We Speak Music

KHOMPA releases boundary-pushing drum-triggered ‘Tre Trigger Contro Tre Trigger’

Published

2 years ago

September 25, 2023

Don Reed

Davide Compagnoni, aka ‘KHOMPA’, has been pushing musical boundaries since the release of his ground-breaking debut album, The Shape of Drums to Come in 2016, featuring an adventurous mix of drumming, electronics and cutting-edge drum triggering technology. The album, featured on Ableton Live and Modern Drummer, introduced this unique audiovisual live project, whose main elements are: a drummer, a conventional drum kit, 3 state-of-the-art drum sensors, a laptop and a stepsequencer. Each drum controls a virtual musical instrument (synthesizers, samplers, arpeggiators, etc.) within Ableton Live music software that, in combination with a custom stepsequencer developed with MaxforLive app, allows Davide to perform real melodies/electronic orchestration without the use of any backing track. 100% live. In addition to that, he also uses a microphone set up in the middle of the drumkit to capture the dynamics of the acoustic drums and translate them through ‘envelope followers’ into electronic parts in several ways.

KHOMPA’s second album, Perceive Reality, which followed in 2022, saw the further integration of audio and visual components, with AI-generated 3D visuals created by Riccardo Franco-Loiri (alias Akasha) all triggered and modulated live from the drumkit.

Tre Trigger Contro Tre Trigger is a companion piece to Perceive Reality, drawing on the same technology but venturing into a more trance-inducing territory, with oscillating synths snaking around a pulsating, primal drumbeat, rising in pitch to a cathartic peak.
The video for ‘Tre Trigger Contro Tre Trigger’ is a 100% live performance where all the sounds and visuals were triggered in real time with KHOMPA’s drum kit as a reflection of the punk/chaotic/hypnotic energy of the song. The piece is also the closing track of the live performance “Perceive Reality A/V” that the artist is currently playing in festivals, cinemas and clubs in Italy. In the video, words that seem to be extracted from a manifesto of perceptual dissociation bounce off the screen activated and distorted by the drum kit itself.

We Speak Music

Stephan Folkes Shines on Reflective New Single ‘It’s All Within Time (Travelling Through the Stars)’

Published

2 hours ago

May 8, 2025

Philomena Marie

Stephan Folkes returns with a transcendent new release, ‘It’s All Within Time (Travelling Through the Stars)’, and it’s clear the London-based artist is charting his own course through the cosmos of contemporary music. Following the critical success of his debut single ‘Say It Like You Mean It’, Stephan’s latest offering is a richly layered, genre-defying meditation on time, adversity, and personal growth.

A self-described “Visionist” and “King of Fantasy,” Folkes approaches music with a rare kind of fearlessness. His newest single doesn’t chase trends—it questions them. From the very first note, Stephan draws listeners into a reflective space, encouraging them to consider the lessons learned from life’s most difficult moments.

“Music should be a space for self-reflection,” Stephan says, and ‘It’s All Within Time’ lives up to that mission. Carried by his velvety vocals—reminiscent of George Michael at his most heartfelt—Stephan weaves a soundscape that blends soft rock, R&B, jazz, funk, and ambient pop with effortless finesse. The result is a sound that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking, dreamy yet grounded.

Lyrically, the track urges listeners to embrace their journey in its entirety. It’s not just about where you’re going—it’s about how you’ve grown through the fire. There’s something deeply empowering in that message, and Stephan delivers it with authenticity and grace.

Born and raised in Leytonstone, East London, Stephan’s music is deeply rooted in personal experience. Surviving a life-threatening hospitalization at five and a near-drowning in his youth, he emerged with a profound sense of purpose—one that pulses through every word and every chord. Since beginning his journey in music at just 11, he’s grown into a full-fledged artist, working alongside industry talents like Nick Michaels (Bethnal) and producer Phil Curran.

With a strong presence online and plans to bring his message to the stage across the UK, ‘It’s All Within Time (Travelling Through the Stars)’ marks a powerful new chapter for Stephan Folkes. It’s not just a song—it’s a reminder to honour your past, trust the timing of your life, and never be afraid to walk your own path.