Charlie Dark: turntables, samplers, electronics
Chief Udoh Essiet (King Sunny Ade Band): congas, talking drum, African percussion
Mark de Clive-Lowe (The Politik/Freesoul): MPC, synths and Rhodes
David Okumu (JadeFox): guitars
Richard Olatunde (Eardrum): Talking drum, Sakara, West African percussion.


Using the polyrhythmic rhythms of Nigerian JuJu music as a catalyst, writer, musician, DJ and Blacktronica collective founder, Charlie Dark breaks out his turntables and drum machines and returns to the studio and live stage with his first musical project since the demise of Attica blues back in 2002. Inspired by record hunting trips to West Africa he saw the parallels between the beats he was programming back in London and the rhythms he was hearing within the grooves of the dusty old African records he was sampling.


Talking Beats brings together a hot team of producers and instrumentalist in a culture clash of talking drums, African beats and digital production techniques remixed, reinterpreted and refixed live in front of an audience.

Tuesday 4th March Workshop at St. Austell School Cornwall
Wednesday 5th March Workshop at Cotham School Bristol
Thursday 6th March Workshop at Blessed Hugh Farringdon Reading
Friday 7th March Turner Sims Concert Hall Southampton
Saturday 8th March The Shed North Yorkshire
Sunday 9th March The Contact Theatre Manchester
Monday 10th March Workshop at Victoria School, Northfield Birmingham
Tuesday 11th March The Jam House Birmingham
Wednesday 12th March The Wardrobe Leeds
Thursday 13th March Cargo London
Friday 14th March The Zodiac Oxford