The Music : In this album I explore nine melodies of old times and interpret them as a drummer and instrumentalist, offering them to present-day dancers to inspire movement and play. Tunes from Scotland, Ireland, England and medieval Germany ride on the rhythmic energy of frame drums, tamborines, and deep bass. It is my most organic and “earthy” music to date, and contains nothing sampled or remixed - all sounds herein are my own work with acoustic and virtual instruments.

The Cover and Title : Inspired by the runes Beorc (Berkano, birch tree) and Ing (Ingwaz, Frey) the cover has nine birch leaves around interlaced branches. In the center is a fusion of the two runes, both symbols of new life, creation, and rebirth. The title comes from the (highly recommended) “Runes” app by Kari Tauring; in describing the birch-tree rune she writes: “If you climb nine branches high, you can talk to the spirits”

May all beings have their renewal and rebirth - blessed be.

Nine Branches

The Butterfly

Source Of Spey

Based on the melody know as "Palastinalied" or "Kreuzlied" by Walter von der Vogelweide

Pilgrimage

John Barleycorn

Glenlivet Reel

Based on "Laus Trinitati" by Hildegard of Bingen

Trinity

Juniper

The Monaghan

Arran Boat Song

Celtic Folktronica

Booking Contact: 
Scott Sterling
drumspyder@icloud.com

Drumspyder weaves a web of percussive rhythm, melody, and line. Framedrums, tambourines, and  low whistles mingle with bass beats and ethereal atmospheres, bringing the Celtic and British Islands traditional music into vital contemporary expression.

Scott Sterling has always followed the path of rhythm. Over the course of a long journey through diverse forms of drumming and dance music: avant-garde circus, slinky bellydance troupes, and acclaimed bass-music productions, the one constant has been the beat of the drum. 

Over the past several years he has specialised in the realm of framedrums and tambourines. Influenced by modern framedrum masters such as Glen Velez and David Kuckhermann, but also inspired by the rhythms of the Irish bodhran, he follows a distinctive path through the world of contemporary percussion: fusing his experience with cross-cultural framedrum techniques and Arabic rhythms with a new-found love of Celtic dance music. 

To this rhythmic foundation he adds traditional melodies (played on low whistles and various keyboards) drawn from the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, and England , as well as the rich repertoire of Medieval and Renaissance music from the British Isles. 

Out of the alchemy of rhythm, melody, and his long experience in dance music production, he has forged a unique approach to Celtic and Medieval fusion, where elements of trance, bass-heavy electronica, and ethereal atmospheres mingle into an intoxicating brew. His overall ambition is to connect traditional rhythms and melodies with the contemporary dancefloor.