Toontrack – Underground EZX

Capturing the raw essence of what drums sound like when recorded using a minimal vintage-meets-modern setup in a cramped basement studio, this expansion for EZdrummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 presents perhaps the most unpolished, raw and tangible kits you’ve ever heard. 

Inspired by punk, hardcore, metal, indie, psychedelic rock, kraut and all the fringe offshoots of the underground scenes from the early 90s to today, this is an eclectic collection of drums that sounds as far off the beaten path as you can imagine. If you’re looking for an EZX that’s loud, decadent, angry, and all-around bubbling with unpretentious, carefree, challenging energy, this one’s for you.

Underground EZX was recorded by Refused drummer David Sandström and engineer/producer/mixer Martin “Koni” Ehrenkrona at the famed Studio Cobra, a small, low-ceilinged basement studio in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden. 

From this dungeon-like space – filled with tape machines, old tube gear, and vintage instruments – Koni churned out productions filled with his signature streak of analog character for bands like Refused and Tribulation, to name a few. 

With a collection of David’s own drums, studio kits, and those of bands and friends in the Stockholm scene, they ensured that this EZX featured four distinctly unique kits, each bringing their own niche sound and vibe to the project. Expect a wide range of beaten, road-worn and time-tested kit that has all been through everything from the big festival stages and underground club scenes to a multitude of albums of all styles.

In addition to the kits, there is a selection of ready-to-mix presets for each of the four kits. Designed by Coney, these cover everything from completely bare and raw to distorted, all-encompassing menace and feral. In addition, a basic set of grooves and fills performed by David are included, giving you the foundation of his uncompromising and brutal drumming style to build on.

This is the EZX where you can almost hear the vintage tube gear radiating, the hissing breath, and every wayward and relentless drum hit moving in a way that makes the kits want to crawl out of the monitors. If you want to write a post-punk track rife with lo-fi DYI feels or any streak of wild, distorted and organic sounding kraut, metal, hardcore or garage rock, this is your new EZX of choice.

Want grain? That’s the definition.