Devin Gray - Most Definitely [Rataplan Records]

Scheduled for release via NYC- / Berlin-based Rataplan Records on June 9th, 2k23 is "Most Definitely", the latest album outing by Jazz-informed drummer x composer Devin Gray who is presenting an extended solo vision with this one which caters a menu of 23 pieces in total rolled out over a playtime of almost 73 minutes which, in this day and age, basically equals two fully fledged albums for many other artists. Being cited as being '...obsessed with music at an early age through the power of non-tonal percussion...' it isn't surprising that Gray's pieces, many of them short sketches and experimental skits, exceed the boundaries of a convential drum album with tunes like "Pull To Refresh" drawing inspiration from militant, filtered IDM / Drill'n'Bass one would possibly rather associate with the likes of Luke Vibert and their hyper detailed drum programming whereas cuts like "Tailgate Lunches" provide nightmare-inducing Industrial rhythms from the depths of paranoid hell, "Blackwell Magic" dabbles with subdued, feverish Future Tribal for sacred, yet forbidden rituals, "Digital Nomads" provides a thundering barrage fire of a gazillion of percussive events per second putting even the hardest and most violent Metal / Hardcore drummers to shame whereas "Doom Scrolling" is bordering the fringes of subaquatic (Dark) Ambient minimalisms, the 15+ minutes exceeding "Solder On, Milford" evokes spooky and spine-tingling memories of past supernatural experiences and therefore would be a well suitable addition to the score of any 'The Entity'-like movie, "Jack De Blues" brings out well accentuated snare and hi-hat works for fans and followers of advanced Jazz drumming before "Vone It In" rounds things off with short, heavy and abruptly ending drum inferno just to name a few. One for the experienced listener, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!