Send us Fan Mail

Video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1ZIAFhEvc

For over fifty years, Peter Erskine has sounded like no one but himself, whether he's driving a big band, anchoring Weather Report, or whispering through a jazz trio. This is the story of how he did it: a career-long devotion to one deceptively simple idea, playing for the music. We trace his journey from a New Jersey kid with a compass made of his father's cymbal, through the fusion gods, to a philosophy built on the producer's ear, the open spaces, and the power of quiet.

0:00 The art of playing for the music
0:45 New Jersey to Indiana: a compass of sorts
1:58 Kenton and Ferguson: trial by fire
2:40 Weather Report, Jaco, and the live tapes
5:15 Playing for the microphones, not the room
7:25 The power in the quiet
9:45 Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, and the ECM trio
11:20 A musician's teacher

👉 Join Drum Dog for lesson packs from world-class drummers, live events and the community: https://drum.dog

#petererskine #weatherreport #drumdog

Support the channel: https://ko-fi.com/offbeat

For any enquiries: offbeatmusicchannel@gmail.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

We sat down with Fuyu Murata, calling in from Tokyo, for a conversation that runs from a jazz-soaked New York childhood to one of the most distinctive drum channels on YouTube. He talks about growing up around Jimmy Smith, Ron Carter and Grady Tate, turning down a full Berklee scholarship to stay with his band, and the one-take videos where he plays songs he has never heard with no hints. We also get into his new Jam Joint live album with Tokyo's top young players, drumming gloves, rudiments, and why he treats himself like a half athlete. If you have ever wondered how a session drummer reads a song on the fly, this one is for you.

00:00 - Meet Fuyu, Calling In From Tokyo
01:22 - The New Jam Joint Live Album
04:58 - Growing Up Around Jazz Legends
10:35 - Starting On Drums, And The Berklee Question
12:38 - The One-Take Video Series
16:37 - Sharing A Stage With Spitz's Drummer
21:15 - Japanese Music Going Global
22:53 - Anime And A Football Dream
24:45 - The Truth About Drumming Gloves
27:18 - Drilling The Rudiments
28:35 - Europe Tour And New Bands
31:25 - Staying Healthy As A Half Athlete

Follow Fuyu:
📷 Instagram: @fuyumusic
▶️ YouTube: @fuyudrumchannel

👉 Check out Drum Dog for more lessons from world-class drummers: https://drum.dog

#fuyu #sessiondrummer #drumdog

🥁 Drum Dog is a membership built for drummers — gear discounts, members-only flash offers, artist sessions and interviews, prize draws, event and ticket perks (including free Drum Show tickets), and full access to the lesson library.

Want to try it? 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join

🎧 Listen to the Drum Dog Podcast wherever you get your podcasts:

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2s8IAlRWNnu3SGOZo0BxTW
Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drum-dog-podcast/id1806605706
Amazon → https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b859c830-c051-46c6-a094-cc9b92973e4a/drum-dog-podcast

🔔 Subscribe for interviews, lessons, gear and performances from world-class drummers.

Follow us:
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drumdoguk/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/drumdoguk
TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@drumdoguk

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

A Guardian music journalist realised Spotify had quietly smoothed the hard edges off his own taste, so he quit. This week I'm joined by my oldest friend, journalist Jochan Embley, to dig into algorithms, streaming payouts, why he swapped Spotify for Apple Music, and how to actually rediscover the thrill of finding new music.

00:00 - Intro & meet Jochan Embley
01:13 - The Guardian article: how Spotify flattened his taste
03:43 - Leaving Spotify for Apple Music
05:48 - Streaming payouts & the raw deal for artists
10:11 - How to actually discover new music again (radio, record shops, gigs)
14:55 - Taste, holidays & the "sifting for gold" mindset
19:03 - Why music discovery is a hobby (and why hearing what you hate matters)
21:14 - Outro, book rec & fanmail

Referenced in this episode:
→ Jochan's Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/06/spotify-wrapped-streaming-algorithm-music
→ Mood Machine by Liz Pelly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mood-Machine-Spotify-Perfect-Playlist-ebook/dp/B0CYQ2XCXG

Got a drummer you want spotlighted, gear you reckon I should check out, or an album that's been on your heavy rotation? Drop me a message:

📩 Spotify fanmail (built into the app)
📷 Instagram: @drumdoguk
✉️ dan@drum.dog

New episodes every Tuesday. Hit follow so you don't miss out on any drum chat!

About Drum Dog:
Drum Dog is the UK membership platform for drummers, combining world-class lesson packs, live events, gear discounts, and an ad-free community. Join at drum.dog.

#TheBackBeat #DrumDog #Drumming #Drummers #DrumPodcast #Spotify #AppleMusic #MusicDiscovery #JochanEmbley #TheGuardian #MoodMachine #DrumCommunity

🥁 Drum Dog is a membership built for drummers — gear discounts, members-only flash offers, artist sessions and interviews, prize draws, event and ticket perks (including free Drum Show tickets), and full access to the lesson library.

Want to try it? 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join

🎧 Listen to the Drum Dog Podcast wherever you get your podcasts:

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2s8IAlRWNnu3SGOZo0BxTW
Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drum-dog-podcast/id1806605706
Amazon → https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b859c830-c051-46c6-a094-cc9b92973e4a/drum-dog-podcast

🔔 Subscribe for interviews, lessons, gear and performances from world-class drummers.

Follow us:
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drumdoguk/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/drumdoguk
TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@drumdoguk

Support the show