Specifications: A4 modified size
Cover Program
Chosen by 100 professional drummers
"The Japanese drummer you want to see live the most right now" / "The best Japanese band"
Drummer's Drummer
In this first issue of the renewed Dramaga magazine, we conducted a large-scale survey of 100 professional drummers, from band members who are in high demand at large festivals to session musicians who are active in a wide range of venues! Now that it is difficult to hold live concerts that attract large audiences, we asked them to pick out the Japanese drummers they most want to see live and the domestic bands they think have the best performance skills. In addition, the drummer whose name was mentioned the most this time (and who will be on the cover!) has also left a commemorative comment. We hope that they will overcome their difficulties and that we will be able to experience their live performances again in the future!
■Featured Drummer
A special feature on Roger, the slowest in the world (?)!
Roger Taylor [Queen]
The movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which focuses on Freddie Mercury and depicts the trajectory of Queen, was a mega-hit, and Queen's timeless songs and sound were once again brought into the spotlight. In January and February of this year, the band performed in Japan, and it is still fresh in our memory that they led the long-awaited Japanese fans to a frenzy. From the release of the movie in 2018 to the present, various media have featured Queen, but this magazine has decided to feature Roger Taylor, the mainstay of the band who continues to renew the Queen legend! This is probably the latest feature in the world, but we will thoroughly examine Roger's charm as a drummer from various angles, including a long interview with him on the 40th anniversary, a commentary on his drumming, and top professionals from Japan and abroad talk about his greatness!
■ Special DL card link
Magazine Drum Contest 2020 Competitive Pieces Announced!
BACK TO THE FUSION
feat. Hiraku & Chisato Kawaguchi
The DLC appendix includes a special demo performance by the final judges, Taira and Kawaguchi!
Due to the global spread of the new coronavirus, many players have had fewer opportunities to play the drums due to the cancellation of successive music events and self-restraint lifestyles. In order to blow away the negative atmosphere and frustration that permeates the world, we will be holding our annual magazine drum contest again this year! This is the first contest since the renewal, and we will go back to the "origins" and have participants compete on playability = performance ability with fusion-themed instrumental assignment songs. The final judges will be Hiraku and Kawaguchi Chisato, who are currently active as professionals and are prizewinners of this contest. The DL card included in the appendix contains a special demo performance by the two! Please use your energy and technique to overturn the adversity of the coronavirus to the fullest with your own drumming. We look forward to receiving many applications!
■ Emergency special project DL card link
In the COVID-19 era
How does a drummer survive?
feat. Takashi Kashiwakura [toe, the HIATUS], Masanao Matsushita [Yasei Collective, GFJB], BOBO
The DLC includes at-home drum exercises taught by Shane Glass, Masahiko Osaka, Masanao Matsushita, and Kozo Suganuma!
The new coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged at the end of 2019 and spread around the world in an instant, causing a pandemic that could be called a nightmare. Its impact has also spread to the drumming world, with performances and drum lessons being suspended, and even now that the state of emergency has been lifted and the impact has subsided, social distancing is still required as a new lifestyle, and the situation remains difficult. For the time being, we will be living with the coronavirus, but in order to survive these difficult times, drummers have also started new activities. This article mainly features interviews with drummers who have actually started to take action, and introduces tutorials on online lessons that will likely become mainstream in the future, and at-home exercises by professional drummers (linked to the appendix download card). This is an article that you should read now.
■ Close up!?
PEARL e/MERGE
Pearl, which has been making acoustic drums at the forefront of the drum scene for a long time, has teamed up with KORG to complete the e/MERGE electronic drums. The module, which is the heart of the device, is equipped with the sounds of the company's flagship models and other carefully selected models. The sensor is structured using the mechanism of the WAVEDRUM, achieving a wide range of expression and quick response. In addition, it uses pads with a realistic feel and size, and the specifications, including the robust hardware, are different from conventional electronic drums. In this close up!, we will thoroughly dissect the whole picture of the e/MERGE, an electronic drum made by a drum manufacturer, which will be released in Japan this summer.
■ Close up!?
Roland V-Drums come to life
The ideal "home drum setup" feat. VAD506
With people around the world being urged to "STAY HOME," enjoying playing drums at home has been getting more attention than ever before. Electronic drums play a major role in this. In this feature, we will focus on Roland V-Drums, which are used widely from daily practice to the creative expression activities of professional drummers, and introduce various examples of how to use them. We will explore the various ways to enjoy playing drums at home, and with V-Drums, that are only possible because you are at home!
■ People and Instruments / 60th Anniversary Special DL Card Link
Kawamura "Kasuke" Tomoyasu
A popular serial project that delves into the passion of drummers for their equipment is People and Instruments. After a hiatus following the special edition in 2011, this project is now making a full comeback as the magazine becomes a quarterly publication! The first instalment of this memorable comeback features Kawamura "Kaasuke" Tomoyasu, a virtuoso who turned 60 in May. We look back at the evolution of the equipment used by this drummer who has supported Japanese "songs," and take a look at his many beloved instruments! To commemorate his 60th birthday, the July 2012 issue featured a CD with Kaasuke's first solo cover, and the rhythm track he played on drums and bass can be downloaded from the DLC included in the issue!
■ Memorial Special
Afrobeat founder passes away
Tony Allen
Tony Allen is a drummer who created Afrobeat with Fela Kuti, an African liberation activist and great contributor to African music. His unique, dynamic beats have captivated people, and even now, half a century after its creation, he continues to influence drummers around the world. In recent years, he was constantly working on fresh and surprising projects, such as working with Blur's Damon Albarn and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea in the band Rocket Juice and the Moon, and collaborating with techno heavyweight Jeff Mills, but he passed away on April 30, 2020. Tony Allen was the founder of Afrobeat and also worked hard to spread it around the world as an evangelist. As we mourn his death, we would like to pay tribute to his achievements and look back on his great work.
■Interview
Nate Smith
Annika Nils
GODRi [SiM]
■Series《New》
A new series taking a closer look at the legends who created Japan's studio scene!
"Studio Great" Vol.1 Hideo Yamaki
■Serialization
DM Debut
Ryosuke Fujita [Co shu Nie]
Jackson [Ryu Matsuyama]
RIKU [ACE COLLECTION]
Takuya Mori [PEDRO]
■Serialized column linked to the web《New》
Change your drumming life with apps
Gadgets for Drummers
■Serial seminar linked to the web《New》
Ultimate Drum Technique?
■Serial Seminar《New》
Let's think about your drum problems together!
BOBO Online
■ NEW PRODUCTS Web Link
YAMAHA Stage Custom Hip Drum Kit
YAMAHA Steve Gadd Signature Snare Drum
TAMA Superstar Classic NEO-MOD Drum Kit
TAMA Club-JAM Flyer Drum Kit
ISTANBULMEHMET New Cymbals
-Tony Williams Tribute-/-Kirkor K Tribute-
-Black Sea 1623-/-Legend Dry-/-Bossa Ride
■Drummer's Disc Guide