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Music

Drums of Death Heralds an Era of Thinking Fan’s House Music

The UK producer’s new tune, “Calloutchaname,” flies in the face of your favorite deep house memes.

Drums of Death, the alias of Scottish-born producer Colin Bailey, has been somewhat of a well-kept secret. Though he has produced a track that Azealia Banks went on to sing on ("Fierce") and collab'd with erstwhile Gorgon City guest vocalist Yasmin ("True"), he has largely been a producer for those rightly obsessed with UK label Black Butter and other savvy heads in the know.

"Calloutchaname," the producer's newest, keeps the fluid and deep dancefloor vibes steady while infusing what is best described as a pensive countermelody. Recorded mere weeks ago around Christmas, the tune perhaps heralds a new era of thinking fan's house, what with the impressive restraint in the bassline and strategic crescendos.

"I don't worry about where my music sits in the musical landscape, whatever that is," says Bailey. "I just make my music. Sometimes that means huge tunes with big vocals, and other times it means going deeper, like this track here.

Taking his name from the DJ Shadow-produced tune of the same name from UNKLE's 1998 album Psyence Fiction ("it sounded cool," he explains), Drums of Death wears his credibility in his name. But it also comes across in "Calloutchaname." The record is friendly enough to the kids and newcomers but stocked with plenty of winks and nods for those who fondly recall less-celebrated moments of the recent past, like the mid-00s German house sound.

The deep house memes, debates and anguish are boring. So are artists who try to cater to the conversation. "Calloutchaname" and the future of Drums of Death is a refreshing reminder of how exciting quality house music can be, regardless of genre labels.

Drums of Death is on SoundCloud // Twitter // YouTube