Ayo Salawu Drums

As the drummer for Kokoroko, Oscar Jerome and Julia Biel, Ayo Salawu describes his drumming style as a fusion of the various genres he was exposed to from growing up and performing in so many different parts of the world. From playing along to gospel music on pots and pans, then moving to Nigeria and being exposed to genres such as afrobeat and reggae, and finally moving to the uk and coming across genres such as hiphop, funk and jazz. He especially takes influence from bands/artists such as Earth Wind and Fire, Kool and The Gang, and Michael Jackson.
Recorded at the world-renowned Livingston Studios, the pack attempts to capture what Ayo considers his signature playing style, and includes performances in the worlds of jungle, hip-hop, funk and afrobeat. In terms of recording ethos we tried to capture a dry and true-to-life drum sound whilst blending in a variety of parallel effects sends, as well as ambient and crush mics to shape the sound to suit the different performance styles.