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Rhythm Rug is self-described as “peaceful spirit music”.  The sound is a peaceful, genre-free eclectic mix of global percussion, timeless piano melodies, delicate string accompaniments, and melodic mantras. 

Rhythm Rug (born David Barkie) was reared as a musical being. Imagine a joyful toddler spinning in circles to the strum of his father playing praise and worship songs on guitar, or his mother playing Jackson 5 hits to accompany his meal times.  

Growing up in Albany, New York, he was trained as a percussion player in school music programs and the go to beat maker for his schoolmates. His instrumentation skills include piano, voice, djembe, all percussion instruments and with future aspirations to master brass sounds.  Much of his craft has been perfected working as an engineer, producer and beat maker for fellow artists before stepping up to the microphone for himself.    

Rhythm Rug has evolved his sound to reflect his love of music from Earth, Wind and Fire to A Tribe Called Quest.  Even his stage name is a nod to the iconic Q-Tip line “rock and roll to the beat of the funk fuzz/ wipe your feet real good on the rhythm rug...”  When asked about his name selection, Rhythm Rug relayed the name was inspired by a stroll down Albany’s Watervliet Ave.  The joyful thought illuminated as he realized his sound was both “rhythm or life”, and a rug or “blend of texture, colors, sounds and feelings”.  

His debut instrumental mixtape “Algo-Rhythms” and full album “Open Doors” give listeners a rare and honest perspective of the artist’s actual range of talent and thoughts.  “Open Doors” is a its own sound that revives the art of songwriting.  The sincere yet positive messages seem both vintage and futuristic.  Released in 2017, the album made a humble entrance to overwhelmingly positive reviews and a multi-city United States tour.  

Check for an already in progress next album to be released soon and stay up to date on www.rhythmrug.com for current events.















Mini-Biography

Rhythm Rug is the inventor of his own self-described “peaceful spirit music” style.  The sound is a peaceful, genre-free eclectic mix of global percussion, timeless piano melodies, delicate string accompaniments, and melodic mantras.  Rhythm Rug is an all-in-one artist who sings, writes, plays, produces and engineers his own music.  Born in Albany, New York and raised on a wide range of music, Rhythm Rug creates uplifting music that is sonically crisp and risk-taking.  His discography most recently includes a pure instrumental project, Algo-Rhythms and complete studio album, Open Doors.

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