Robin Stone must use Facebook Messenger or other internet programs to chat to people from his drum studio.

Unsurprisingly, the phone reception is not good when you are inside a custom-designed shipping container buried underground in the side of a hill in country New South Wales.

The studio is not long finished and is an upgrade from a generator-powered caravan he used to record in on a farm.

His friends jokingly dubbed it the "meth lab" as a nod to the hit TV show Breaking Bad.

"Last year we had bushfires come through and wipe out sheds and properties, so my landlord said, 'Let's just bury a shipping container'," he said.

"He's a go-getter type of person, he doesn't beat around the bush."

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'I've got busier and busier'

It is from the shipping container that Stone writes, practices and records custom-ordered drum tracks on his kit to send to bands around the world.

With live musicians unable to play gigs, he said many have used their time in lockdown to write and record new albums, which has allowed him to now become a full-time session drummer.

"At first it felt weird because all my musician mates aren't making any money and struggling and I've got busier and busier," he said.

"If you get it wrong, it sounds awful."

Sending files around the world at night

Because of file sizes and internet reception, Stone records his drum tracks during the day and sends them overnight while he sleeps.

It works particularly well for overseas clients because he can wake up to feedback and make adjustments as needed.

He recently finished an album for a band in Finland and two in the United States.

"The time difference often works in my favour."

More time behind the kit

He said in the early days of his business, he grappled with the idea of being a "gun for hire" musician rather than focusing on finding success with one band.

While he does have his own band called Norse, ultimately it comes down to the opportunity to play professionally.

"I never started this for the money, but I Iove playing and I wanted to keep playing as much as possible," he said.

He said his passion for death metal came as a young child listening to Triple J in the country and being captivated by the speed of the drumming.

Without any heavy metal drum teachers available, he would sit in his room for hours improving his technique.

"A lot of it is programmed in a computer because bands can't find anyone to do it, but I grew up thinking it was a real drummer," he said.

"I thought 'that's what I've got to achieve, that's the standard', then when I grew up I was like, 'What do you mean it's a computer?'

"It's a very, very difficult style of music to play."