Working Batterie, Volume One is a rhythm-first, genre-hopping LP produced by Pierre de Gaillande and released on Clearly Records. The concept began with a conversation between de Gaillande and punk icon Mike Watt(Minutemen, fIREHOSE), who shared his desire to center the drum set—la batterie—as the driving force in composition. That sparked this bold, collaborative recording project built entirely from the drums up.

De Gaillande curated raw, inspired drum performances from some of today’s most inventive players, including Georgia Hubley (Yo La Tengo), Kenny Wollesen, Dion Thurman, Yuval Lion, and more. These were sent to Watt, who laid down his signature basslines in San Pedro, igniting the rhythm section for a rotating cast of world-class musicians.

The record spans spacy improvisation, jazz, punk, and rock, and features electrifying contributions from Nels Cline(Wilco), Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars), Tony Scalzo (Fastball), Stephen Ulrich (Big Lazy), and others. The result is a deep, urgent, and genre-defying album grounded in anti-fascist, working-class conviction and full-spectrum creativity.

Pressed on vinyl and wrapped in stunning original artwork by Christophe Cassidy, this is an object of sound and vision that demands a place in every serious crate-digger’s collection.

For fans of: Minutemen, Wilco, Sonic Youth, ESG, Tom Waits, and the DIY ethos.