Dennis Leeflang

This blog has moved

2010-04-28T10:21:00.001-04:00

This blog is now located at http://news.dennisleeflang.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://news.dennisleeflang.com/feeds/posts/default.

April 2010 update

2010-04-16T16:48:00.006-04:00

Wow, been a while again… Lots of stuff cookin’.

I’ve been working hard on drum tracks for the upcoming I.N.C. (Indestructible Noise Command) album, which I am also producing. INC is a legendary East Coast thrash metal band from the 80’s/90’s who toured with bands such as Megadeth and Testament, but disbanded in the 90’s. While currently living in Greece, the band’s guitarist, Erik Barath, has been writing some killer new material. I’m very excited about this project. The album should be out some time late this year. Expect some old-school thrash, as well as more modern metal influences (think Stapping Young Lad, Fear Factory). A huge challenge for me, drumming-wise! Seriously heavy stuff.

I recently moved into a new studio with more space. My previous studio worked well but was pretty tight. The new place still isn’t huge, but it’s a nice size drum room and the drums sound killer in it. I’m still working on fixing it up a little bit, but the drums are set up and I’m recording and teaching there every day. I’ll post some pics soon! In the meanwhile, friend-request me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter to receive daily updates and occasional mobile pictures from the studio or wherever I may be hanging out.

At the new studio, I’ve been recording drums for several other great bands, projects and artists, including a great Australia-based project called The Feckers, and a yet unnamed prog-metal band from Brooklyn. I have not done any prog-metal since 2003, so this is an interesting challenge. Especially since my setup has changed dramatically over the years. I've been turning down prog-metal projects in recent years because I was much more drawn towards other genres. But it's a welcome change right now.
Next to recording, I’ve also been doing a lot of mixing work. I just finished up mixing an album by a Nine Inch Nails-ish band from Brooklyn called Neurochord. I’m all over the map… Singer-songwriter, pop, alternative, metal… I love it all!

Just for fun, me and my old buddy singer Sean Austin recently decided to form a Pearl Jam tribute band. Nothing too serious, but a ton of fun. We've been having a blast recreating some classic PJ songs at my studio, including trying to recreate the production and sounds as much as possible. I've always liked Pearl Jam, especially their 1993 "Vs" album, and drummer Dave Abbruzzese's playing on that album. It's been so much fun recreating his playing and sounds.

Things are quiet (touring-wise) with Lita Ford for now. We’re doing the Dakota RockFest in Sioux Falls in July (co-headlining with Poison's Bret Michaels) and hopefully some more shows later in the year. Lita, husband Jim Gillette and their two sons Rocco and James are working hard on a reality TV show, which should be launching some time this year as well. I’ll be hanging with the family tomorrow at the Chiller Theatre Expo in New Jersey. If you're around, come hang! Alice Cooper will be hanging and signing all weekend as well.

It might sound as if I would never have time for a personal life, but... I do! I am extremely lucky to be getting married to my soul mate and the most beautiful girl in the world. June 12th is the big day. Yep! 8 weeks away! I'm totally psyched. Be sure to look for stories and pictures on Facebook and Twitter!

I think that's all for now... I apologize for the still unfinished website. I just don't have the time! Album infos still need to be added to the discography page, I have tons of pictures that need to be added, a new bio... Any web gurus out there interested in helping out? :)

d.

Jim Chapin Memorial Teacher Scholarship

2010-02-12T14:46:00.004-05:00

Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time: 7 PM
Place: Hard Rock Cafe, 1501 Broadway, New York City

On February 17, Dom Famularo, the Chapin family, and some of the biggest names in the music industry will launch the Jim Chapin Memorial Teacher Scholarship at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. The event, which celebrates the legacy of one of drumming’s most influential legends, will feature Famularo as MC and will include performances by some of today’s leading drummers, along with music by members of the Chapin family (Tom, Jen, Steve, Abigail, Lily, and David).

Jim Chapin, who passed away on July 4, 2009, just shy of his ninetieth birthday, was known as the Father Of Independence, due in a large part to his revolutionary 1948 instructional book, Advanced Techniques For The Modern Drummer, Vol. I. In 1994, Chapin received two honors for his contributions to music and education: the American Eagle Award, presented by the National Music Council in Washington, D.C., and a lifetime achievement award from Berklee College Of Music in Boston. In 1995, he was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall Of Fame.

The Jim Chapin Memorial Teacher Scholarship will be given annually beginning in 2010 and is open to instructors who want to improve their teaching programs. Details on how to apply will be announced soon.

The Percussive Arts Society (PAS) will maintain the Jim Chapin Memorial Teacher Scholarship. Contributions can be made at the February 17 event and at any other time by check payable to PAS/Jim Chapin Scholarship or online.

Mail checks to:
Percussive Arts Society
110 W. Washington St., Suite A
Indianapolis, IN 46204 USA
Tel: (317) 974-4488
Fax: (317) 974-4499
Email: percarts@pas.org
To donate online, go to:
http://members.pas.org/fundraising.aspx
Select “23. Jim Chapin Teacher Scholarship” from the pull-down menu.

Tiffany Giardina & website updates

2010-02-08T09:30:00.018-05:00

'Ello there!

I recently discovered that an album for which I recorded drum tracks in 2007 was released last year and I had totally missed it. Tiffany Giardina is a new teen-pop sensation signed to Disney and has appeared on several Disney soundtracks. I recorded drums for four songs on her debut album "No Average Angel". Samples can be found on the discography page for this album .
The album was produced by PJ Bianco, with who I had previously worked on several tracks for Sean Austin. Around the same time we were working on the Tiffany album, PJ was working on the Jonas Brothers' debut album. That one went pretty well for him! Anyway, Tiffany's album came out great as well. Fun stuff!

You've probably noticed some changes in the design of this website. It's still a work in progress, but an overhaul was long overdue. Everything should be finished within the next couple of weeks. Comments and suggestions are always welcome!
Also, there is now a new mailing list engine which enables you to indicate your country of residence. This way you will only receive mailings that are relevant for you (for example, only people who live in New York and surrounding areas will be receiving mailings about local New York shows). If you are already subscribed and would like to edit your preferences, click this link.

Cheerio,

d.

Reviewing 2009

2010-01-05T09:15:00.006-05:00

Right off the bat... 2009 was the best year of my life. There's no doubt about it.
For personal reasons as well as for my drumming career.

2009 started off fairly slow with several pending gigs, the usual teaching and recordings but no major recording or touring plans or exciting trips booked...
But everything turned around in May. First I got a call from a good friend, asking me to join a new band. Even though the band broke up before releasing any material, I spent a good part of the summer jamming, writing and recording with the guys, and I had a blast. The last time I had been involved in an original project in which I was completely involved in the songwriting, and songs were born out of jamming, was The Saturnine (2003-2004). It opened up my eyes and my playing. I felt like I found that last little piece of my own musical identity. I hope we'll be able to release the material one day.
Then came the call from Lita Ford. A day and a half to learn a whole set, and then running all over Europe and the US for 3 months. It was a dream come true. A dream of which I had gotten a taste many times before... I have toured many times, but always driving around in vans, sleeping at motels or people's houses, and playing clubs. Rarely ever e real crew, apart from maybe a tour manager and one backline guy. The other taste I had gotten several times before was the odd big open air festival with my previous bands and Bumblefoot. But this time it was the whole package. Huge festivals (smallest crowd of 5000, biggest somewhere in the 30,000 region). Nice hotels, professional crew and management, amazing fans. And... GOOD GEAR. When you're a headlining band and you get to set up, sound check and tweak everything and no one touches your gear for the rest of the day... that makes a difference. And so does a professional crew who double as a group of great friends on the road. When a hihat stand is broken, "I'll get you a new one right away" also makes a drummer much happier than "That sucks. We don't have another one". Not to mention eating decent food every day (and some ridiculously awesome food as well... Greece!). Traditionally, you eat crap (fast) food on the road, which makes it hard to stay fit and focused. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience. I am extremely thankful to have gotten this chance and can not wait to do it again.

Back home, I have done some awesome recording projects in the past year as well. Several records for which I recorded drum tracks at my own studio in 2008 were released in 2009, and I'm very proud of them. 2009 also marked the completion of my first full production. I produced a 7-song album with my good friend and amazing singer Ariana Shore. We started working on the album in January 2009, and completed the mix in December. I'm extremely proud of the album and all the people that played on it. We're hoping to release it in the spring.

2009 was also a very special year for me on a personal level. I met the girl of my dreams in 2008, but it wasn't until the summer of 2009 that we both realized we should be together. Jen and I found a beautiful apartment in Queens later in the year and we've been living there happily since. A huge upgrade from my previous dorm-style room! I'm having a blast cooking and baking with Jen every day (my second passion!), and sharing my love for music with her. Life with her is so much more beautiful.
The year ended with a visit to Holland where Jen and I spent the Holidays with my family. My little nephew and niece are the most adorable kids I have ever known, and they bring me so much joy. It was a magical week, and the cherry on the cake of 2009.

2010 promises to be even better, and I have never been more excited.
See you at NAMM!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

d.

Slagwerkkrant Poll 2009

2009-12-23T18:08:00.003-05:00

At Philly airport, on my way to spend the Holidays with my family in Holland... Eating cheese steak with my beautiful lady and actually completely accepting the concept of doing nothing other than relax for an entire week!

Reflecting back on 2009, I realize that I totally forgot to mention... The readers of Dutch drummers' magazine Slagwerkkrant once again voted me #2 Hard Rock/Metal drummer of the Benelux this year. THANK YOU! I appreciate this so much!

A more in-depth look back into the past year next week...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

InAshton free album download

2009-12-16T14:19:00.005-05:00

Last summer I recorded the drums for the debut album of InAshton, a new band lead by the amazingly talented Morgan Clamp.
The ENTIRE album is available for download for FREE on the band's website.

In other quick news... After having skipped the last two years, I will be attending the NAMM convention in Anaheim, CA (Friday Jan 15th only). I'll be hanging around the Sabian and Vic Firth booths most of the time!

d.

Sticks 'n' Skins book

2009-12-09T17:33:00.006-05:00

In 2007, I did a photoshoot at my old Brooklyn studio with photographer Jules Follett. The shoot was part of a huge undertaking in which Jules and some of her friends journeyed to portray as many drummers as they possibly could, and collect all their photos and bios for their book, Sticks 'n' Skins. Now, two years later, the book is out, and it's a true gem. Over 500 drummers are featured in the book. Yours truly can be found on page 318 (sporting a haircut I still don't understand, but that aside).

I'd like to thank Jules for her beautiful work, awesome contribution to the drummers community, and also the wonderful dinner we had with some of New York's finest drummers that week (amazing Italian food with Liberty DeVitto and Shawn Pelton!).

This book is a perfect Christmas gift! Grab it at Amazon.com.

Metalliville.com interview

2009-07-12T16:22:00.003-04:00

Just did an interview for www.Metalliville.com. Here's a direct link to the interview.

d.

Lita Ford tour

2009-06-11T11:15:00.006-04:00

Aaah a couple of minutes at the hotel in Florida.
So I happened to be hanging with Ron (Bumblefoot) this past weekend when he got a call from Lita Ford's management, saying they needed a guitarist, bassist and drummer for the upcoming tour. First show Friday. Everything was confirmed on Sunday night, and Ron and I basically skipped 2 nights of sleep to learn the set. Flew out to Lita's yesterday (Wednesday) to rehearse. Teamed up with bassist P.J. Farley, who absolutely blew us away. This should be a fun tour.
First show tomorrow (Friday) in California. Complete list of dates is on my schedule page.

I'll be posting updates from the road on Twitter (which you can also follow on the home page of my site).

Hope to see some of you at the shows!

d.

Grain album

2009-06-04T20:48:00.004-04:00

Grain's debut album, for which I record all the drum tracks at my studio last summer, is finished and will be released at the end of the month. Dutch bass monster Barend Courbois recorded the bass tracks for the album. You can download a teaser here.
Grain (aka Leonie van der Hoeven) will be touring through The Netherlands this summer with Nicolas Hamel on drums. Check out Grain's MySpace page for dates.

Abnormal drum video

2009-04-13T05:52:00.012-04:00

By popular demand...:

Explanation of the fill at 1:25 (original album version, 1:31 in above video):

Ode to Sabian

2009-04-04T02:14:00.004-04:00

I never really talk about my gear much, but every now and then it's necessary to share some thoughts.

I've been a Sabian endorsee since 2006. Before that, I had played brand "A" for a good 11 years, and brand "B" for about 2 years. I never officially endorsed either of these brands, and always paid hard-earned cash for every cymbal I used back then (with a little bit of help from my wonderful parents in the early days). With both of those brands, I would break an average of 3 cymbals a year. That's not too bad for a hard-hitting drummer like me, but cymbal prices in Europe are outrageous, and every time I broke a cymbal it would cost me between $400 and $600 to replace it. I've always played pro cymbals and have always refused to buy cheap cymbals. Mind you, because a broken cymbal would cost me a lot of money at the time, I never really completely laid into my cymbals 100%. Even though I would still hit hard, I would never hit REALLY hard. You know... when you really hit a cymbal like you don't care if it would break, or you hit it like "this thing is very expensive and I can't afford to break it". Any drummer out there understands the difference ;)
Still, I broke a lot of cymbals.

Since 2006 I've been playing Sabian cymbals exclusively. I am super fortunate to have this amazing company supporting me the way they do. They provide me with free cymbals, and free replacements when I break a cymbal. Now here's the point I'm trying to get at.... I got my first set of Sabian cymbals through my endorsement in early 2006. That's 3 years ago. After 3 full years, I only recently broke my first Sabian cymbal. Now, because I have been aware of the fact a cymbal would be replaced for free in the event that I'd break one, I have not been holding back on hitting the living crap out of them. I have seriously abused my cymbals in these 3 years. I have also been playing more than ever before. My Sabians have been halfway around the globe and have seen temperatures ranging from -25F to well over 100F. They're been thrown around, dropped, stepped on... They just refuse to break.

I think the most important reason is that the B20 Bronze that Sabian uses for the HH, HHX, AA and AAX cymbals (and various Vault cymbals) is very flexible. It must be the way the metal has been treated (heated, cooled, heated, cooled, hammered, etc.). Rather than the cymbal vibrating like crazy, it literally flexes and almost folds when you hit it. This not only reduces the risk of a cymbal cracking, it also greatly reduces the impact on your wrists.
I really am amazed at how durable Sabian cymbals are, and I just felt like I needed to post this and share. I hate to sound cheesy, or as if I'm kissing ass. I'm not. This just needed to be said. These are the tools I use to make my living, and they are the best tools on the market. Period.

A quick shout out to Paul, Wayne and Bobby at Sabian for their support. I'm very grateful for the help and am excited to be part of the family.

Cheers,

d.

Recordings and CD's

2009-03-26T15:36:00.008-04:00

Howdy!

Quickie update...

I just finished recording and mixing a track for a death/black metal project based out of Alabama. Check it out here (track is called "Watchmaker's Respite").

I realized today that I have a pretty substantial pile of CD's sitting around my apartment that I am supposed to be selling. So I just created a little store page where you can grab some CD's I play on at discounted prices.

That's it for now. Back with more news soon..!

d.

February update

2009-02-26T20:59:00.007-05:00

New Year's seems like last week, but it's almost March already!

What have I been up to? I'm going to have to admit that I've been producing more than I have been playing the drums, lately. I'm currently producing several local NYC artists, as well as my Dutch band The Saturnine's upcoming EP. My studio setup keeps growing and I keep getting more and more experienced as an engineer and producer. I'm thoroughly enjoying it! Although all the recent stuff I've been working on isn't up there yet, more info about my production endeavors can be found at www.3113productions.com.

The Magna Carta cd is getting some really good reviews, which is exciting.

I just posted some samples of the Angus Clark album on the music page, as well as some new (old) videos.

I think that's it for now, but I'll have more bits soon!

d.

Guitars That Ate My Brain

2009-01-04T05:32:00.011-05:00

Almost a year ago to the date, I recorded 7 songs for an instrumental guitar album to be released by Magna Carta.
I just found out that the cd will be released on February 10th. Check out this MySpace page for more info and samples.

The album consists of songs that feature guitarists such as James Murphy (Testament), Bumblefoot (Guns N' Roses), Shane Gibson (KorN), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Dave Martone, Devin Townsend and Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler (DAATH). I'm on 7 of the 12 tracks.
Of the 5 samples on the MySpace page, the only song that I don't play on is "Boot Dagger Boogie".

This album was a fun project. Most of these guitarists are teenage heroes of mine, making this a very special album for me.

d.

Angus Clark song

2008-11-29T00:43:00.004-05:00

One of the songs I recorded for Trans Siberian Orchestra guitarist Angus Clark this summer is now available on his MySpace. The song is called "Festival". One of the first of many songs for which I recorded drums at my studio this past summer to be officially released. Slowly but surely, they're starting to pop up now! ;)

d.

November updates

2008-11-05T10:59:00.010-05:00

Been a while... But haven't been sitting still! Some exciting stuff's cookin'.

On November 17th, I will be performing with the wonderful Ariana Shore at Arlene's Grocery in NYC. Nothing special about that, I hear you think. True. I played there many times before. However, this night is super-special. November 17th was Jeff Buckley's birthday. As we all know, Jeff sadly passed away in 1997. Arlene's Grocery was the last NYC venue where Buckley performed before his death.
The show on November 17th ("An Evening With Jeff Buckley") will be a special tribute night dedicated to the genius himself. I will be performing one song with Ariana, which happens to be one of the best songs Jeff every wrote (though, they're all fantastic). As a HUGE Buckley fan, I'm extremely excited about this show.

And, more than a year since our last show... A show with Bumblefoot! We'll be doing a 30-minute in-store performance at the famous Vintage Vinyl record store in Fords, New Jersey, on November 26th to celebrate the release of the new Guns N' Roses album. Come rock out!

Lots more going on but it would be too much to list in one post. I'll post another update soon...

d.

Thank you, Slagwerkkrant readers...!

2008-09-08T19:49:00.012-04:00

For the 5th consecutive year, I've been voted in the top 5 of Best Hard Rock / Metal Drummer in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) by the readers of Slagwerkkrant magazine. This year I'm at the #3 position.
Music and playing the drums are not, and will never be, competition. Though I'm flattered that drummers back in my home-country still follow my projects on the other side of the pond, and seem to enjoy it. This means a lot to me. THANKS!

Speaking of.... I will be in The Netherlands between October 29th and November 4th, and available for private drum lessons and recording sessions. Drop me a line if you'd like to get together!

Ciao,

d.

Recording, recording, recording.

2008-08-27T00:41:00.010-04:00

From the moment my studio became operative in November last year, I've been recording drum tracks for people all over the world, practically non-stop. But more recently, things have shifted up into 6th gear. I'm literally spending every day at my studio, recording, trying to keep up with the constant flow of incoming tracks to record. It's come to a point where if I am unable to record for a day, I'm going to have to be working twice as long the next day to catch up. Next to the actual drum recording, I spend a lot of time getting different sounds for different artists/songs, and then there's the post production and editing, sending tracks back and forth with people, going back in to record some changes, etc. Most people request a mixed stereo track of the drums next to the individual tracks, which adds up time. PC in on 24/7, uploading tracks to people. It's awesome.

Next to dozens of tracks for local NYC bands (mostly pop and indie rock, some very cool stuff), I've completed drum tracks for some great music composed by my Dutch friends Grain (Tori-Amos-ish alternative piano-pop/rock) and Noud Smeets (awesome 90's style riff-metal)
Furthermore, I'm working on tracks for Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Angus Clark's upcoming album, and just finished an instrumental track for KorN guitarist Shane Gibson for a compilation album on the Magna Carta label.

People seem to be digging the sounds I get at my place, and obviously save the costs of having to rent a studio. The words is spreading, and my email box is filling up with new project requests every day. I always saw myself more as a live drummer than a studio guy. I don't mind doing session work, but never really got into that scene too much. I like to be at least somewhat emotionally connected to music I record, rather than just walking in some studio somewhere, laying down a drum track, and leave. But working from the comfort of my own studio without any time pressure and with the ability to experiment with sounds and grooves endlessly and become one with a song is priceless. This is not only cool from a creative standpoint, but also because I'm a total recording gear nut and love spending hours messing around with different mics and drums/cymbals, heh.

Anywho, I should be posting a ton of samples when all this stuff comes out... Stay tuned.

Cheerio,

d.

Nicoletta @ Jones Beach video snippet.

2008-07-27T15:34:00.004-04:00

New Bumblefoot album now available!

2008-07-02T00:31:00.007-04:00

The new Bumblefoot album "Abnormal" is now available on/at:
iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Audio Lunchbox, eMusic, MediaNet, Liquid, Digirama, Ruckus, InProdicon, Starbucks, Nokia, Puretracks, Touchtunes, Beats Digital, BeetLabs, Groove mobile, Wasabeat, Amazon, Amie Street, Spiral Frog, LaLa, Slacker, We7, and Masterbeat.

www.baldfreak.com offers special fan packs, which include great additional goodies, as well as a personally autographed copy of the album. Additionally, $5 from every CD sold on BaldFreak.com will be donated to Multiple Sclerosis research.

d.

Bumblefoot - Abnormal - FREE DOWNLOAD!

2008-05-19T14:42:00.005-04:00

After hours, days, weeks, months of hard work at the "Hermit Lounge" aka "Hermit Hole" aka "Crack Den", the new Bumblefoot album, with the very fitting title "Abnormal", is done...! The audio part of it, that is. Artwork and all kinds of other bits are still being worked on. However, in the meanwhile, the title track of the album is available for download FOR FREE, as of today. That's right... FREE.

This track will give you a nice taste of what's to come. The rest of the tracks you'll have to pay for (please..). But for now, enjoy this piece of musical insanity, and make it worth the blisters it caused when I recorded the drums for it:

>>> Bumblefoot - Abnormal

Cheerio,

d.

PreSonus

2008-05-15T15:49:00.013-04:00

I am now officially endorsing PreSonus recording gear.
PreSonus offers affordable solutions for home-recording that actually deliver professional sounding results, as well as some of the best high-end professional gear available. Anyone looking for recording equipment should check out their stuff first. It's all easy to work with, sounds amazing, and the people at Presonus offer the best service and support you could wish for.
Most of my studio is equipped with PreSonus gear, and it never lets me down.
Check out www.presonus.com.

d.

Pearl Jam cover & recording updates

2008-05-07T13:30:00.005-04:00

I've been building a small recording studio since late last year. When I got the first basic recording tools early this year, I picked a random all-time favorite song of mine ("Go" by Pearl Jam) to mess around with. I recorded drums and bass to it myself, after which I had my friend guitarist Tommy Kessler come over to my studio to lay down some guitars. I then sent a mixdown to another great guitarist and long-time friend Tom Hakala in Finland, who laid down the other guitar track at his studio. The results can be found below. Anyone want to do some vocals?

>> Go (Pearl Jam cover)

The new Bumblefoot album is being mastered as we speak. It's sounding KILLER. I'm hoping we'll have some samples/teasers up online soon.

d.