This Is What Happens When the Drummer Decides to Play Everything Himself

Weird Music Wednesday: “Grebfruit” by Benny Greb

Jun 24, 2026

Ok, not quite everything, but close… Celebrating its 20th birthday this year, Benny Greb’s Grebfruit is a fantastic example of showing off… In the weirdest way possible. It’s also the kind of record that makes you want to put your drumsticks down, sit on your hands, and reconsider your life choices. While some drummers treat their solo albums as an excuse to play as many notes as humanly possible until the listener begs for mercy, Greb approached this project with a cheeky grin and a surprising amount of musicality (I’m supposed to add “for a drummer” to the end of that sentence but I’m not going to!). It’s an album that manages to be technically absurd while still being fun enough to listen to without a degree in rhythm theory.

While the drumming is crazy good, the most fascinating element is his vocal work. Forget standard lyrics; Greb uses his voice as an extension of his percussion, employing it as a rhythm section, a melodic synthesizer, and a rhythmic texture all at once. His vocals aren’t there to tell you a story; they are there to lock in with the kick drum or provide a counter-melody to a hi-hat pattern. It’s essentially melodic beatboxing evolved into a high-art form, and the perfect solution to the problem of, how does a drummer write melody if they’re not also a maestro on guitar or keyboards? This is how.

The real showstopper, unsurprisingly, is the title track, “Grebfruit.” It stands out because it perfectly encapsulates the album’s mission statement: high-level musicianship that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Rather than leaning on a traditional band structure, Greb essentially turns his kit into an orchestra. He treats the drum set as a multi-tonal palette, meticulously coaxing varied textures from his snares, cymbals, and percussion toys. The groove is absolutely locked in, yet it’s filled with those tiny, clever flourishes that serve as a reminder that Greb is playing on a level most of us only dream of. It’s the anchor of the album, providing just enough structure to keep the experimental elements from floating off into space while striking the perfect balance between silly and serious.