Listen: Achingdrum - Calling

When he’s not presenting groundbreaking radio on Double J, running influential label Spirit Level or collaborating with the likes of Genesis Owusu, Mindy Meng Wang and many more, Tim Shiel can be heard crafting vibe-filled, passionate productions aimed squarely at the dancefloor as Achingdrum. 

Calling is the latest track from Achingdrum, furthering his aim of creating “lizard-brain, ‘don’t overthink it’ dance music” across a layered journey through UK Garage packing big bold bass lines, kaleidoscopic percussion, subtle use of breaks and the hypnotic, eponymous vocal sample floating throughout. 

With an EP on the way, of the latest Achingdrum works Shiel says “Late last year I took a week off, and took my laptop and some speakers out to a small cottage in a dairy town called Poowong on Gunaikurnai land in Gippsland.  It’s a really quiet part of Victoria, all green rolling hills, cows.  I was trying to take it easy after a couple of really intense years adapting to Naarm/Melbourne's constant lockdowns. 

I cooked my breakfast each morning and ate it on the deck amongst the birdcalls.  I just wanted to disconnect from everything and recenter, and I felt super grateful that I had that chance when so many people didn’t.  Maybe because the pressure was off, the music I started there felt really uncomplicated.  I worked fast, trying to disconnect from my critical faculties and let my lizard brain lead the way.  Follow my gut, don't overthink it, and let the music be.”

Achingdrum’s new EP Something To Give is out September 7 via Spirit Level

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