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The Pre-History of Beatboxing

garlic_joy — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:21:50 GMT

Part 1: The Pre-History of Beatboxing
Introduction

It is usually documented that beatboxing, as we know it, has its roots in the beginning of modern hip-hop, on street corners in placed like Chicago, the Bronx, and LA, and this is quite right. However, vocal percussion - the art form from which beatboxing spawns - has been part of the music and urban scene for a lot longer than people think. As part of the new school of beatboxing and hip-hop - that is, from around 1998 to today - it is extremely important this new school knows its history, and the way in which this glorious sub culture came about. Through hard research, I will attempt to show you, the reader, the true (but brief) history of beatboxing.

It first requires a trip back in time, more than 7 decades back, to the era of swing, jazz and barbershop music. It has been well recorded that jazz musicians where the first group of artists who used their voices, and indeed, their whole vocal chords to imitate instruments. When bebop arrived in the 30’s, as a reaction to large swing groups and their lack of improvisation, it was becoming the norm to hear jazz and blues singers wail, moan or grunt noises unidentifiable to the human ear as words. 'Scatting' was used as jazz singers improvised harmonic and vocal scales over solos or instrumentals. This was the first mainstream look at what would become vocal percussion, and later beatboxing. Singers would sing made up words such as 'doot', 'wawp', 'bapadoo' and many others, effectively imitating the sounds of the two most common instruments in their music, saxophones and trumpets. However, the roots of imitating instruments with the human voice goes a few years earlier.
The very beginning...

Travelling right back, we uncover the troubadours (poet-musicians) of Southern France the 1200 and 1300s. These were travelling French minstrels who would roam the streets singing either unaccompanied or with only the accompaniment of a lute, the precursor to the modern acoustic guitar. Their music seemed to try and be different and featured courtly lyrics or religious themes. By the late 1400 and 1500s, groups would sing together, much like barbershop, harmonising to one single voice. To give their music depth, they would interchange short sharp notes, call and responsive in the melodies, making it sound like a whole band was playing with them. These French gypsies, were in fact the earliest recorded signs of vocal percussion in history.
Vocalise

As medieval became baroque, baroque became classical, classical became romantic, human percussion was lost momentarily. As music swung towards Bach and Beethoven with oratorios and symphonies comprising dozens of violins and violas, the use for the human voice lost all but one purpose, to sing. However, more recent composers such as Medtner and Rachmaninov used wordless 'vocalised' sounds in their classical compositions. For example, Rachmaninov's composition for voice and piano called 'Vocalise', written in 1912, features a pure melody that unfolds over gently changing wordless vocal harmonies.
Alms for Shanti What about Indian music?

North Indian music has for centuries (and perhaps millennia) used something called 'vocal bols' that sound very similar to the sounds played on percussive instruments such as the tabla. The most common bols are Dha, Dhi/Dhin, Ti/Tin, Ra, Ki, Ta, Na, Tin, and Te. Bols are combined and arranged in 4-beat patterns called thekas to provide the rhythm or tal. For example, "Ta Dhin Dhin Dha". These are still used today by a wide range of artists and bands such as Alms For Shanti on their track SuperBol (spot the pun?). Although not a direct ancestor of modern beatboxing, this parallel will no doubt find itself fused with beatboxing in the future.
From Africa to America

African ritualistic music had traditionally used body sounds to maintain rhythm, such as clapping and stamping. Loud in-and-out breathing called 'over breathing' was also used as both a two-beat rhythm and to induce a trance like state in the performers. Vocal percussion patterns were also used such as, "hup, hup, hup, hup" and "Ch Ka Ch Ch". Today, West African music still uses techniques such as giving the voice an intentionally raspy or buzzy quality as well as featuring glissandos, bends, and swoops.

In the 17th Century, African slaves were taken to plantations in Jamaica and the Americas where the African music was blended with European folk and brass band music to spawn new forms of music - namely jazz and blues.
Barbershop

BarbershopIn the late 1880s, black groups (usually quartets) would sing a capella, that is, using only their harmonized voices to make music. They would hold long, low notes that resemble what we hear as bass sounds in modern beatboxing. Vocal percussion was used by these quartets to help their music keep time, such as clicks of the tongue and taking a sharp breath in. Yes, more then a hundred years before Kenny Muhammad, black barbershop singers mastered the inward snare. Even though vocal percussion was only the background to this style of music, it no doubt set the stage for the oncoming craze of scatting and bass humming in the wave of jazz, blues, and swing music that was just a few years away.
Blues and Vocal Percussion

When blues was brought about by black slaves telling the heart ache of life, there wasn’t usually instruments at hand. Musicians would improvise with what little they had, their body and their voices. Claps and clicks became the drums, and low hums became the double bass; the two back bones of blues and jazz music. One would hum, one would clap, click and hit things as the drums, and one would sing. This would eventually evolve into imitating many sounds, such as the 'shhchh' of a soft snare and the 'tssa' of the hi-hat being played with brushes. Blues groups found a way to make their music with nothing but their voices. As blues became more and more mainstream, scatting and bass humming became well known. Higher range singers would wail long, joined notes, taking the place of the trumpet in solos. Immediately, this form of vocal percussion became a staple of urban culture, that is, culture of the street. Poor artists would roam the streets, or gather on street corners, imitating trumpets and saxophones outside jazz halls.
Today

Today, beatboxing and vocal percussion is as alive as ever. One only needs to lend an ear to the Australian charts to hear Joel Turner using beatboxing as the drums to an entire album. Joel has since claimed national glory, and multimillion dollar record deal and mainstream exposure. The formation of such groups as the Beatbox Alliance, who have major corporate backing, makes us realise beatboxing is now a card carrying member of the hip-hop community. In 2000, Rahzel made beatboxing famous in the mainstream by covering the now deceased Aaliyah’s song 'If Your Girl Only Knew'. Rahzel has since been credited as the first person to conquer the art of simultaneously singing and beatboxing at the same time, a feat that has become a staple of the beatbox community.

from>>>http://www.humanbeatbox.com/history/p2_articleid/27

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Relentless Heartache, 14th Feb 2008 Seattle WA (Beatbox and Experimental/Abstract Dance together on one tiny stage)

greatdane — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:59:25 GMT

Beatboxing and Moooooooooooooozik by dane
Dance by Paige Barnes
Its a collection of the love plays of theater festival 14/48. Including Dane and Paige's Beatbox Experimental dance piece.

14th February 2008 - 8pm
CHAC
Capitol Hill Arts Center
1621 12th Ave
Seatte, WA 98122
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/26064

--------------------------------------------
Over the past ten years, 14/48: the worlds quickest theatre festival has produced more than 350 short new plays. Many of these works address the preposterous and heart-breaking way humans fall in and out of love, surrender to the will of Eros, and struggle for intimacy.

The best of the best of these love plays are being restaged by the original casts and directors for one night only, Valentines Day, February 14, 2008, at the Capitol Hill Arts Center.

Classic 14/48 masterpieces by Scot Augustson, Louis Broome, Carl Sander and Wayne Rawley
Direction by Amy Thone, Brian Faker, Hans Altwies, Jenifer Jasper and Tina La Plant
Augmented by a six piece band led by 14/48 veteran bandmaster Brendan Hogan
Dances by Ten-Tiny guest choreographers Crispin Spaeth and Paige Barnes
Poetry by William Butler Yeats

Featuring the artistry of Alycia Delmore Annette Toutonghi Jodi Paul Wooster Kerri Brown Seanjohn Walsh Ben Laurence Mark Fullerton Keira McDonald Deniece Bleha Ben Laurence Peggy Poage James Lapan Erin Kraft Chris Stewart Alan Echison Mike Owcharuk James Frounfelter Dante Bliss Kolb Dane Wilson Matthew Richter

Relentless Heartache is a production of Carl Sander, The Capitol Hill Arts Center,
and 14/48: the worlds quickest theater festival

NOTE: No-one under 14 years old will be admitted.

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Downtown Vancouver BC beatboxing?

Navid — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:45:29 GMT

I've been beatboxing for 2 years now, and I've yet to meet anyone in BC who is serious about beatboxing.. I thought this place would be the place to go to to meet some peeps who like to rip sick beats and chill in downtown. I've been searching for places beatboxers go, but I guess BC just doesn't have too many beatboxers? If you're out there, drop me a line and let's jam.

posted in Beatboxing - 2 replies

Beatboxing is for Everyone

Oliver — Sat, 13 May 2006 01:50:07 GMT

I found Shelly's posting to be so beautiful and inspiring. It reminded me of an experience I had on the bus a few weeks ago; I was riding in the back of the bus and softly making beats and melodies with my mouth, when a buch of elementary school kids got on and came to the back to sit by me. At first they weren't so sure about me, but I just kept right boxing and threw in a couple of funny high-pitched noises for their benefit, pumping the volume up and inviting them to join me. Much giggling ensued, but it wasn't long before I had the whole group of kids giving it a try, myself leading with the beat and all of them joining in with some great experimental sounds. It occured to me that if someone had taught me to box when I was 9 or 10 years old, my skills today might be much greater and my throat chakra vastly more open and free. So, for the next generation of mouths, I encourage anyone who beatboxes to watch for oppportunities to share this gift with children. They will teach you a thing or two, as well.

loveoliver

posted in Beatboxing - 3 replies

Vancouver Larynxemble

kylepastor — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 10:33:29 GMT

Hello Beatboxers and Vocal Sound Improvisers

I'm Kyle. I'm in Vancouver, BC. Several times now I've joined with people at random on the street for some acapella invention. I've been practicing incessantly, and thinking a little too! I think it's about time to put together an ensemble. I have some really exciting ideas of performance and practice techniques that a group of any number of beatboxers could use.

Anyone around? Let's jam!

Boom Boom Chick. Ba doom boom chick.

Love Kyle

posted in Beatboxing - 2 replies

awesome gig

looppool — Tue, 23 May 2006 01:57:32 GMT

I just played an amazing gig at the Coastline Brewery in Santa Cruz last Wednesday.

The show was packed with beatboxers with Addam Ant the Plumber, San Francisco's amazing
multi-instrumentalist, Genie (who did an awesome set opening up for Thomas Dolby's first gig in 15 years a few weeks back in SF).............

Doug Wright from Las Vegas did a cool set with EWI (the electronic syntesizer controlled by a sax like
midi instrument) and I did a fairly avante garde set for mostly voice (and a few found sound instruments).

But the killer was the headliner, Radioactive , the amazing beatboxer from Spearhead.

I think of myself as a pretty good beatboxer and I have extensive experience with the Line 6 DL-4
footpedal live looper but I felt like I was in kindegarten listening to Radioactive.

man, oh man, he was amazing! Not only was his command of his two Line 6 DL-4s (one of which, amazingly , he had just purchased, having never played with two before) amazing but he did
a piece while his guitar player was setting up where all he did was beat box.

I've been lucky to have performed with Kid Beyond, Kid Lucky and a whole slew of really professional
and talented beatboxers but this was the most impressive beatboxing I've ever seen live.

He also brought a wonderful guitarist from New Orleans and we were all fortunate enough to do a big
jam at the end of the nice with Raymond on trapset and the rest of us playing whatever was at hand.

The only downside:::::: it was really poorly promoted and there were only about 15 people in the audience the whole evening.

I felt like I got a masters thesis presentation on what is possible in beatboxing. I'm so fucking turned on after having seen it.

Wish you all had been there.

rick

posted in Beatboxing - 1 reply

wonderful free online beatbox tutorials from TyTe

looppool — Tue, 20 Apr 2004 01:35:40 GMT

I sat at home and learned a ton of cool new sounds
today, thanks to these free tutorials I discovered on the
web by UK beatboxer TyTe.

http://www.humanbeatbox.com/tutorials/video/

I finally have a convincing backwards kick and snare.

thanks TyTe!!!!!!!

posted in Beatboxing - 1 reply

stumbled on this vid clip

looppool — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:20:43 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEohJsj5Q58&mode=related&search=

Naji Amhali pretty fun stuff.

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

teaching my girl to beatbox...

shelley — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:18:36 GMT

so a few months ago i was hired at an agency where i take care of three disabled teenaged girls. one of my girls is blind and non-vocal(doesn't use language to communicate) but who's favorite way to pass the time is to make weird, loud crazy sounds and laugh at them. and if you make weird noises, she laughs. she used to just scream high pitched at the top of her lungs for kicks, but shortly after i started working with her, i found it was the perfect opportunity for me to play with my voice unabashedly, and ended up getting alot more comfortable with my voice...the funniest thing happened though; she started trying to figure out how i made the sounds i was making. she started making low grunty noises trying to figure out how i was making these noises she apparetly finds hilarious. it's such a wicked trip.

posted in Beatboxing - 5 replies

LA area beatboxers

Sat, 23 Jul 2005 04:45:00 GMT

If you teach, please message me privately. I have some students for ya..

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Who are the Woman beatboxers?

looppool — Sat, 14 Feb 2004 12:33:43 GMT

I just counted and there are 9 women in this tribe of 25 people interested in beatboxing.

Are you guys beatboxing? Do you know any really good
women beatboxers?

I"m completey ignorant, myself..........so edumacate me please.

posted in Beatboxing - 15 replies

LIVE LOOPING TRIBE started

looppool — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 08:07:38 GMT

I did an incredible show with 5 beatboxers last year in San Francisco, all using live looping gear (including the amazing Kid Beyond and Kid Lucky) so thought it would be appropriate to share this with you all:

With the two largest live looping events scheduled in history for this summer in Zurich Switzerland and Santa Cruz, California I think it is time to have a tribe that specifically addresses the phenomenae ofI LIVE LOOPING. A tribe for all the people who love using either
software or hardware based to perform in public.

Not intended to compete with this tribe (or any tribe)
we will discuss aesthetic aspects of performing live
with looping gear; share stories of our origins, aspirations, frustrations, gear lust, gear tragedies, etc.

Come join if this sounds interesting:

LiveLooping.tribe.net

Thanks, Rick Walker aka l()()p.p()()l

posted in Beatboxing - 2 replies

Infinite and Soulati of Felonious at a freestyle battle!

thegoddessofdawn — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 20:54:38 GMT

In Oakland, june 18th, 8pm $10
Oakland Metro, 2nd and Broadway(by Jack London)
32 emcee's battle it out, and bringin the beatbox will be two of my faves.

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

beatboxing.com showcase featuring Nicoluminous,Fogatron, and Kid Lucky

freshblossom — Sat, 04 Jun 2005 06:33:51 GMT

Yo yo, Be sure to check out the beatbox night of the year in Portland. Fri June 24th @ Berbatis Pan Portland,OR
featuring NicoLuminous and Fogatron( Luminous Fog)
and Kid lucky of NYC. all types of experimental Beatbox organic
stlye and with fx. living the 5th element of Hiphop into new evolutions.peace!

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Joel Turner

tattboy68 — Thu, 30 Dec 2004 03:51:09 GMT

Joel Turner
- Australian beatboxer hit No.1 with These Kids - Nov 2004

http://joelturner.com.au

http://www.undercover.com.au/news/2004/nov04/20041129_joelturner.html

http://www.hmv.com.au/product/singles.asp?SValue=JOEL+TURNER&column=description&fmt=Any&sku=941639

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

wikki wikki...

anastajah — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 07:48:51 GMT

Does anyone know Kirian? Met him @ BM, incredible beatboxer. Have footage of him dueting with a life size chicken. I'm sure he needs that...for something.

posted in Beatboxing - 1 reply

Portland?

~*~ Cynthia ~*~ — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 17:20:44 GMT

Where can I hear you guys in PDX, OR???????????

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Y2K4 International Live Looping Festival next weekend

looppool — Sun, 03 Oct 2004 08:09:56 GMT

Hi, I thought the folks in this tribe might want to know about this really cool festival.

Kid Beyond (the fantastic beatboxer, Andrew Chaikin) will
be performing on Saturday as a featured artist.

We're bringing 50 live looping artists from 5 countries to perform for four days in San Francisco and
Santa Cruz (where the main festival will be this coming Saturday and Sunday).
I hope you can make it. If you come from this tribe, please come up and say hello if you make one of the
events.

yours, rick walker aka L()()p.p()()L

Y2K4 International Live Looping Festival October 7th -11th, 2004

SCHEDULE for THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7th
The LUGGAGE STORE
1007 Market St. San Francisco

admission: $6-$10/admission (opener begins at 8 p.m.)

9:00 The INAMI/WALKER/WAGNER International Looping Trio

SCHEDULE for FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8th
QUESTION MARK GALLERY Santa Cruz
in the Pearl Alley Building behind the Pacific Garden Mall

admission: FREE

8:00 Michael Klobuchar (USA)*
9:00 Bernhard Wagner (Switzerland)*
10:00 Sunao Inami (Japan)*

MAIN FESTIVAL for SATURDAY and SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9th and 10th
The RESONANT CHURCH, Santa Cruz
429 Pennsylvania (1/4 block south of Soquel Avenue across from Rite Aid/Albertson's)

admission: $10/per day no one turned away for lack of funds

SCHEDULE for SATURDAY,OCTOBER 9th
12 noon Scott Kungha Drengsen (USA) -1
12:30 Krispen Hartung (Idaho, USA)-2
1:00 Trey Donovan (USA) -1
1:30 Craig McCollough (USA) - 2
2:00 Stanosaur (USA) -1
2:30 LX Rudis (USA) - 2
3:00 Kid Beyond -1 (USA) -1*
3:30 Cochlear Electrolysis (Minnesota,USA) -2
4:00 Andre Custodio (USA)- 1
4:30 Matt Davignon (USA)- 2
5:00 ghost 7 -M (Massachussetts, USA) -1
5:30 DINNER BREAK
7:00 Rena Jones (USA)-1*
7:30 Dark Muse (USA) -2
8:00 Sunao Inami (JAPAN) (HEADLINER) -1*
8:30 Armatronix (USA) -2
9:00 Ted Killian (Oregon, USA) -1*
9:30 e o (USA) -2
10:00 James Sidlo (Texas, USA)/Rick Walker (USA) -1
10:30 Are Jay Hoffman (USA) -2
11:00 Joe Balestreri (USA)-1

SCHEDULE for SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10th
12 NOON Kitundu (Iceland) -1*
12:30 Ahl-i Nafs -2 (David Giovachini and Susan Sammel) (USA) -2
1:00 Daniel Thomas (USA)- 1
1:30 Chris Cohn (USA) -2
2:00 Peter Chester & Rob Cross (USA) -1
2:30 Amar (USA) - 2
3:00 Dr Richard Zvonar & Bob Rice (USA) -1
3:30 Warren Sirota (New York, USA)-2
world premiere: Multi Loop software
4:00 Mark Hamburg (USA) -1
4:30 Alex Stahl (USA) -2
5:00 Bernhard Wagner (Switzerland) -M -1
5:30 DINNER BREAK
7:00 Michael Klobuchar (Pennsyvlania, USA)-1*
7:30 Larry Cooperman (USA) -2
8:00 Daniel Lewis (USA) -1 *
8:30 Gary Regina (USA) -2
9:00 Brian Kenney Fresno (Mars) - 1
9:30 Bill Walker & George Perry-2
10:00 Wayne Jackson (USA) - 1
10:30 George Demarest (Massachusetts, USA) -2
11:00 Timothy Crowe (USA)-1

SCHEDULE for MONDAY, OCTOBER 11th
1:00 Annual Loopers Luncheon at the CATALYST, Santa Cruz

Asterisked PERFORMERS are Featured Perfomers
Numbers refer to stage numbers
All artists that say (USA) are from California
SUNAO INAMI is our official Headliner for the festival.

My sincerest thanks go out to the following people.

Webmaster: Bernhard Wagner,
Poster/brochure and Website artwork designer: Ted Killian
Poster/T-shirt photography: Andrew Kaiser (for 'the spiral')
T-shirt design: Rick Walker (ooops, that's me)
T-shirt printing: Jason Gellis
Stage management: Chris Cohn
Simulcast organizer: Bernhard Wagner
Streaming bandwidth provided by ETHERIC NETWORKS
and.....
All the artists who have donated all of their time and who have all
travelled to perform at their own expense.

This festival is run on virtually no budget. The fact that it has become so big and wonderful is a testiment to the live looping community all over the world. None of this would have been possible without the existence of Loopers Delight, founded and maintained by Kim Flint. He just told us that this incredibly informative and exciting website has over 900,000 page views per month now. Thanks Kim for all of your energy, time and financial contribution to this community.

See you all there, I hope!!!!

yours, Rick Walker (festival organizer)

ps Sadly, Concert headliner, Italy's Roberto Zorzi's has had to cancel his tour to the US because of the illness of his partner Paola. Our heart is with them both and we pray for her speedy recovery.

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Seeking female (or male) beatboxer...

likethegoddess — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 20:13:53 GMT

for women's acapella funk choir. You want to lay down the beats for some funk classics? We're forming the group now. Lots of potential. Fun guaranteed. Contact me.

Men welcome, so long as you wear a dress for performances. :D

posted in Beatboxing - 2 replies

Check out my skillz, peeps!

Wed, 28 Jul 2004 05:23:23 GMT

http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/armatronix/

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

vocal percussion jams

hernancortez — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 17:26:22 GMT

Hello everyone.
I have just started up a new tribe specifically for live jamming in the SF bay area.

The basis is to have an open mic solely for learning purposes not entertainment or other reasons. I am sure it could evolve into "..and entertainment, showcase and battle." For now maybe the focus will be student-community, sharing, learning and practice.

It will also cater to facilitating live jams world wide .

For now we will document our efforts to create a learning space in our own backyard.

Hopefully this will inspire others to do it elsewhere.

The concept is open to enhancement and changing. Structural improving, if you will.

We will look forward to your inspiration and energy.

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

Describe your favorite beatboxing sounds: Let's share techniques

looppool — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 03:49:46 GMT

I just posted how I make my faux TR 808 kick drum sound
in an earlier thread and it occurred to me that it would be really fun and instructional for us all to share some of our
favorite tricks with each other.

It would also be good to get feedback on how facilitative our
descriptions are. As an example, I wonder if anyone was able to get that TR 808 sound from my description.

Descriptions of vocal techniques can be really equivocal so it's good to know if you are instructing well.

I'll start first...........

posted in Beatboxing - 7 replies

Last weekend of Bright River (Berkeley)

simbubba — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 18:37:08 GMT

This one's a not-to-miss event (at least for the locals).

Info below.
-Simran

“A bus ride into the light. A gritty, musical, inspired beatboxers' tour of the afterlife...The
poetry, pathos, and beat suck you in, and the music is fantastic.”
-Sam Hurwitt, East Bay Express, 3/10/04

Epic Arts presents

THE BRIGHT RIVER
A show by Tim Barsky with Jess Ivry, Shree Shyam & Andrew Chaikin

EXTENDED - 2 MORE WEEKS ONLY

March 25th-27th & April 1st-3rd
Thursday, Friday, Saturday
at the Transparent Theater, 1901 Ashby Ave (at MLK), Berkeley
200 steps from Ashby BART.
Doors open at 8pm
Box Office opens at 7:30pm

In this “sophisticated, impassioned” beatboxer's epic Barsky & Co combine hip-hop, physical theatre, and folklore to astonishing effect. A dizzying journey through a world spinning helplessly out of control, The Bright River sends audiences on a mass-transit tour of the afterlife. Guided by a fixer named Quick and moving through an urban landscape that is at once both intensely real and fantastic, the show is a cinema verite look at life and death in America.
Tickets are $14-20 on a sliding scale, $12 in advance.
Limited number of $25 VIP tickets. Group rates available.
(show has been selling out for the past 2 weeks, so advance purchase or prompt arrival when box office opens is highly recommended)

To purchase Advance Tickets, more info, and audio sample:

http://www.epicarts.org

or call Epic Arts at 510-644-2204

East Bay Express review, March 10th 2004:
http://eastbayexpress.com/issues/2004-03-10/theater.html/1/index.html

SF Bay Guardian review, March 17 2004:
"Writer-musician-performer Tim Barsky and company take you to the other side with a committed piece of underground theater that refashions the Jewish storytelling tradition in a fusion of hip-hop, jazz-inflected improvisation, and slam-style lyricism. Musicians Jessica Ivry, Shree Shyam, and the phenomenal human beatbox Andrew Chaikin join Barsky in creating a cool and hypnotic bed of sound over which Barsky's inspired phrasing flows brightly like the river separating this life from the next." -Robert Avila

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

the internal beat

BillyVortex — Wed, 24 Mar 2004 19:14:09 GMT

hey ya. this is MC. EQUINOX....Beat boxin to me is the truest form of internal beat and harmony, if you can think about it, harmonics are the way of the universe. Lets just say this My crew out here on the west side would get together about 30 of us take some mushrooms go to the beach , sit in a spiral harmonize...find that level then bust out with some deep ass beats.....but in the theory of the"jam" there is a basic level of telepathy. Now you have internal beats, the telephy is a lot stronger. If you dig what I'm sayin hit back.

posted in Beatboxing - 8 replies

looppool — Wed, 19 Nov 2003 09:28:05 GMT

It's too bad that this site doesn't allowing sound file posting.

Anyone know where we can go, 'virtually' to upload examples of our own beatboxing for purposes of artistic sharing, mutual and constructive critique and to exchange ideas?

I'm a relative newbie, but I've been a professional drummer/multipercussionist/drumcomputerprogrammer/arranger for a very long time.

I"m excited to be on this tribe.

I live in Santa Cruz, California and my official moniker
is loop.pool.

x - x - x x - x - x x - x x - x -

posted in Beatboxing - 2 replies

Defibrillator

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 19:36:03 GMT

I spun the Fatties "Human Beatbox" just now. Anybody got an old-time beatbox joint they feelin?

posted in Beatboxing - 1 reply

review of beatboxing show

looppool — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 04:54:46 GMT

I posted this to Loopers Delight yesterday. What a great show (even if I was a small part of it).

I was part of one of the coolest gigs I've ever done last night in San
Francisco's
Protrero Hill section. I just wanted to tell you all about it and hip you
to some incredible new looping
artists that I just became aware of.

I performed with three amazing BeatBoxers who were all using live looping
gear
(from a very short digital delay loop to a sophisticated midi pedal driven
Abletons' live laptop
performance) in San Francisco at the IllBilly Rhodehouse on Portrero Hill.

I have to single out to a couple of amazing performers:

KID LUCKY who has been an incredible performer and
archiver/producer/historian of the beatboxing movement in New York City
did a fascinating performance utilizing two brand new pieces of
techology: an amazing microphone with built in effects that he used with
his mouth put up against this throat to achieve sounds that went from guitar
feedback-esque sounds to industrial sounds to incredible beat box mastery to
spoken word.........................all the while controlling video software
in real time
with a new program that allows audio to control video from Edirol !!!!! I
wish I knew the names of the individual instruments, but maybe if he is
lurking, he can fill us in on the stuff. He used a lot of long reverb on
his whole performance and it made it sound like listening to a chronicling
of urban culture
through an old Victrola............both futuristic and archaic at the same
time.............it was a really haunting effect and I was really impressed
by his artistry and vision. Please check his shit out.

KID BEYOND was not only the producer of the event, but had an extremely
sophisticated and entertaining show he put together. He is not only an
encylopedia of great beat box effects but he has a beautiful soul/r&b voice
and a nice understanding of vocal harmony. He accurately mimicked
everything from turntable scratching to techno synth bass sounds to
harmonicas to digital echo effects.
Wow!!!!! For me, the tour de force of his whole show was his opening
number where he accurately simulated a Portishead
song.....................with ALL the musical elements. It was such an
accurate reproduction that spontaneous cheers erupted several times in the
middle of the performance as people realized that he had pulled off another
effect, perfectly.............all without effects..........only voice.

I was also very impressed with his command and use of the laptop and
ableton's live. He told me afterwards that his intention was to never touch
the laptop and he was successful with his use of
midi pedal implementation of the loops.This immeasurably added to the
stength of the performance. I've been a bit critical of LIVE because you
have to use a metronome to start a piece, but KID BEYOND cleverly used a
vocal 'hit hat' simulation so the effect was very consistent. He's the
first person to make me seriously reconsider getting into that program for
live work and that says a lot. He completely transcended the 'gearhead'
live looping show and was entertaining, inspiring and funny during his set.

I must also say that he is really working hard to keep beatboxing very
active in San Francisco and he also has a really big heart: involved with
community service projects and benefits.

The incomparable Zoe Keating also provided some beatiful counterpoint to the
all vocal
evening----it was my CD release party for SF with my all vocal CD) on cello.
What a beautiful musician she is. I just love her stuff and can't wait to
buy a solo cello looping CD from here.

I also really enjoyed a very young and extremely talented beatboxing artist
named EACH.
This young man has an incredible future ahead of him. He also, for my
money, was the dopest pure
beatboxer on the bill. I pride myself on being able to simulate a lot of
drum effects in my limited
use of beatboxing..................this punk made me completely embarrased
to go on stage............what a repertoire and also very, very
sophisticated rhythmically (which you don't always hear in beatboxing).

I had a fun set and was really warmly recieved by the audience who were
generous and enthusiastic the whole evening. My ears were ringing from the
high pitched whoops and hollers at the end of every set.

To top it all off............the Illbilly Rhodehouse who hosted us in a
beautiful former 19th century Portero Hill saloon is a very intimate venue.
They are going to have other performances and I can't wait to go back and
play again for these really enthusiastic and warm supporters of new art in
the city.

I knew it was a succesful event because every artist was talking with every
other artist about collaborating on future projects at the end of the
gig.............a very good sign, indeed.

Well, tonight I got to see my brother, Bill Walker do some very tasty live
looping, backing his sweetheart Nancy LeVan as she was given the prestigious
Gail Rich Award for Service and Accomplishements in the Arts tonight and
tomorrow night, I"m off to see the wonderfully creative and inventive Steve
Lawson and Michael Manring at the Espresso Gardens tonight.

What a fantastic live looping week!!!!! I feel happy to be alive.

yours, Rick Walker

posted in Beatboxing - 7 replies

breath control

Sev — Tue, 17 Feb 2004 07:04:53 GMT

breath control : have y'all seen that documentary on beatboxing?
Its hella fresh! A must see. I'm hoping someone will pick it up & release it on DVD soon.

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies

SF BEATBOXING and VOICE/ELECTONICA show this wednesday

looppool — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 11:35:16 GMT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
V O L E C T R I X
a Voice / Electronics / Beatbox Blowout
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

with performances by:

KID BEYOND
sick-ass beatboxer / vocalist / live-looper

KID LUCKY
beatboxer / spoken-word / video DJing (NYC)

ZOE KEATING
astonishing looped cello virtuoso

RICK WALKER
vocalist / live-looper legend from Santa Cruz

EACH
beatbox whiz-kid from Discovery Bay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The details:

WED, JAN 28 -- 8pm
The Illbilly Rhodehouse
1300 Rhode Island (at 24th), SF CA
(415) 642-0669
$7-10 sliding scale ~ all ages

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more info:
- Kid Beyond: http://www.kidbeyond.com
- Kid Lucky: http://www.beatboxerent.com
- Zoe Keating: http://www.zoekeating.com
- Rick Walker: http://www.looppool.info

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

posted in Beatboxing - 0 replies