There aren’t many drummers who can make you question whether what you’re watching is actually human. Richard Spaven is one of them. Blending the precision of programmed beats with the feel and unpredictability of live drumming, he has carved out a sound that is unmistakably his own. But behind that remarkable technique is a musical journey that has taken in big band jazz, hip hop, drum and bass and London’s underground club scene.
Speaking to Drummer’s Review (watch in full HERE), Spaven reflected on the influences that helped shape his approach, and it all started with a rather traditional education. Beginning lessons at eight, his early years behind the kit were spent learning the discipline of big band music, covering everything from reading and dynamics to timekeeping and improvisation. Away from lessons, however, his ears were firmly tuned into hip hop. It didn’t take long for him to realise that the skills he was developing could translate into an entirely different musical world.
That willingness to embrace different sounds would become a defining part of his playing. Rather than viewing drum machines and programmed beats as competition, Spaven saw them as another source of inspiration. He even describes switching into what he calls “machine mode”, deliberately controlling his dynamics and consistency to recreate the hypnotic feel of a programmed loop, before bringing his own personality back into the performance.
His relationship with London’s drum and bass and broken beat scenes was equally influential. Nights spent around Hoxton Square, particularly at the legendary Blue Note and Plastic People, introduced him to music that completely changed his perspective. He describes walking out of those clubs feeling charged up, having heard something so fresh and unfamiliar that it was difficult to know what to do with the inspiration.
For Spaven, experiencing the music first hand was essential. It’s something he feels younger musicians can sometimes miss, with endless access to music online making it tempting to experience everything through a screen. As he puts it, “You can’t live it through YouTube.” Buying records, going to clubs, discovering music with like minded people and becoming part of a scene all played a huge role in developing his musical identity.
Away from the kit, Spaven also has some interesting thoughts on the growing influence of artificial intelligence. While he admits to concerns about AI cutting into the income of working musicians and composers, he isn’t particularly worried about it replacing the human experience of learning an instrument.
In fact, he believes we’re becoming too obsessed with finding shortcuts. Having made a commitment at sixteen to practise every day and pursue drumming properly, he remains convinced that the long route is where the real value lies.
That journey continues with Light of Day, his first release with a record label, and a full European tour under his own name beginning in February 2027. For a drummer who has spent years developing a voice that refuses to fit neatly into one musical category, there’s clearly plenty more to come.
