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KickDrums on Their Own

Producers Alex Fitts and Matt Penttila, under the nom de plume KickDrums, had to turn the mirror back on themselves. The same critical eye and creativity used to create beats and tracks for the likes of 50 Cent, Kid Cudi and John Legend was put into play for their own release, Meet Your Ghost. While working on other artists’ material, the duo began to build the songs, fusing hip-hop tones with rock melodies. Working in their own personal studios in New York City, the two would mostly swap tracks with each other, coming together to work in Fitts’ space

Matt Penttila (left) and Alex Fitts

Producers Alex Fitts and Matt Penttila, under the nom de plume KickDrums, had to turn the mirror back on themselves. The same critical eye and creativity used to create beats and tracks for the likes of 50 Cent, Kid Cudi and John Legend was put into play for their own release, Meet Your Ghost. While working on other artists’ material, the duo began to build the songs, fusing hip-hop tones with rock melodies. Working in their own personal studios in New York City, the two would mostly swap tracks with each other, coming together to work in Fitts’ space (outfitted with Pro Tools 9 and Mackie HR824 speakers) when necessary. Toward the end, they brought in producer Alan Wilkis, whom they met while living in New York. Wilkis further helped define the album’s sound, suggesting bridges, chord changes, etc. “We love producing for other people and doing remixes, but we had a lot of ideas for our own original music,” says Fitts. “With us, we can really dive in and do whatever we want. The album turned out to have a lot of different styles and a lot of different vibes; we always wanted to try a lot of different things.”

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