>>127086146 (OP)I know what you mean. Sometimes I get tired of the loud thumping, banging sound and want to hear something without drums. Drums take up a lot of space in the mix, and they tend to be overpowering. Cymbals, snare and bass drum are the loudest.
But there are other types of percussion which are a little more subtle and aren't as overpowering. In traditional Irish folk music, for example, the bodhrรกn drum provides more of a muffled pulse than big bold banging sound. It doesn't overpower the other instruments.
Partly the problem is modern recording allows everything to be mixed so loud and clear, especially the drums. If you listen to the first few Beatles albums when they just had 4-track tape decks in the studio, the drums are pretty quiet while the vocals harmonies are the dominant thing in the mix. The tech limitations at the time meant drums and guitars were always much quieter than the vocals. I liked that arrangement.
My other pet peeve is the rhythm guitar in instrumental rock lead guitar music (which I listen to a lot). It doesn't really need to be there under the lead, and just makes the mix sound crowded because it is competing in the same frequency with the lead. Keyboard pads are much better because they sit under everything without being as intrusive.