Ian C
Percussionist 

Location: UK 

Summary
UNLIKE ANY PERCUSSIONIST AROUND - Ian.C is turning heads with his new approach to dance orientated percussion in clubs, at events and in studios around the world. He has coupled traditional percussion with state of the art technology, using the latest electronic equipment - Ian.C will blow you away.. 
“Ian C adds a whole new dimension to music. His touch to a tune is phenomenal.” - Roland Music
"What Ian is showcasing with his percussion is amazing, watch this guy at work and you see a true mixture of the digital age, laptoprock and good old percussion it doesnt get any better than this in 2005!" 365MAG.COM Editor Rob Szepesi.
"I’ve always found ian to be a great partner both live and in the studio. While I’m djing, I like to drop the music down and let him play, and in the studio he really brings the track alive!" - Dino Ramirez
“With his electronic percussion Ian.C adds a massive element to the party. A great guy and a talented, hard working performer. We can't wait to have him back!!” - Peppermint Club, Dubai
“It was a pleasure to work with Ian, he learned a 5 song set in less than 48 hours and delivered it perfectly and with a great vibe. He’s also a good lad to have on board. What more can I say?” 
- Martin O’Shea – Manager, Atomic Kitten

..the best in the business recommend him and he's got a killer sound - soulful, funky, filthy or banging - he has played with the best DJ's for the best dance promoters around and is now ready to take your event to the next level.. are you?

In the last year alone he has worked for many of the best names in the business - his residency @ Peppermint Club in Dubai, Love Leeds Festival, Housonic, Kinky Malinki, Hed Kandi, Tokyo Disco, Kissdafunk, Gatecrasher, Honey Club, The Show in Belfast, Hussle in Manchester, Vodka Bar in Moscow and Journeys for House legend Robert Owens @ Egg in London..

Profile
ian.c – 21st Century percussionist
ian.c is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after percussionists in dance music today. In his live percussion setup he uses state of the art technology as well as hand percussion – so what’s all the fuss about?

The traditional stereo-type of the ‘token ethnic guy’ for a percussionist is absolutely long gone. In today’s dance music scene there are all shapes, sizes and colours using all sorts of instruments and in May of 2004 I made it my mission to stand out from them all.

Having been a drummer and percussionist all my working life, last year I asked myself the question that most musicians ask themselves at some point in their career – “what the hell am I doing this for?” After a lot of soul searching I concluded that I earn a good living doing something I love, I have a nice place to live and a good lifestyle, but that wasn’t the right answer and it became clear to me that, cliché as it sounds, the reason was the music.

As a lad, I once heard rock legend Eric Clapton of all people explain that he sang in his head what he played out loud during his epic guitar solos. That really hit home to me as a percussionist and ever since then I’ve allowed myself to ‘let go’ and do just that. I happily feel my way through pieces of the music in and out of vocal patterns, melodies and rhythms.

I’ve never had a drum lesson in my life, so the way I look at it is that there is no right and no wrong way of doing things. Right across the dance genres there are only two rules, the first is that 99.99% of all tunes stick to the parameter of 32 beats to the bar, the second is the DJ, he or she is the conductor and in some respects the composer, in charge of the tempo and totally in control of the ebb and flow of the vibe.

With all this in mind, playing percussion within these parameters should have been perfect, but by May 2004 it just wasn’t. I have always used the ‘standard’ percussion kit in clubs but really was known on the circuit for using bongos and congalitas. During my sets in my head, however, I was ‘scatting’ away with all sorts of noises following the bass line here going along with the brass section there. Then it dawned on me, to return to something I’d tried years ago – electronics. 

After much research my personal conclusion was that Roland made the best kit suited to my purposes and that kit was the TD8k. The drum kit consists of a lightweight rack which I have raised to its maximum height in order to allow me to stand and play. I don’t use a kick drum (as it’s the DJ’s domain) and I use the hi- hat with no pedal for closed hat patterns. The snare drum, which is a dual trigger pad and three toms have mesh heads and not the conventional rubber ones you might expect from the less advanced (and cheaper) kits. These give a more ‘drum-like’ feel to playing permitting the same sort of stick techniques you would get from acoustic drums. As well as that there are two rubber cymbals, which are also dual triggers. All of these pads (ten sound triggers), plug into the main TD8 sound module, which via my own sub mixer (with bongos and congalitas plugged in) then plugs into the club / event sound system.

It is far superior to any analogue kit I had ever experienced, the main ‘brain’ module giving me over a thousand noises to choose from. I say noises because as well as most conceivable drum and percussion instrument sounds there are voices, guitars, stabs and hits - you name it, opening up a whole new palette for me to play with. 

To keep things tight whilst playing live, I have set up fifteen patterns of ten noises which are ‘chained’ together giving me effectively a hundred and fifty sounds to use during a gig – I can monitor them through headphones as I go if need be and I know which pad on which pattern triggers which noise, much like a DJ knows his tunes. There is a margin for error because of the sounds I use but I don’t risk anything, I can now constantly change between patterns to fit into the build ups, the breakdowns or the crescendos at the touch of a button. 

I have worked incredibly hard to get this system sounding so good. Whether it's in the super club, an underground club or major tour venue I can be totally versatile within the DJ's parameters - that is to say I'm not going to obstruct the DJ's path with kicks and brashness, but with subtlety, accompanying him or her and where ever possible try and enhance their set.

Its going to be a long while before I ask myself “what the hell am I doing this for?!” again.

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