Globe trotting British superstars Coldplay could be set to head off in a new direction, with drummer Will Champion experimenting with programmed beats.

Coldplay have come a long way from the indie scallywags who barged into the charts with ‘Yellow’. Steadily progressing, the band’s heart on sleeve songcraft has combined with a fierce work ethic to transform Coldplay into one of the biggest band’s on the planet.

Last year’s album ‘Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends’ broke the group across the globe. Coldplay topped the charts in over 35 territories, with the album becoming one of the year’s top sellers.

At one point Coldplay occupies the single and album charts simultaneously on both Britain and the United States - a stunning feat that has rarely been matched. Sessions with Brian Eno were so productive the band were able to release another mini-album ‘Prospekt’s March’ before the year was out.

Now it seems as it that relationship is in full swing again. Reports suggest that Coldplay are currently working in the studio with Brian Eno, and the results could be amongst their most experimental to date.

One of those benefiting most from Eno’s involvement is drummer Will Champion. He’s got a new drum machine and has been having a lot of fun pushing it to its limits,” a source told The Sun newspaper.

“His most recent offering is turbo-charged, to say the least, but the lads have been having a great time working with it.”

Brian Eno is of course famed for his developments in electronic and ambient music, and he helped U2 redefine their sound with the seminal ‘Achtung Baby’ set. The source revealed that Champion has written one song in the seven / four time signature.

“It’s only the most adventurous of jazz people who compose anything with such an irregular beat. But he’s pressing forward with it,” the source added.

Has Will Champion been listening to Battles? We demand to know!

Coldplay have been touring almost constantly since the release of ‘Viva La Vida’ pausing only to pick up a few Grammy awards on their time off. Recently the band played a massive show in Australia to benefit those affected by the recent bush fires in the country.

However a break in their tour schedule has seen the band return to the studio to begin work on new material.

The band’s blog writer, “Roadie 42” says: “Will has a new toy for drum programming which has sent him on a beat-making odyssey. He rolls up today with a new idea and announces cheerfully to all that, ‘It's in seven four time and it's 168 bpm’. For those of you less versed in music theory, ‘Seven four time’ means that when he kicks off the drum machine, everyone spends a lot of time asking, ‘Where's the one?’. Meanwhile, ‘168 bpm’ means that everyone is getting confused very quickly..

 

Lets hope this machine can avoid anthemic power ballads eh!

There is no release date for the new Coldplay album.

 

About

Coldplay is a British alternative rock band, formed in London, United Kingdom in 1997. The band comprises vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion. Having released four successful albums, (all of which debuted at #1 on the UK album chart) Coldplay have also achieved great success with their singles, such as Yellow, Speed of Sound, the Grammy-winning Clocks and the US… more

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