David Byrne is one of the biggest musical pioneers of the 20th century and personal favourites of mine, His work contains a fascinating blend of avant-garde experimentation, world music influence and popular music tropes. One of his most notable aspects of his work is collaboration, working with musical legends such as Brian Eno, Adrian Belew, St’ Vincent, Brian McOmber. Byrne strives in environments like these where ideas are freely and frequently exchanged.
The nature of his collaboration often leads to unexpected sonic textures and complex rhythms through Byrnes love for drum programming. One oof his favourite machines to use is the LinnDrum which is one of the earliest digital drum machines. This machine was pivotal in shaping the rhythmic foundations of Talking Heads’ 5th album: Speaking in Toungues. Its precise, punchy beats gave us tracks such as ‘Burning Down the House’ its signature groove. Unlike traditional drum kits, the LinnDrum allowed Byrne to create highly controlled, repeatable patterns that were central to the albums danceable feel. The recording of the album was characterized by a modular, piecemeal (one thing at a time) approach. Instead of recording the live band, he built it layer by layer, with each instrument being recorded separately. This allowed him and the rest of the band to focus on each element’s precise sound and arrangement.
Byrne has always been known for using non-musical sounds in his recordings. For example, the track ‘I Get Wild / Wild Gravity’ features ambient and percussive field recordings he made outside of the studio which helps add a layer of unpredictability and realism to the track. Speaking in Toungues is a masterful album which balances avant-garde experimentation with general accessibility. The band utilized the latest technology at the time, embraced modular recording processes and infused the sound with global rhythmic influences and unconventional sounds. Resulting in an album that would define a brand new direction for the band but also majorly influencing the foundations of 80s pop music.