KJ Sawka is the closest thing to a human drumming machine. I’ve seen him with electronic music super-groups Pendulum and Destroid, where he pushes the boundaries of what’s possible behind the kit. He’s also played with Andy Summers of the Police, Michael Shrieve of Santana, and has been at the forefront of music production, drum technology and the melding of live and computer sounds. Phil Collins is an influence – and KJ’s taking it to the next level, and the level after that too…

On an acoustic set he creates the whirs, delays, effects, and sonic dislocations of electronic music, then builds in his technical wizardry. “I try to sound as electronic as possible. I become the machine,” he says, and I believe him. I look forward to talking with him on the HotSticks Drum Podcast!