Barbarossa Beat is a new project by Dave Barbarossa, who was the drummer in Adam & The Ants (original line up), Bow Wow Wow and Republica, and has played with Fatboy Slim, Chicane, Roland Gift, Chime Oblivion (Oh Sees offshoot).
Each track is created with a different collaborator and built around Dave’s unique drumming, dropping once a month into 2027, a modern day singles club (with an album in the future).
The first release is Phattie’s Lunchbox featuring Mekon, out on June 26 via Invisible Hands Music.
Dave said, “I’m proud of the work I’ve done through the years but I never felt it expressed the diversity of my playing like it did in the early Ants and Bow Wow Wow. In these collaborations, there are some real surprises along the way, and I am excited for people to see how this develops.” Barbarossa Beat allows Dave to be at the hub at the centre of a spinning wheel of musical indulgence, marrying his unmistakable drumming style and passion with a true pick ‘n’ mix of the very best musicians that he has chosen to pull into the project.
Dave said of debut track Phattie’s Lunchbox, “I started playing live with Mekon (John Gosling), who I’ve known since the eighties. He’s a top DJ, and was Alexander McQueen’s music man for many years. Phattie’s Lunchbox was quite unique sounding with my live drums, so we recorded it. The No Breaks mix illustrates the purity of the beat and the journey of the arrangement.”
Born Dave Barbe, the nom de guerre Barbarossa was bestowed upon him by punk impresario Malcolm McLaren. Dave was raised in the East End of London in the seventies as a mixed race kid with a father who loved big band and Cuban music, creating a unique set of influences.
