Gabrielle Watson has been refining her craft as A Hundred Drums for nearly seven years to this day. Her debut album, a self-titled record released through Gravitas Recordings, offers a full clip of weighty tracks that will test the capabilities of any proper sound system. Each of the seven tunes (including two remixes) offer a tasteful vantage point of Gabrielle’s signature craft and provide heavy ammunition to all International Dubmen looking to fatten their space crates.

The first track functions as a bit of a palette softener. Smooth, rhythmic drums accompany chest-thumping bass melodies en route to a groove that shakes the earth—as represented by its title, “Shakti Sound”. The word ‘Shakti’ means ‘power’ in Sanskrit, and in Hindu tradition represents a divine-feminine, universally connecting force that cannot be seen, but can be felt. The tune features samples of a recording from group chanting exercises at the Shakti Sound Retreat, a women’s music production retreat that focuses on empowering women in the music industry through an intimate, spiritually-charged learning environment. The tune also gives a peek into Gabrielle’s diverse musical background, featuring dreamy flute samples performed and recorded by her own hand. It’s a choice track to lead with, and serves as a sturdy gateway to the more experimental compositions across the rest of the album..

Leon Switch’s remix of “Lord of Tings” deserves particular attention; the original is featured on AHD’s debut EP, “Audio Runes”, via Heavy Traffic Recordings in 2018. The tune’s new twist offers an equally dense peek at the darker side of A Hundred Drums’ vision, reverberating with a dark, minimal rhythm. The pocketed percussion and low end undulations create an ideal platform for Jayne Gray’s vocal work, forging a heavy-handed duet of voice and bass.

A Hundred Drums sails toward the year ahead on the ongoing momentum of a staunchly successful 2019. She was formally welcomed into the fold of the venerable Sub.mission label, and found herself rocking the stage at Infrasound, Sonic Bloom, Coachella, and The Black Box, to name just a few. The future is bright for Gabrielle and her A Hundred Drums project, and 2020 is sure to see a continuity in her musical evolution..

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