Spitfire’s Tape Percussion explores Afro-percussion through the lens of dub and free jazz
The Nok Cultural Ensemble laid down an exciting collection of percussions for the pack at Ariwa Sound studios.
Image: Spitfire Audio
Spitfire’s latest sample library takes a dive into Afro-percussion tradition, as experienced through the lens of dub methods and free jazz. Here’s what we know about Tape Percussion.
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Performed by the Nok Cultural Ensemble (NCE), the library includes five one-shot jazz kits; six one-shot African percussion presets; eight Caribbean and dub-inspired drum loops; 69 atmospheric scenes, and 13 tonal warped presets.
Here’s the breakdown of the sounds on offer…
Full Kits: Accurately captured drum hits from five distinct acoustic and electronic kits
Kit Loops: Tempo-synced drum loops, in the style of Caribbean and dub, fanned out across the keyboard
Percussion: A variety of African and Caribbean percussion instruments
Atmosphere: An experimental mix-up of kits and percussions, performed live and edited to loops
Tonal Warps: Melodic and abstract, these warped and distorted hits and loops demonstrate the NCE’s “vision for a melodic, rhythmic future”.
Tape Percussion also offers five controls to adjust and finish your sound, including a slider to introduce a Processed Signal with live effects from Ariwa Studios.
There’s also a reverb control with seven impulse responses ranging from short rooms and studios to large churches and halls. Attack and Release controls let you fine-tune samples to their desired lengths and a Tape Saturation knob lets you add more analogue character to sounds.
The NCE is a collective led by Edward Wakili-Hick and comprises some of the brightest percussionists in London’s eclectic jazz and beat scenes. The ensemble itself has roots in Nigeria, Mauritius, St Kitts & Nevis, UK and Ireland, and their sound is an exploration of their experiences growing up in the African/Caribbean diaspora of the UK.
Tape Percussions is NKS-ready, but can be operated independently through Spitfire’s own plug-in interface.
Stay tuned for demos and information on pricing and availability.
Learn more at spitfireaudio.com
