Hal Darling is a composer who plays drums. He plays keyboards a little too, as the drums have certain limitations as a medium for composition. He first picked up the sticks at age six following the examples set by two older brothers. By age thirteen he developed an attraction for rock music that was complex, influenced by jazz and classical ideas. His high school years were spent playing and eventually writing music that was truly awful, - but it aspired to be something more. He went on to study with jazz great Ralph Humphrey and studio legend Joe Porcaro at the Percussion Institute in Los Angeles. A brief stint as a studio drummer was followed by clinical presentations and private teaching. A search for the perfect gig led to a move to Europe, which in turn resulted in his decision to build a studio. Upon his return to the United States he chose to abandon live work and concentrate on composition and recording. In December of 1996, Hal released his eponymously titled debut to worldwide critical acclaim. His second effort was released in the second quarter of 2003. Hal hopes to refine his instrumental and compositional experiments in a fashion that will provide the listener with music that is as entertaining as it is challenging. Hal Darling could be described as a contemporary instrumental musician, let´s call him as a picture painter, or better saying, a painter of musical portraits. In fact Hal Darling is a composer of Progressive Rock Art music, where each composition takes us on a different musical picture, his music is centered around keyboards and drums, with complex arrangements and many instrumental explorations, driven by precise dynamic rhythms, while the keyboards add one symphonic musical atmosphere, and the drums sound as a fine paintbrush, creating a different environmental effect into the all songs, which sometimes sounds like an experimental orchestration. For one better definition, Hal Darling plays styles and influences around bands as: "The Mothers of Invention", "King Crimson", "EL&P", "Gong" and "Magma". "D2R" album consists of twelve tracks and was released in 2003, all songs written by Hal Darling with additional creative input by Brice Darling. Tracked and mixed at the Recording Facility, Omaha. All production and engineering considerations supervised by Hal Darling/Drums Productions. A special and particular attention to and my favourite songs are: "Clown on Fire", "Black Rhyme", "Where Seraphs Despair", "Aggressive Biological Behavior", "An Unsettled Score", "Dog Dreams", "Mr. Smith Shows the Children How to Smoke a Cigarette" and "Asunder". The main musician on this project is: Hal Darling - All manner of Percussives and Keyboards, with special guests: Uri Gatton - All Electric, Acoustic and Midi Guitars and Athan Gailis - All woodwinds, brass and Midi horns. Brilliant and indispensable work, highly recommendable...