Planet Drum returned on Thursday with “King Clave”, the sophomore single from the band’s upcoming reunion album, In The Groove. Out on August 5th, the album will mark the Mickey Hart-led percussion collective’s first since 2007’s Global Drum Project. Additionally, the group has postponed its two-night album release celebration at The Capitol Theatre to an unspecified date.
The music video for “King Clave”, released via Playing For Change‘s Song Around The World series and created for the U.N. General Assembly, highlights the global elements of Planet Drum. Core members Mickey Hart (United States), Zakir Hussain (India), Giovanni Hidalgo (Puerto Rico), and Sikiru Adepoju (Nigeria) sync together in beat from their respective homes in videos filmed during the pandemic. Beyond the master rhythm makers, the video features over 50 other percussive and dance collaborators from around the world, from the Allarkha Institute of Tabla in Mumbai, India to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
“Music creates a virtual world outside of normal consciousness, where you find empathy and love,” Hart recently told Relix. “With all the rage and hate going on, rhythm offers an incredible musical opportunity that is the opposite of that.”
“King Clave” is set to one of the most universally used rhythms called a “clave.” The clave serves as the basis for the track as Planet Drum brings in percussive styles and instruments from around the globe, including contributions from Hussain’s brothers, Fazal Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi, and Hidalgo’s father, Mañengue Hidalgo, who all joined in the circle in the midst of pandemic-induced lockdowns.
Check out the new video for Planet Drum’s “King Clave” and click here to pre-order In The Groove. The group stated that tickets for the originally scheduled August 5th and 6th Capitol Theatre shows will be honored at the new dates. Those who cannot attend the new shows can receive refunds through the point of purchase when the new concerts are announced.
Planet Drum – “King Clave” – Song Around The World