Joss Turnbull - Turmoil

Turmoil is the second solo album by percussionist Joss Turnbull, a work that captures an intense journey of self-expression through sound. With Turmoil, Turnbull delves into a world of uncertainty and tension. He stretches and destabilizes rhythms, distorting them almost to the point of disappearance between restraint and release. He uses live sampling and live electronic effects on his middle eastern finger drums, pairing them with his breath and voice as percussive tools to create clusters and layers of knocking taps and airborne tones. The album's opening track, 'are you there,' pulls you into a vast and disorienting sonic world of warping, fuzzy drums, breathing, and bells, while 'things I can’t talk about‘ embodies a quiet struggle and dissolution through snapping recoils of Tombak snippets and layers of lulling vocal fragments. Turmoil is an immersive listening experience revealing both a deeply personal reflection and a universal exploration of what it means to exist in a world full of pressure, disorientation, and the fictions we live by. The album is a testament to Turnbull's unique voice as a percussionist and a liminal figure, challenging conventions and seeking a sound that is unpredictable, honest, and deeply engaging.

100 limited muslti-coloured EcoWaxx recycled Vinyl

"About What I Am Doing

I tap on hand and finger drums to create sounds and patterns. In addition to my fingers, I use sticks, foils, and rubber to produce clicking and humming sounds from the drum. To expand the sonic possibilities, I incorporate electronic effects like samplers and pedals, similar to those used by electric guitarists. The main drum I play originates from Iran and is called the Tombak or Zarb.

About The Process

The process began six years ago, with the idea of capturing improvisational energy condensed into single musical themes for each track. Most of the tracks have no cuts and overdubs. All electronics, loops and samples are created and played live. I wanted the tracks to sound sharp and massive which explains the high compressions, loudness and clarity. It was important for me to handle the recording and much of the mixing myself, to navigate freely through time, location, or aesthetics. I wanted to highlight the classical and traditional essence of the instruments I play while placing them in a radically disruptive sonic context. During the journey, I became interested in using my voice as a percussive tool. The idea was inspired by my father, a percussionist as well, who often sang and mumbled to himself while drumming. I sought to explore this further as a musical element.

About Turmoil

At the core of my tracks lies existential urgency and radical openness. The album is driven by feelings of pressure, uncertainty, being stuck, and the urge to give birth to something new. Turmoil is about losing oneself in the world - a sense of not knowing, of disorientation. It reflects a crisis of truth, where things feel out of place. Fear. Paranoia. Fragility. Aggression. A constant tension between the external world and myself."

Biography

Percussionist Joss Turnbull creates sounds that range from minimalist explorations of the Iranian drum tombak, using fingers, palms, and preparations, to raw, intense and massive soundscapes enhanced by electronics. His "Struggle Drumming“ fuses existential urgency with radical openness, challenging listening habits and embracing unpredictability. Hailed as one of the most exciting percussionists of his generation (Deutschlandradio Kultur), he has toured in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the UAE. His upcoming release Turmoil (2025, Boomslang Records) explores tension and unpredictability. He has also developed WE IN A BOX, a concert performance with boxer Everline Akinyi Odero, investigating the rhythmic and acoustic parallels between boxing and drumming.

Live

16.03.2025 Milan, Italy, A Box of Tangerine
19.03.2025 Florence, Italy, Antisalotto Culturale
27.03.2025 Neapels, Italy, Mamamu
28.03.2025 Roma, Itay, Spazio kina
04-09.04.25 Slemani, Irak. Festival Space 21, w/ Hardi Kurda & solo
09.04.2025 Halle, Volkspark, The Gallery as a Stage
03.05.2025 Köln, Stadtgarten Jaki Club
11.05.2025 Porto, sonoscopia
16.05.2025 Porto, Hotelier_0
23/24.05.25 Mannheim, Alte Feuerwache, B-Seite Festival, solo feat. Lea Brugnoli vj
14.06.2025 Berlin, Gärtnerhaus w/ Elshan Ghasimi
09.08.2025 Bezau, Austria, Bezau Beats Festival
tba.09.2025 Mannheim, Wunder der Prärie Festival, We in a Box w/ Everline Odero