Talent Crush: Richard Spaven
Richard Spaven has supplied the drums for many artists both on stage and in the recording studio, including Flying Lotus, The Cinematic Orchestra, José James, Gregory Porter, and Jordan Rakei, all the while combining machine-like accuracy with jazz-influenced improvisational sensibilities. Typically, musicians practice with metronomes to improve their timing, especially the ability to stick to a regular tempo, but Richard seems to have this feature embedded in him by default. Aforementioned José James, one of the most exciting soul acts on the scene right now, once said that Richard Spaven is the point where jazz meets the world. Today, it might look like the world still needs to meet Richard Spaven and get a proper introduction, but I have a solid feeling that it will not be the case in the future. We talked about his creative process, microtiming, and the fertile soil of the UK music scene.
KELLY KORZUN: What was it about drums that initially caught your attention?
RICHARD SPAVEN: It all happened quite naturally. As a kid, I had the pots and pans out (and wooden spoons for sticks) on such a regular basis that my dad bought me a little snare drum, followed by a hi-hat as a Christmas present, and then my first kit. It was all rusty and none of it matched, but I still loved it. In my early ears, I was very much drawn to anything with drums, and then being taken to a Buddy Rich concert at the age of seven sealed the deal. Consequently, I started taking lessons with a Big Band drummer and playing with Jazz Orchestras. Diving into various disciplines from technique to reading, combined with the requirement to hit hard and drive the band, would serve me well when taking things in other musical directions later in my career.
KK: One of my first recollections of acid jazz and D&B is G:MT, a 1999 British drama film that featured music by Talvin Singh, Hinda Hicks and Imogen Heap, not to mention amazing solos by jazz trumpeter Lester Bowie – that soundtrack was absolutely giving me life in early 2000s. Do you remember your first introduction to D&B?
RS: I do... and I remember being moved by this music many times since. It was a night out at the South London club Lazerdrome, and my friends were there for the hard house in the main room, which wasn't really it for me, so I wandered into the smaller room and just couldn't compute what I was hearing. It was pure jungle on a big sound system, and it completely blew me away as I couldn’t compare it to anything I’ve heard before. Looking back, it sounded like some early Ray Keith or Kenny Ken. Eventually, my friends got tired of their hard house and they literally had to drag me out of there. Soon after, the Metalheadz Sunday Sessions became my go-to place to experience some of the most inspiring music. The environment was electric, with fresh dub plates being unveiled, that Eskimo Noise sound system, and a discerning crowd.
KK: What part did mentorship play in your progression as a drummer? Was there a person constantly checking if you were rushing or dragging, or was it more of an organic process?
RS: Definitely the latter. Apart from having sessions early on in my career gave me a good foundation for technique, I've been self-taught all the way. To be honest, I think that the lack of formal education worked well in the creation of my own style. Absorbing so much music from the London scene has been a crucial inspiration and a steep learning curve for me, as well as exploring multiple playing scenarios while collaborating with music bands.
KK: Drumming requires incredible discipline and coordination, along with spot-on timing and immense precision. Questlove once mentioned that he used to be a very disciplined drummer prior to his performance with The Roots at the Soul Train Awards when he desperately wanted to grab D’Angelo’s attention, so he knew that in order to achieve that, he had to play off-beat and basically throw all of his formal training away. When it comes to your affection for irregular patterns and break displacement, what’s your approach when it comes to balancing out precision and improvisation?
RS: It’s all about micro-timing, and as the name suggests, you have to be very precise. Combining this with playing free is very liberating, but as you blur the lines, accuracy isn't dispensed with. For example, the Dilla-style swing doesn’t have an exact mathematical subdivision for you to focus on – the feel is key, yet consistency and precision is still required in order to maintain it.
KK: Throughout your career, you’ve collaborated with many amazing artists, including two of my all-time favorites, Gregory Porter and Jordan Rakei. Based on my personal observation, they represent two polar energies when it comes to live performances, and while Gregory deeply connects with the audience, Jordan, on the contrary, is all about tapping into his inner self. When I was at his show in Paris in April, I could literally feel that vacuum around him, but it was obvious that this is just the way he operates. When you’re about to go on stage, is there a recipe for getting in the zone? Energy-wise, what are the most memorable gigs that come to mind?
RS: Being in the zone is amazing, but it’s not something you can easily achieve or predict. However, to increase its probability, I try to stay away from potential distractions, especially from sorting out guest list or the merchandise table. When it comes to playing with my band, we’d be backstage immersing ourselves in music before we walk out – it’s always nice to get into a good headspace with the people you’ll be sharing stage with. There was a trio show we did in Helsinki, which was extremely powerful because we were all in the zone and channelling (listening and playing) at the same time – that's how the track Helsinki Trio came about. As far as other memorable gigs go, I’d say recent Alfa Mist US tour, and there’s plenty of memorable ones with José James' band, especially one particularly heightened night at New Morning nightclub in Paris with his Coltrane project.
KK: Tom Ford once said, “One of my favorite things as a filmmaker is writing the screenplay because it’s all in your head, and at that moment in time, it’s perfect.” When you put on your producer hat, do you tend to mentally orchestrate everything in advance, or do you take a fairly loose approach? To what extent your perspective as a producer is affecting your creative process?
RS: I can absolutely relate. A huge part of improving at both composing and producing music is a better realization of ideas when transferring them to a record as you hear them. Harmonically and sonically, I do like to get tune down as I hear it, but I also like allowing the process to vary. Sometimes, I’ll obsess over details and do 50 drum takes until it’s perfect in the tracks like The Self (feat. Jordan Rakei), while the tracks like Celestial Blues (fear. Jordan Rakei & Jameszoo) or Control are more about capturing the moment.
KK: Whenever I revisit Bobby McFerrin’s Spontaneous Inventions (1987) and see how masterfully he entertained the audience by just vocalizing, beatboxing and playing with the rhythm, I think about how amazing it would have been to see more one-man shows like this one, and I had a similar feeling when I saw your one-shot promo videos for Meinl Cymbals. Out of curiosity, have you ever thought about putting together a live solo act?
RS: Yes, I have considered it. In fact, it happened in Russia back in 2018, but this doesn't really count because my band didn't make it due to visa issues. A D&B sound system from behind the drums would be an idea. The shows I play at drum clinics and festivals are all solo performances, but presenting a solo act is quite a transition for a sideman drummer, so getting into the zone (as mentioned above) can be extremely rewarding.
KK: Sometimes the most interesting sound gets generated by building in unexpected references and listening to music outside your genre. Andre3000 wouldn’t have done Bombs Over Baghdad if it wasn’t for Rage Against The Machine and the feeling of urgency in their music that he tried to recreate in that track. Another great example would be Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails leveraging irregular patterns to create the effect of discortion, or RHCP incorporating funk elements in their music, which ultimately made them stand out from the rest of rock bands back in the day. What music references or crossovers do you find the most exciting at the moment?
RS: As a drummer writing and producing electronic genre influenced music, there’s still a long way for me to go. The options appear endless, and I find applying the mind and ideas of a drummer to my dubstep / D&B / broken beat influences very inspiring. I've never differentiated too much when listening to live drums or programmed drums, but transferring a programmed beat to a real kit can really push you as a player, which is what I did when recording Spin (feat. Jordan Rakei) since footwork patterns I was inspired by is quite a handful of a beat to play. I wasn't trying to copy footwork, but the influence combined with the process of playing it on kit has definitely created a special sound.
KK: Back in the day, there were many discussions about the impact of British music, including the British Invasion and the Britpop Phenomenon. As someone who is familiar with both worlds, what do you think is the main difference between the British scene and the US scene?
RS: Good question, but summarizing the answer might be tricky. Something I find remarkable about the UK scene is the openness shown to new genres. New genre names are being created constantly – you'll have people combining post garage with halftime and making ever-evolving interesting music, so I definitely think there is more crossover within the UK scene. The US consistently produces phenomenal musicians who are reaching and pushing the boundaries of their instruments, with such a deep-rooted authenticity in jazz and hip-hop.
KK: When I look at Travis Barker and his career journey followed by an epic comeback with Machine Gun Kelly, it becomes obvious to me that, in very rare cases, you CAN have it all. To think that I was listening to Blink-182 twenty-odd years ago as a teen, and, with this huge pop-punk revival happening right now, he’s still relevant to zoomers and even Alpha-kids is absolutely mindblowing. What does longevity and staying relevant as a musician mean to you? What are you most looking forward to in the future?
RS: Interesting. Longevity as a musician isn't something I think about, but I think it's guided by staying into fresh music. That doesn't mean you have to be into everything, but for me it means at least listening to radio and checking out new music. The current D&B / Jungle resurgence with artists and DJs like Tim Reaper and Dwarde looks really refreshing. As a drummer, I still have an appetite to elevate my craft, so staying fresh on the instrument is also a priority. There's always new stuff to explore, and I truly believe that stretching out into new territory can be a mind-blowing and accomplishing feeling. Apart from currently working on a new record, I've just done a project with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which was MD'd by arranger and composer Jules Buckley, and he specified that the drums should be right in the middle of the orchestra – playing from this position was an amazing and exhilarating experience, and I'm definitely looking forward to more experiences like that. Working in music constantly puts you in crazy scenarios, and I love the randomness and variety of life. The ideas and inspiration keep on coming, and I still have an insatiable appetite for just making music.
