Music from the Mouth
Beatboxing, one of the Five Elements of Hip Hop, was originated when MCs and break dancers didn't have a boombox or music player when it was needed. The hip-hop community resorted to the human mouth, which does not require any CDs or electronics to produce basic beats. This became a core element of Hip-Hop music, and it has become a modern art-form to create not just simple beats, but full-on composed tracks.
My Solo Beatboxing Style
I "officially" started beatboxing in 2016, as that was when I was first introduced to the community (prior I was part of a capella groups and practice vocal-percussion, a more rhythmic approach to beatboxing). In the last 6 years, my style has been inspired by old-school hip-hop, funk, and mellow electronic drum kit sounds that are commonly used in today's produced music. A good example of my current style can be found here - an entry submission to the 2022 Japan All-Stars Beatbox Battle.
Tag Team - JackSpade
In 2017, I started exploring another realm of beatboxing - tag-team beatboxing, which consists of beatboxing with a partner, coordinating and complementing each other in the tracks that we produce. ChoiceBeats, the 2013 Indian Champion, and I created the team JackSpade, and we won 3rd Place at the 2017 American Beatbox Championships! This experience helped me learn beat patterns and skills that ChoiceBeats excelled in, which is more technical than my musical style.
Music Technology and Beatbox
Combining my passion for beatboxing and novel technology, I was able to explore other ways to push the boundaries of beatboxing. I collaborated with SONIC Instruments, a group working on a wearable device that tracks hand movements and translates them to different effects in music software. This adds a visual aspect to an auditory experience, enhancing the live performance in a multi-sensory fashion. I started incorporating their device, the MO-Band, in my live performances and helped them set up a demonstration booth at the beatbox event I hosted to help cultivate new ideas and collaborations among engineers and musicians. Here's a video of the promotional content for the MO-Band in which I operate the device!
