In a Nutshell

Wayne is fast earning a reputation as one of the most exciting young drummers in the UK.

This CD was producing in conjection with Robin and Jesse Davey of Credible Records who regularly utilise Wayne's talents.

This CD set features the burgeoning talent of Wayne Proctor performing a wide range of live loops and fills in a number of distinct styles and sounds. Fat Sounding Beats, 70s Style Funk, Classic Studio, Big Ambient and Ambient and Dry Rock sections are all included along with a special selection of fills.

King Tone Grooves - Keyboard Key Buy Award Review

"Who is this drummer?" was my first question as I listened, mouth wide open, to the loops on King Tone Grooves. Talk about five-star stellar drumming.

According to the liners, our man in question is Wayne Proctor. Not since hearing the likes of Purdie, Porcaro, and Gadd have I been so impressed with a groove-oriented drummer. His pocket is deep, his time feel impeccable, and his taste factor through the roof.

The drum tones on this disc are fat and punchy, and mostly favor vintage tube warmth over digital transparency. At times the sounds are downright lo-fi, which I like. There's a nice variety, though. Some loops are dry and tight, some are EQ'd and filtered, some have an angry distorted edge.

The loops are categorized by sound and/or style: Fat Sounding Beats, Seventies Style Funk, Classic Studio Sound, Big Ambient Sound, Fills, and Rock Loops. The audio is true to the titles. Behold the monstrous "Bonham" beats as primo examples. Quite a few of the beats are in fact spot-on blasts from the past. Check out the "Moving" loops: It's "Brick House" reborn. And in addition to nailing Bonzo's famous triplet kicks in the aforementioned "Bonham" section, Proctor also nods to Led Zep in the "Killer 003" group, in this case the classic "Levee Breaks" shuffle. "These loops are supremely vibey," concurs tech editor John Krogh. "There's no question they could easily be dropped into a track as is with great success. There's plenty of beef without any of the fluff created from wacky processing tricks. I like that."

My criticisms are minor: The loops are short, usually around two bars long, although most tracks offer a few variations on the theme. There are no alternate mixes or soloed files. And the majority of WAV files on the CD-ROM don't list tempos. You can do this yourself, but it would be nice if the producers did it for you.

Of all the great funk drum loops libraries in my collection, this one will now reside at the top of the pile. King Tone Grooves is that good. GREG RULE

Pros: Outstanding performances from start to finish. Nice variety of tones and processing.

Cons: Short loop lengths. No alternate mixes. Tempos not listed for all WAV files.

Bottom Line: There are many excellent drum loop CDs on the market, but few are as wall-to-wall great as King Tone Grooves.
A Key Buy winner