Siberian Shamanic Drumming: Drum and Space

Ken Hyder is a percussionist and member of the British-Siberian experimental music ensemble K-Space. The electroacoustic improvisation trio was formed in Tuva, Siberia in 1996 and has released three CDs, including Infinity (2008), which is a new, revolutionary album which is different every time you play it. Infinity will not work in a standard CD player and requires a computer to play it. Each time the CD is played, supplied software remixes source material located on the disc and produces a new 20-minute musical piece. The music produced by the CD is eclectic improvising that is deeply rooted in Siberian shamanic music. John Cavanagh of The Herald in Glasgow said in a review of the album that even though he knew each listening was the result of a "computer triggered sequence," it always sounded like a "cohesive musical work, as though it was meant to be that way."

Hyder, who has studied with Siberian shamans, has published a very informative guide to the dungur or Siberian shamanic drum. The essay examines how the dungur is constructed, how it is played, and the role it plays in shamanic practice. In shamanic performance, musical considerations are minimal. The focus is on the spiritual intention or the energy of what is being played. As Hyder explains, "My approach to music making changed decisively following my experiences in Siberia. For me it starts with the dungur and the expanded possibilities of variation arising from its superficially apparent instability. And it continues to open up with other musicians being equally free in themselves and in the context of a group. That opening up has the capacity to expand and expand further making the playing fresh, different and spontaneous each time." To learn more, read Drum and Space (PDF).