
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TD-CHUMS009

We interrupt our regular Drum Chums programming to bring you a little V/A tackle via the ‘Percussion Pals’ project. These razor sharp cuts come from friends near and far, old and new, each one primed to upgrade your record collection.

Debuts abound on the A-side, first via international man of mystery DJ Poufsouffle and his Balea-rock disco stomper "Totally Manic". Brimming with Flash & The Pan style pub-rock wonk this one boasts a growling vocal, sparkling keys and an uplifting chorus which doesn't quite break the spell of extreme silliness. On the A2, Bristol’s Spice Route rescue a nebulous reggae gem from Library obscurity, swinging the scalpel and working the desk to turn out an unstoppable groover. Built around an irresistible rhythm section, “Gruler Dub” keeps on getting higher as the space-based vocals and trilling synths turn your brain inside out.

The B1 brings the return of Drum Chum extraordinaire Neil Diablo, who follows the Balearic brilliance of his last label outing with a cosmic caper into pure oddball pop. "Starry Night" slinks along in a chromed out catsuit, purring weirdo vocals over robo-chug and mechanical drums before indulging in a catchy chorus packed with addled innuendo. Not only is this as arch as Gina X doing a forward fold, but it also boasts some serious bass weight in the later half - you have been warned. We're delighted to finally feature a little magic from Australian Italo wizard Hysteric, who brings the curtain down in utterly emotional fashion via AOR disco dream "Pinball". A steady beat, infectious bassline and glistening chords play host to a swooning vocal, which reminds us to go with the flow and follow fun at all times.

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Library Card
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Library Card

We dug this from the pound bins on one of our semi-regular visits to a musty record basement with our boy Bobby Snacks. While he was surfacing in a sea of top yachters, we found a stash of Library rejects hidden amongst the hard house. This was the pick, but of course, was way too short. So we sliced it real nice and applied a lysergic lather, turning out a hyper boogie winner with a hint of Italo drama for your peak time needs.
Happy Bandcamp Friday folks.

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Narcissique
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Narcissique

Say la whaaat? Dig a little deeper and you'll see that France's first lady of Balearic cooked up some seriously freaky mutant disco before her Club Med megahit. Here's the disco-mix that never was - an extended punk funk oddity with angular guitar, wonky bass, hot horns and lyrical sass. Happy Bandcamp Friday folks - tip jar is above ;)

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Mix 016
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Mix 016

Another addition to our mix series comes from the ever-lovable @bobby.snacks_ This time celebrating that GARIES white label that came out a bit ago. First of a two parter (@approach_release is rolling out the second) this is the ‘Coming Up Mix’ - make of that what you will.

This one features the GARIES tune by the mysterious BS. Who also happens to share the same initials as our very own Bobby Snacks. Funny that.

Either way our very own b-boy has turned it out and delivered a solid gold performance. Give it a blast off our website.

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Mix 015
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Mix 015

The second part to the GARIES mixes is here people. The first go at it from @bobby.snacks_ is answered by @approach_release with his ‘Coming Down’ mix.

Featuring the Spice Route track off the new Percussion Pals record as well as the AR ‘Comin’ Apart At The Edit’ off that GARIES white label a few weeks back.

Give it a gander

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BID008
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BID008

An article published today about how @boardnado @beforeidieprojectsltd label brought our 'post punk masterpiece' to life with tantalizing additions from @talking_drums_sound and @synkromusik and bonus feature, the brand new @khartombmusic promo video with all the key players interviewed.

Carry on spreading the word Khartombees!

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TD007
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TD007

Slip this delirious disc out of the lime/slime green sleeve and you're up close and personal with the new chapter in the TD saga.
A dance floor triptych of such seismic scale that the crew spent two years trying to wrangle the tracks on wax, finally finding a plant with the power to press them up.

Sprawling across the A-side is the devastating 'Doner Summer', an instrumental extension of some lost Munich disco masquerading as an Anatolian excursion. Ditching the vocals and cutting the kase, the crew lay down a galloping groove topped with Turkish licks and disco strings, take us into the psychedelic swirl of a tumbling drum breakdown before hitting the big red button marked banger for a searing second half. Firing up the hardware, TD blast this one further into the Phuture, dropping technoid sequences, nagging 303 and Cowley-style FX fuckery for a full on club assault.

In the alternate B-side universe, Hans Zimmer lost his dread note and Denis Villeneuve was forced to turn to Talking Drums for the Dune soundtrack. They obliged with the sci-fi rai of 'Chaba Ranks', reshaping an Algerian OG with a dancehall kick, off beat vamps and star-crossed synths, then letting loose with a heavy bass tone.
|In time honoured fashion, the team also drop a dub version, cutting out the vocals and focussing on those additional elements for the wildly cosmic 'Chaba Skanks'.

Now who's getting the spice in?

Limited Press - Numbered Insert - Drum Fun Guaranteed !

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Safari Suit
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Safari Suit

We swung the scalpel through this Italo-esque oddity half a decade ago, then kept it to ourselves until Loose FM wanted something spicy for their Loose Change fundraiser. Since we've had a few folks asking for it, we thought we could drop it on here as a 'name your price' Bandcamp Friday treat.

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Mix 014
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Mix 014

It’s not a phase mum!!1! Turns out we’re not quite over our Gothy guff brought on by the Miserymix record. New mix for March. Springy pumpers made by fools in time for fools spring? Weather is shit so it’s something nice to mope to at least. We’ve opted for the lesser known downwards curve technique as well - start fast and end slow. See how that works for you

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Mix 013
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Mix 013

Talking Drums radio is back again for your listening pleasure. Miserymix delivers number 13 after their cracking EP on Drum Chums. Unlucky for some but not for you - expect a solid mood plus an insight into the goth Italo noise we keep coining anytime we can. Give it a listen 🌚🎱💣🪩⚫️🇮🇹

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TD-CHUMS008
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TD-CHUMS008

Pieces well and truly picked up by a who’s who of collectors and selectors, the TD team follow Bobby Snacks’ super smash with some seriously synthy slices from good buddies Miserymix. A collaboration born behind the Piccadilly Records’ counter, Miserymix is the dark disco alias of Goth Spice (Kohl AF, dressed in black and armed with nonpliments) and Mushy P (a toothy and goofy Talking Drummer). Based a mere 192 away from Senõr Snacks in the thriving metropolis of Levenshulme, this pair of disco delinquents share a penchant for pingers, Prosecco and the lesser known corners of Europe’s 80s club sound. After a mysterious appearance on one of Duca Bianco’s brilliant V/As, Miserymix drop their debut EP on Drum Chums, aiming directly for the dance floor.

The Italo-noir of "Sexy Cowboys" gets the set off to a sleazy start, its seductive synths and strangled guitars riding throbbing bass and leather-clad percussion right into the darkroom, where the yelping vocal echoes over the creak of a swing. Miserymix push the tempo for the pacey disco pump of "Proverbial S.O.B.", a peak time stomper dubbed senseless for the perfect tops-off groove. Subtle kalimba, cut up vocals and orchestral hits find every sweet spot atop the one note bassline, while those airy piano chords steer us straight into the sublime.

Kicking off the flip is the uber-anthemic, endorphin-laced and mid-paced dancefloor destroyer "E Motion". Our disco duo spend plenty of time on the foreplay, teasing every ounce of ecstasy out of the nuanced perx, rolling bassline and sparkling synths before unleashing some flawless Francophone vocals on the way to a colossal chorus. Smouldering like a Propaganda club mix, this Europop obscurity has been upgraded into an accidental pill tune of perma-gurn proportions - this one is a road-tested dance floor sure shot. Indulging the afterglow, Miserymix sign off with the superb synth pop of "Name Game". Stomping drum machines play host to an insistent bassline and some slinky keys, while the cucumber cool Euro vocal serves cabaret camp and maximum vamp.

Remember folks, the TD crew (drum)rolls deep...

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed!

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Mix 012
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Mix 012

@bobby.snacks_ coming in hot, wheels down ready to land his mix for our Talking Drums radio. Captain captain! Can’t see any gremlins on the wing but there’s a lot of heavy tunes weighing us down. We’ll be alright, Snacks about to take us to the dizzying heights. Mile high baby. ✈️
Not sure why I’m alluding to flight in this blurb. His mix has nothing to do with aeroplanes. But it’s good and that’s all that matters. Get stuck in. Like me. I’m listening to it right now.

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TD-CHUMS007
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TD-CHUMS007

Drum Chums is back with the Snack Attack! For the uninitiated, our Bobby is a man of true culture. Look for a sun kissed café on Stockport's cobbles and you might just find him, sat back in a string vest and shades, coiffing a natural wine and cracking the wisest. Or else deep in the pound bins and car boots of the North West, calmly cutting through the AOR ocean to find the next Yacht Rock gem. And when Snacks snatches the scalpel, he's a wizard, a true star. So dig into this debut delight to find anthemic soft-rock, swooning Balearic, fizzy cosmic and the greatest left-field club track we've ever heard.

Bobby opens his account with the yearning Yacht boogie of 'Picking Up', a timeless tune which sounds a little like a Doobie Brother doing devotionals over a fist pumping rhythm-box. Tempo Moderato, trilling sequences, serious synth bass and searing guitar solos are gonna get the hands in the air, believe me. Snacks slows the pace a touch for the shoulder-rolling sway of 'Wipe Y'Hands (XXXtra Chant Version)', a sultry slice of Balearic disco replete with orchestral flourish, tumbling percussion and a spine-tingling serenade perfect for fans of Sarcastic Disco.

Flip the pancake and prepare for genius as Bobby Snacks manipulates a sample like a deep house Dilla, arranging swelling strings, hand percussion and Linn drums into a living, breathing, sacred rhythm, before taking the whole club west into ecstatic uncharted territories. 'Slippy Energy' is the power source of the future. Last, but by no means least, Snacks puffs on the grape vape gets narcotic, slowing sugary synth-disco into a suitably sleazy cruise through the cosmos called 'Shaky Boys'.

100% Drum Fun Guaranteed.

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Mix 011
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Mix 011

When we did the artwork for this it was pure scorchio outside. And we were loving it. Had a bit of a muck about hosting it onto our site as mixcloud was asking for money and right about now we’re skint. Now the colours don’t reflect the total rainy crap fest we’re living through but what can you do? Maybe give mix number 11 a blast? With tracks from @rufdug @georgehysteric and @beforeidieprojectsltd we can usher in warmer climates once more so I can dip in the pool/industrial run-off site near the gaff again.

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Mix 010
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Mix 010

Hippy Disco and stoner sleaze abound in number 10 of our Talking Drums Radio. We got the two long-form Captain Attractive (@therealeddiec )tracks in there for your drum chum listening pleasure. For those that took the time and effort to listen them up on YouTube and then also buy…. This one’s dedicated to you ❤️

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