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Dub FX: eksperimen, kreativitas & orisinalitas

Siang kemarin di Twitter, seorang kawan tiba-tiba me-mention saya lewat tweet-nya:

@SicSid: @rizalrenaldi The Best of Dub FX http://bit.ly/ezAhU

Simple, padat dan... gak jelas :D Cukup sulit bagi orang lain untuk mengklik link tersebut, tapi tidak buat saya. Ada dua alasan:
1. Sejarah membuktikan, ketika kawan saya yang satu ini merekomendasikan sesuatu (terutama musik), selalu cocok dengan selera saya.
2. Ada kata "Dub" disana, dan itu berarti musik Dub, dan itu berarti MUSIK.

Ternyata link tersebut adalah sebuah video dari seorang street musician bernama Dub FX. Saya belum pernah mendengar nama Dub FX sebelumnya dan sejujurnya saya speechless setelah menonton video Dub FX itu karena yang bisa saya lakukan adalah cengok sambil terus memaki anjing, anjing dan anjing di dalam hati.

Dub sendiri sejauh pengetahuan saya merupakan sub-genre dari musik elektronik yang didominasi oleh elemen-elemen reggae. Dub FX saya yakini masuk ke genre Dubstep, dimana hip-hop dan Drum and Bass lebih dominan dan tentunya Reggae sebagai root-nya.

Namun, Dub FX tidak berhenti sampai disitu karena laki-laki yang memiliki nama asli Benjamin Stanford yang berasal dari Australia ini punya keunikan lain, yaitu Beatbox. Saya yakin kita lebih tertarik melihat video live performance Dub FX daripada mendengarkan full albumnya, karena justru di video live nya lah kita bisa melihat proses pembuatan tiap beat yang keluar dari suara mulut Benjamin. Dalam prosesnya, Dub FX merekam suara ke dalam pedal-pedal yang me-loop semua suara yang dia tambahkan satu demi satu, lalu dia isi sendiri dengan vokal yang dinyanyikan, sehingga menghasilkan harmonisasi yang boleh saya sanjung... BRILIAN!

Dub FX menjadikan siapapun yang mendengar (dan melihat) musiknya menjadi lebih mengapresiasi sisi ekspremental, dan bahwa dari kreativitas dan orisinalitas dan ketekunan bereksperimen akan lahir sebuah karya yang solid, unik, khas sekaligus sangat menarik untuk diapresiasi.

Simak dua video live dari Dub FX yang saya ambil dari youtube.

Official Website:
http://www.dubfx.net

Flow by Dub FX

Stylophone Beatbox

Make the Music with Your Mouth, X

Since he's been watching Yo Gabba Gabba, my 2-year-old son, X, has developed some wicked beatboxing talent. Sometimes he and I sit at the table and have beatbox contests. I rarely win because X has skillz.

This morning, I walked in on X dancing to Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" with my wife, KayEm. I didn't protest because this song has the most creative rhyme ever uttered in hip-hop (Me and Mariah/Go back like babies and pacifyas. - OBD). Eventually, I had to intervene because too much Mariah Carey is not good for anybody.

"Yo, X," I interjected. "You wanna kick it old school?"

"Ol Kool," he repeated.

Any old school hip-hop rotation has to start with Run-D.M.C. I queued "Sucker M.C.s" on the iPod and pressed play. X immediately protested.

"No, no," he yelled. I was shocked. What son of mine doesn't like Run-D.M.C? I considered calling Maury Povich, but my wife wouldn't have found the humor in that.

Maybe Run-D.M.C. wasn't old school enough for him, I thought. I decided to shift gears. I searched through my iPod until I found Mantronix's "Fresh is the Word." X was excited when he heard the hi-hat intro, but he quickly lost interest when MC Tee started rapping.

"No, no," he protested. But this time he started beatboxing.

"Oh," I said. "You want hear some beatboxing?"

"Yes!" he responded.

"I have something that I think you will like." I scrolled through the iPod again until I found the perfect song. "Here's your buddy, Biz Markie." I said as "Make the Music With Your Mouth Biz" blasted from the stereo.

"No, no," he protested again. Now I was confused. He loves watching Biz Markie on Yo Gabba Gabba, but today, Biz got the "Gas Face." I was perplexed. If he didn't want to hear Biz Markie, what did he want to listen to?

Doug E. Fresh? No!

Blake Lewis? Hell, no!

As I sat there watching him beatbox, the lightbulb finally went off. I frantically searched my iPod until I found what X was waiting for. The speakers boomed with the sounds of "Brrrrrr, stick 'em. Ha ha ha, stick 'em. Brrrrrr, stick 'em. Ha ha ha, stick 'em. Brrrrrr, stick 'em. Ha ha ha, stick 'em. Gonna rock the beat box and a fresh, funky rhythm."

X pumped his fist and yelled, "Yes!" He started beatboxing with the song and displayed a littler swagger while doing so.

All this time, my son was a Fat Boys fan and I didn't even know it. I had to play the song at least five times, before X grew tired of it.

Sorry, Biz. It looks like Buffy is the real Human Beat Box. But in a few years, I think X will take the title.

Mocha Dad

GLASS CANDY - DIGITAL VERSICOLOR (2007)

Last Friday evening I went to the Silent Movie Theatre to attend a sneak preview screening of Bronson, (http://www.apple.com/trailers/magnolia/bronson/) the story of the famous English prisoner.  Director Nicolas Winding Refn and star Tom Hardy were in attendance, as was much of young Hollywood as I spied Cillian Murphy, Tobey Maguire, Lukas Haas and muMs (Poet from the TV show Oz) in the rows before me.  Apparently Leonardo DiCaprio was there also but I missed seeing him behind his baseball cap.  Not a turnout to sniff at, regardless.

The film was excellent but Tom Hardy's performance as the title character was a revelation.  It is one that will be talked about for a long time afterwards and if he doesn't gain Hardy some heat and exposure as a result then a true crime will have been committed.  A Q&A followed as well as a reception on the outdoor patio (of which, understandably, the famous attendees excused themselves from) and my friend Adam and I had a chance to speak to Hardy.  I compared his performance to that of the 70's films and this seemed to delight him and get me an extra handshake.  He even called his (presumably) girlfriend over and repeated what I had just told him.  As a filmmaker I've been given a compliment where I've been compared to my favorite works and apparently I did the same for him, which is a thrill to be able to do for someone.  Hardy didn't brush us off; he gave Adam and I a brief moment of conversation in an otherwise busy moment for him.  A true gentlemen in every sense of the word I hope to see much more of this actor in years to come.

On the music side of things the film boasted an impressive soundtrack.  A grand use of classical music that no doubt garners the film it's Clockwork Orange comparisons, it was the pop music selections that took me aback.  At the film began I let out an audible "Oh, wow!" when I recognized the opening strains of The Walker Brothers The Electrician against a scene of impending violence.  The Electrician was one of those songs that began what we recognize as the modern Scott Walker sound so it floored me in it's appearance.  It confirmed that I was in for something special and I was not wrong.  There was inspired use of Pet Shop Boys It's A Sin, New Order's Your Silent Face, and a real surprise in the motif use of Digital Versicolor by Glass Candy, a group with a relatively audience that I didn't expect to show up anytime soon.   It's good to see a small band get some attention.  Pure excellence.

I see movies all the time but rarely make proclamations here.  But see this film, if not for Tom Hardy's performance alone.  It's incredible.

Digital Versicolor comes from Glass Candy's 2007 album B/E/A/T/B/O/X.

For more info:
Bronson:  http://www.bronsonthemovie.com/bronson.html
Glass Candy:  http://www.myspace.com/glasscandy

Human beatbox får en ny mening

http://www.neurosonicsaudiomedical.com/

Neurosonics Audiomedical Labs by Chris Cairns

In my head, I'm as good as this guy

Bonus : Flute Box + violon

Have to share this

But Beardyman does it so much better...