Sometimes a Synth is Not Necessary
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Ok, so it’s a trend here at Synthtube. We’re posting more stuff that is not necessarily 100% Synthesizer related, directly.
However, we’re sure you’ll agree that something like what we’re presenting today deserves to be mentioned to fans of synthesizer-based music.
Some may be familiar with the pastime/profession of “Beatboxing” – the magical art of being a drum machine by making a bunch of farting noises with your mouth. Don’t get us wrong – we’re thoroughly impressed with the likes of Roxorloops, Killa Kella, and Razhel, but every now and again someone comes along and turns a “genre” on its head.
Today’s example is a young British bloke who calls himself “Mr Beardyman”. Not content to simply enter the standard pissing-contest that is the world of beatboxing today, he decided that he would actually use his talent to make MUSIC. But how does a beatboxer make music? Why, with a microphone, a few FX pedals, and no less than THREE Korg KP-3 Kaoss Pads, of course.
The result of his looping and layering of 100% human voice sounds is simply stunning. Beardyman is truly an eccentric, creating sounds with his mouth as diverse as a chicken clucking, a Roland TB-303 Bass Synth, to name a few. But where his real talent comes in is in looping and arranging these sounds in REAL TIME, and having a bloody decent voice to boot, and putting it all together. Mr.Beardyman once explained a graph, which indicated where a beatboxer’s skill outstripped what the audience actually wanted to hear. There’s none of that here – beardyman clearly knows what he is doing – is a great showman – and doesn’t bore his audiences with technically brilliant imitations of a Roland TR-808, he just uses those imitations as a backdrop for his wider musical “compositions” – as it should be. Drums without bass is not a full rhythm section. A rhythm section without melody and harmony is not a full band.
Mr. Beardyman? He is a full band.
Enjoy.
December 18th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Not bad, but I find this less impressive than Jamie Lidell’s live singing / beatbox / sampling performances, e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo5n3jvdQxk