Movement 2011 Preview: Beardyman

Itʼs that time of year boys and girls. The time of year when flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining and Techno is in the air. Or as least it is at Hart Plaza in Detroit. Or at least it will be Memorial Day weekend.

Every Memorial Day weekend a festival is thrown in the birthplace of Techno, Detroit. The Detroit Electronic Music Festival, or DEMF to those who know whatʼs up, has had people flocking to Hart Plaza for the past 10 years. Last year nearly 100,000 people packed the plaza to check out some of the best Techno, or Electronic Dance Music, the world has to offer. The DEMF lineup is always as extensive as it is long and this yearʼs schedule is no exception; boasting over 100 artists, including everyoneʼs favorite 1990ʼs DJ, Fatboy Slim. If you are in the Techno scene then you probably already know the line-up, have your favorites picked out and are counting down the days till they take the stage. If you only dabble in Techno or are completely clueless about it and are looking for a little DEMF direction then look no further. For the next 6 weeks you can keep a look out for reviews on the DEMF line-up so you can pick your favs and get ready to rave.

First up....Beardyman.

Beardyman AKA Darren Foreman is a 28 year old musician from North London, most well known for his amazing beatboxing skills and live looping. Beatboxing is truly an art form. One that Beardyman has mastered. He was the first UK beatboxer to win the UK Beatboxing Championship two years in a row in ʼ06 and ʼ07. Rumor has is that so many competitors refused to battle him that they wouldnʼt allow him to enter in ʼ08. Instead they placed him on the Judges Panel. This guys beatboxing is insane and itʼs more than just the sounds he can make, itʼs also the amount of sounds he can make at once. Sometimes while singing.

If his outrageous solo beatboxing is only half of what makes his shows so great then his looping technology and mixing skills are the other half. Beardyman is not known for using a lot of samples, but rather for recording loops of himself on the spot and mixing them to create some amazing beats. His effects processor of choice is the Kaoss Pad, a touchscreen MIDI controller, sampler and processor. Using up to as many as 4 Kaoss Pads at once for his voice looping, he also throws in a little freestyle, some spontaneous singing and a little humor. The cherry on top of Beardymanʼs set is that he is hilarious. If youʼre looking to check out some very original Techno and maybe laugh a little too, then Beardyman is your guy. Check him out at Hart Plaza on the 29th of May.

DEMF runs from May 28th to the 30th. Ticket prices arenʼt out yet. Keep checking back to Harmelody.com for more DEMF write ups and info.

Written by :

Samantha Bunting