Name: Danny Ward aka Balaphonic
Nationality: British
Occupation: Drummer, producer, DJ
Current release: Balaphonic's Organic Matters EP is out via NuNorthern Soul.
Recommendations on the topic of sound: Oliver Sacks ‘Musicophilia’ has some fascinating anecdotes of what deaf people still perceive as sounds that they ‘hear’ and is a wonderful and thought provoking book for me.
‘Perfect Sound Forever’ by Rob Jovanovic is a brilliant insight into how our perceptions and experience of listening, consuming and producing recorded music have changed alongside developments in technology over the years.
I’d recommend ‘The Practice of Practice’ by Jonathan Harnum to anybody engaging in any hobby or occupation which they are interested in developing. It’s immediately focused on musical performance but translates to anything and is an easy and entertaining read….
Lastly, ‘Notes and Tones’ by Art Taylor. Interviews with prominent jazz musicians by a master drummer himself. Great anecdotes, and insight.

If you enjoyed this Balaphonic interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, and bandcamp. 



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

I listen to and play music in a lot of different ways and contexts, as a performer, an accompanist, a DJ, writer, sound engineer, archivist, lover and dancer, and in a lot of different physical situations so the response can be very varied accordingly, even with the same piece of music or sound.

I do often close my eyes when playing drums, and sometimes in the studio, and at certain times if relaxing and listening, but this is mainly to focus solely on what I’m hearing so for the most part I’m oblivious to what it might trigger in terms of visuals.

However, there are definitely times when I have been acutely aware of this, particularly post club or party come down-sometimes fractals, sometimes more fluid patterns, different colours, but I don’t often experience synaesthesia as a rule of thumb.

I do however experience physical and emotional reactions quite acutely. As for many I’m sure, certain sounds or records can trigger a whole spectrum of emotions which in turn can trigger the physical, from joy and laughter to tears to extreme discomfort and even repulsion … but there are also always those ‘hairs on the back of your arm’ moments.

How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

I don’t often listen to music through headphones for ‘pleasure’.

If I’m listening to experience or enjoy recorded music I’m generally enjoying the way it translates through a sound system or into a room. Otherwise it can feel claustrophobic. I’m certainly not someone who will wear headphones whilst engaging in other activities-out walking, shopping, practicing sports etc. I much prefer to be ‘in the moment’.

I do however end up experiencing music through headphones constantly when DJing. This is mainly a much more analytical or academic experience- a means to an end in transitioning between tracks. Often I’m a ‘one ear on’ kind of person-I’m balancing the tracks against each other, playing with the best way I might help them compliment each other.

It’s a means to an end-ultimately I’m trying to create an ‘enjoyable’ listening experience, but that’s again going to be through the system rather than the headphones themselves. The same goes with referencing in the studio.

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

The first artist I can really remember engaging with purely for their sound was Miles Davis. I became a huge fan as an early teen and this took me down a route, both forwards, backwards and sideways which still influences me today.

As a drummer I was, and still am hugely influenced by Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Jack DeJohnette right through to more recent masters such as Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and Bill Stewart, but there’s a whole host of heroes in this respect.



When I first heard Airto and Flora Purim (who appears on my new Balaphonic record on the track ‘Switch’, it opened me up to the world of Brazilian percussion, which has had a huge influence on my musical life, again particularly for this project.



There are certain record labels which have a distinct ‘sound’ and aesthetic that have had a real impact: Blue Note and Impulse at the Van Gelder studios, ECM records for that beautiful accuracy and space, CTi Records for the incredible arrangements, ensembles and playing and of course the iconic design and artwork that have gone hand in hand.

The same goes for many more contemporary electronic labels, particularly from my experiences making and playing House and Techno as a DJ, but it’s the love of former that have really shaped me towards where I’m at now.

[Read our Ars Ludicra interview about the Van Gelder studios]

Do you experience strong emotional responses towards certain sounds? If so, what kind of sounds are these and do you have an explanation about the reasons for these responses?

As mentioned above I definitely do, though there’s not always a constant pattern.

There can be sounds which feel highly irritating to us and then there are others we could gladly listen to for hours. Do you have examples for either one or both of these?

I have misophonia. Certain, for many insignificant, sounds can drive me to the point of rage to the exclusion of everything else around me. If there’s music playing that I don’t like I can react extremely too. Generally I’m out of there, FAST.

The interesting thing is that the rules don’t always follow-a real pet hate is snoring-it can drive me nuts, and yet I have a cat who snores and I find it incredibly comforting. If she’s sleeping next to me it can actually encourage me to sleep-go figure.

I can listen to music that I love forever however, either relaxing or DJing. I really enjoy playing long sets and often play for 6 hours plus on a gig which I really love. In the studio I will sometimes work on a very simple, short loop for hours and hours, constantly listening and subtly shaping to the point that time disappears. This can also often happen whilst playing drums for me.

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

I’m always acutely aware of the ‘sound’ of spaces I’m in. As a drummer, and to an extent a DJ, you are playing the room as much as the instrument and have to adjust your playing accordingly. Sometimes I try to visualise myself at the back or the top of the room and imagine I’m projecting the sound towards that point.

Some spaces are definitely more challenging than others-the extremes of ‘dry’ or ‘dead’, the warmth of wood, the huge reverberant stone spaces … but if you listen and accept you can usually find the sound you want to hear in there somewhere.

The most challenging environments can be the otherwise noisy ones in this respect though-busy bars or environments where there is a lot of loud chatting or shouting can be incredibly challenging.

Have you ever been in spaces with extreme sonic characteristics, such as anechoic chambers or caves? What was the experience like?

I’ve briefly been in the anechoic chamber at Salford University when playing/guest lecturing there. A very disconcerting experience.

At the other extreme I have, as mentioned above, played drums in Churches, Cathedrals and concert halls where the huge reverb has meant a real reconsideration of performance and sound.

What are among your favourite spaces to record and play your music?

A largely wooden space with some warm, natural open resonance is always wonderful for me, drums and DJ wise, though as mentioned above I’ll generally try my best to find the best of anywhere.

I’m very lucky to have a dedicated studio in the cellar where we live, it’s a relatively small space, but has a sound that I’m used to after mixing and recording hundreds of releases in it over the last 20 years which is half the battle.

Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you're sculpting or shaping something?

Over the last few years I’ve been doing more and more ‘straight’ mix engineering for various artists and labels, mainly in conjunction with the fantastic mastering engineer, Rob Small. Someone I feel very lucky to work alongside.

One thing I enjoy about this is that it allows a very clear focus: it’s about listening without value judgement, but hearing and understanding the dynamic and harmonic ranges of the music, then representing and balancing that to maximise its audibility for the context of mastering for commercial release.

With a stereo field, I tend to think about it as almost being a three dimensional painting; there is a finite frame-top, bottom and sides, but also with a field of depth, both in front, and behind the speakers.

I sometimes visualise the shapes of the sounds in terms of transients or waves that travel towards and away from me, but through layers or washes of colours that might be more linear, or ‘pad’ type sounds. These will vary in height according to where they are prominent in the frequency range, but also depth in terms of the velocity of the transients.

It’s not easy to describe, but I’m thinking about these shapes and how I can influence them to work with each other harmoniously, nothing blocking or inhibiting the movement of another, where they do cross paths, the transition being complimentary, whether it be abrupt or smooth.

In that sense it definitely feels like ‘sculpting and shaping’.

How important is sound for our overall well-being and in how far do you feel the "acoustic health" of a society or environment is reflective of its overall health?

I truly believe that it is intrinsic and necessary to concern ourselves in this way. Not only in the environments we create and put ourselves in, but the way we create, experience and value music.

The move towards AI produced music, software or algorithmically produced sounds, experiencing low bitrate, heavily compressed sounds through smaller speakers or wireless headphones is removing our basic human experience and connection, creating abstract demand on our sensibilities and exhausting us and it shows in our steady decline in terms of mental health and interpersonal relationships.

As to ‘cause and effect’, that’s something for deeper reflection for me, but I feel there is a spiral into which we are falling.It’s part of the inspiration behind bringing the focus to acoustic instruments and human interactions in the Balaphonic project and something of which I was particularly aware in making ‘Orgainc Matters’, hence giving it that name.

Hope lies however with the true music makers. If you want to feel healing go to a gig, pause by a busker, listen to a poet, bang a drum, sing a song to yourself, dance with your friends in front of a soundsystem, splash in water, delight in purring of a cat or the babble of children ... the revolution starts here!

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

I’m lucky to spend a lot of time in the mountains (I have another life as a ski instructor). One thing that can be so beautiful is to experience the cushioned silence of heavy snow, but also, as the season passes, the waking of nature-sudden birdsong, insects buzzing, leaves opening to rustle.

Last April I took a walk in the woodlands in the foothills in Chamonix and was very much overwhelmed with all these sounds, and smells as I took stock sitting on a rock. It was only when a walker stopped to ask me if I was ok that I realised I had no idea of how long I’d been there, or even sitting in the first place.

I was completely in the moment. A rare gift.

Many animals communicate through sound. Based either on experience or intuition, do you feel as though interspecies communication is possible and important? Is there a creative element to it, would you say?  

As mentioned above, I’m a cat lover, but also most animals. (I would love a dog but the lifestyle these days would still not be appropriate). I’ve been around horses and cows in the past and experienced their sensibilities around humans which can often be way more acute and attuned than our own.

Interspecies communication is happening all the time, we tend to choose when we engage or not. I think any experience where we have to modify our understood communication habits to accommodate something, or someone new, is incredibly creative, and necessary.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

I can find myself in very noisy environments. I don’t always use earplugs, I would rather control the levels of noise in the environment myself if possible, but otherwise I’ll use them.

As a drummer I’ve made a conscious decision to choose cymbals which are low in volume and not over bright in terms of harmonics. Many of the gigs I do are with acoustic piano or double bass, so that sets a healthy dynamic level, but otherwise I’d rather mic things up than block things out, same in the studio.

It can be tricky when you are working with others who use hearing protection when you are not in that I have found that they tend to turn up to compensate for the reduction by the plugs … things spiral louder.

I experience tinnitus when I’m tired or have been over exposed to loud noise or environments. I also suffer with Menieres which means I can get sensations of vertigo from time to time. Again, it’s triggered by tiredness or over exposure, but also (unfortunately) alcohol or caffeine … (the joys of getting older!).

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

As mentioned above, silence can be wonderful, but is so rare.

Personally I generally delight in what I experience as hearing, whether it’s music, nature, people, language, machinery … I tend to try to find time to listen as much as hear.

Seth S. Horowitz called hearing the “universal sense” and emphasised that it was more precise and faster than any of our other senses, including vision. How would our world be different if we paid less attention to looks and listened more instead?

I’m actually not sure …. for most of us it’s hard to separate, even if we are impaired in one way or another our brains will tend to compensate in one way or another…