The legend of the Analog Players Society
The producer of this pack, Amon Drum is the head engineer of The Bridge Studio and founding member of the collective known as the Analog Players Society (APS). The rich, lively, multi-cultural vibe that Amon brings to his work is the result of a lifetime of studying the groove. He studied with Famadou Konate, Mamady Keita, and M’Bemba Bangora.
The APS sound is inspired by state-of-the-art 1970s technology and features a rotating crew of NYC’s top session players. Sean Dixon is one of those players. A composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator, he has performed, toured and/or recorded with Gotye’s Ondioline Orchestra, Maxwell, Aloe Blaac, Doyle Bramhall II, Amy Helm, Miyamoto Is Black Enough, Andy Akiho, Helga Davis, and many others.
Together, the two artists are currently working on a post-rock meets Indian classical music album featuring GRAMMY-nominated artist, Falu.
The APS started in Amon Drum’s first studio, The Hook in Red Hook, Brooklyn where he harnessed the whopping talent and intellect of extraordinary session players including the late Ethan White (Tortured Soul), Will Jones, Dave Smith (TV On The Radio), John Natchez (The War on Drugs), Jonathan Powell (Eddie Palmieri), Sean Dixon (Miyamoto is Black Enough), and Cecilia Stalin (Koop). A supergroup formed and launched with an initial string of sold-out 7” releases featuring ‘80s covers that KCRW broke on the airwaves.
APS took a brief hiatus when Amon transitioned out of The Hook to design and build one of the city’s rarified big-room recording facilities, The Bridge Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The studio has welcomed artists from YEBBA, Mark Ronson, Norah Jones, Parquet Courts, Booker T, to Trippie Redd to name a few. APS was reborn during a live jazz session at The Bridge Studio, where Amon and Ben Rubin produced four of the best jazz musicians in New York City, which became the album, TILTED, released August 2020 on Ropeadope. TILTED features tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin (David Bowie’s last bandleader on Blackstar), pianist Orrin Evans (the Bad Plus), and the in-demand rhythm section of bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Eric McPherson.
