Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog page! I will be using these blogs as an outlet to nerd out about music in many different ways. To begin, I will be posting a series of blogs about my main drum influences. I have already covered the surface of this in my brief biography and will also have a podcast in the near future that talks about my general musical influences, so these posts will be dedicated to the many great drummers I have discovered over the years that have both inspired me and shaped my own playing. This will not be organized as a “Top 10” however; I simply hope to feature any and every drummer that has had an impact on me in no particular order. This being said, my first post will be about…
Baard Kolstad – Drummer for Leprous and Rendezvous Point
Taken from https://sabian.com/artist/baard-kolstad/I am not even sure where to begin with this one. I know I previously stated that this was in no particular order, but I really felt the need to start this series off with the drummer that has intrigued me the most over the past few years. What catches me most about Baard’s playing as a prog drummer is his natural feel. Although his parts can be extremely complex, he manages to execute them in a very absorbable fashion. He truly has a knack for writing with a song rather than for the song. Here is a fantastic example of this; a playthrough from Baard for the song “The Sky is Red” by Leprous:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj6fM2KpyOA
Upon first listen, this song is generally quite… weird. It is written in 11/4 time, and the accents from each instrument will seem random at first. As with most progressive bands, it is important to note that nothing is inherently random, and everything you hear is simply (full pun intended) a product of masterful songwriting. Most people will consider prog to be “music for musicians” with that in mind, and I cannot exactly refute that statement. However, this is what I love most about Leprous; they manage to write complicated songs that can still be understood on the surface. I could very easily continue on about how amazing the entire band is, but the focus of this post will be on Baard specifically.
The groove Baard chose for this song in particular is very complex, consisting of some rudimental sticking and seemingly displaced accents. All of this is totally calculated and precise however, as he does this entirely to fit the writing of the guitar. His real mastery lies in his ability to deviate from such a complicated beat with slight improvisations and embellishments to add some further elements to the song.
Baard also gets a lot of critique on his grip. It is very loose, and his fulcrum point lies between the middle finger and thumb rather than using his index finger. I have heard him say in interviews that he prefers the loose feel that this grip provides him and that it also delivers a slightly different sound from the drums than a normal grip would. I simply consider this a sign of Baard understanding his craft at a very high level. I feel that the grip gives him a very signature and unique style that you will not see in anyone else. As I always say, “whatever works best for you.”
The other part of this song I would like to point out is the outro. It begins at 6:40 and lasts for four whole minutes. That’s right; this repeated cello hook keeps going for four minutes, as each member of the band slowly adds different elements to the song to increase the build up. Baard truly shows his maturity as a drummer here as he plays very simple parts that highlight the accents of the cello hook and nothing more. The sheer intensity he manages to deliver in such a simplistic way is absolutely brilliant. I have listened to many prog bands with very complex pieces that are mostly interesting, but Baard and Leprous have a way of showing that in many cases, less can be much more. In contrast to “The Sky is Red,” Leprous’ most recent single “Castaway Angels” really emphasizes this point. Baard’s part on this track is very simple despite his ability to play very complex parts, but he shows far more concern with fitting the somber feel of the song.
In conclusion, Baard is a reminder to me that complexity is a tool that cannot just be used lightly. Many drummers are capable of executing a part that is hard to understand from a technical perspective, but few are able to implement them in a way that properly complements the song. To reiterate a point I made earlier, it is far more important to write with a song rather than for a song. As I continue to write my own parts for 1.O.M, I keep this point in mind more than any other.
To end this post off, I will leave you with a video of me playing through one of Baard’s most underrated pieces known as “Moon” on the game Rock Band 3. The nice aspect of this video is that you get a visual of what his playing looks like with a transcription. If you made it this far, thank you for your time! I hope you enjoy this series of me praising my influences.
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