Carbon 9’s Matty Milani
On 19th Feb 2009
What’s up, MD readers? This is Matty Milani from the band Carbon 9. I’m that rock ‘n’ roll drummer that luckily is not selling vacuum cleaners, or I wouldn’t be posting a blog here. I am so stoked! Carbon 9 is getting ready to hit the road to promote our latest album, The Bull. We have plans to head off to Europe, Japan, and of course the great U.S. I hope you’ll take a moment to check us out..
I’ve been bringing the rock for over twenty years now. I got my start in New England at six years old. I received my formal training at the New England Conservatory before I moved to Los Angeles and trained for two more years at the Musicians Institute as well as the Trebas Institute Of Recording Arts. But who’s kidding whom? My professional training really came while I played with many, many L.A. bands! I’ve toured all around the world and even had the rare opportunity to play in Antarctica for the folks working down on the ice. That’s South Pole, baby! Now, there’s only one thing more exciting than going on the road to promote a new record with my bandmates/best friends, and that is getting to smash riffs on the vintage Ludwigs that I’ll be sitting behind! When I was preparing to cut tracks for the record, the kit I was playing at the time just didn’t have the sound we were looking for. I won’t name any brands, but we just couldn’t get the drums to give us that ‘in your face’ yet well-rounded drum sound to complement the many influences in our style of extreme alternative rock. I found this vintage Ludwig kit in the East San Fernando Valley, where it had been hibernating in storage for years. At one point it was caught in a fire, which amazingly did not damage the wood but just melted the wrap.
I stripped them down, cleaned and sanded the wood, reshaped all the edges, and rewrapped the drums in a vintage red sparkle to match the one drum that was unscathed in the fire. This kit is classic in every sense. Two of the toms were built in 1968, and the 18″ floor tom and the kick drum were built in 1971. All are maple shells, 9×13, 16×16, and 16×18, but my favorite one is the oddly sized 14×26 kick. This drum is unlike a 16″- or 18″-deep drum. Those sizes are loud and big but lack the attack and presence a shallower drum has. The kit is complemented with DW’s 6000 hardware, which is very light and straight and keeps the kit looking classic. I don’t care for big goofy hardware. The 6000s are strong and can take a beating. And although Carbon 9 is far from being a classic band, this old kit, brought back from the grave, gave our modern record a sound no other drums could bring–truly a special drumkit for a very special album. Check it out, The Bull. Advertisement
Respectfully, M
