When you search “Dilla Beats” on youtube, the third result, right behind David Bruce, is still a video from 8 years ago from this week’s podcast guest, Arthur “LA” Buckner.
As he explains, Dilla was one of the early influences that got him passionate about drums. And Arthur knows about passion. His excitement about drums and music is palpable. Whether it’s his performances with his band Big Homie, talking about practice approaches and philosophies, or evangelizing for his city, Minneapolis, which I’m now sold is one of the most underrated music scenes in the world, Arthur can’t help but be excited.
Let’s talk about that Dilla video - at the time Arthur made it, as part of something of a thesis project at the now sadly shuttered McNally Smith College of Music, nobody was talking about this stuff on such a deep level. In every video I’ve made on the subject, I’ve shouted out Arthur’s original. I asked him about how his thinking on Dilla has evolved, and he wasn’t shy in expressing that he feels Dilla’s beats have become a bit “caricature-ized”, and that we need to embrace the subtleties. (I’ve updated my approach lately as a result of this convo.)
And the thing that put Arthur back on my radar recently is all the clips and videos of his band Big Homie, both energetic and subtle - an “alternate reality” blend of many of the influences we’ve all consumed in the “post-Glasper-Black-Radio, post-Snarky-Puppy” days, who don’t sound quiet like anything you’ve heard.
Arthur speaks about the band as both a product and showcase of what makes Minneapolis music great, and their music makes a strong case for it.
Hope you’ll enjoy this conversation - it was one of the most fun in recent memory.