Nicholas Piantedosi, known as Decap, is a record producer whose Drums That Knock sample packs have shaped songs by artists including Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Bad Bunny and BTS. The series’ widespread use highlights how an influential creator can remain largely anonymous while affecting music across multiple genres.

First released in 2016, Drums That Knock has reached its 11th instalment, with producer Kenny Beats saying Decap “changed a million lives with a single snare”. Decap relies on Ableton Live, values soft clipping for warmth and impact, and still treasures his 1998 Boss SP-202 sampler; he also argues that phone speakers fail to convey deep bass, rejects hardware gatekeeping, and recommends creating, finishing and moving on rather than chasing perfection.