SEPTEMBER 2021

September 24, 2021

What is beatboxing? 

Is it just making sound? 

Arguably yes. It is making sound; or rather copying sounds. Sounds like symbols crashing or a police siren. Any and all sound, pitch, modulation and noise can be beatboxing!

The basic drum sounds are a prime example of this. The Kick, Snare and Hi-hat are all common sounds that almost anyone can do with a rendition of “Boots and Cats”. This is how Doug E. Fresh started in 1981 and the reason it is called ‘Beatboxing’. He copied drum machines known as beatboxes, hence the name. However, drum sounds are not the only noises to be incorporated in beatboxing. 

Basses. 

A bassline holds together the harmonies and the melodies in a piece of music.

 The walking bassline in a Jazz piece and the laser-type basses in Drum and Bass and Dubstep are vastly different, however, they both do the same thing to the human ear. 

We are automatically drawn to the extreme high and low frequencies in a bass line hence why it has been crucial for beatboxers to mimic and create new bass sounds. There are a wide variety that can be used but the most widely known to non-beatboxers, is called throat bass. However throat Bass wasn’t invented by beatboxers. In fact, most vocal sounds have not been invented by beatboxers, only adapted and pushed to the extreme. The same Throat Bass technique that beatbox artists like Codfish and Bigman are so famous for using originally started as Throat Singing. A traditional form of singing used in three different cultures. The Tuva (Located in a region of Russia and Mongolia), The Innuits (Located in Canada) and the Xhosa (Located in South Africa). Although the Throat Singing of the Tuva is maybe the most famous, the fact that three completely different cultures had created similar techniques shows it is possible to push your voice and create new and exciting textures with it. 

With only these sounds: a Kick/Bass drum (B), a Hi-Hat (T), a Snare (K) and some form of melody or bassline you can create anything. For example, “Drop it like it’s Hot” By Snoop Dog or “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. The most iconic and recognisable parts of those songs only use these four different sounds. So, what could be created with more than four?

Beatboxing has come a long way in just Forty years ago. With Doug E. Fresh and his clicking techniques to Razel’s “If Your Mother Only Knew” where he did the beat and the singing “At the Same Time!” (what he would say in him shows). Nowadays, it is not uncommon to hear beatboxers do two notes at once, crazy whistles and noises that just don’t sound human! There are always more sounds being created and tried out, whether that be in competitions or just at home. Sharing these sounds has always been a fundamental part of beatboxing. That is how it grew from the streets of New York in the 80s to something celebrated all around the world with battles, showcases, and jam sessions both in person and online. Beatboxing has managed to achieve this by its ability to capture people’s attention and curiosity. “Can I do that?” and “I wonder how they do that?” are common thoughts that even professionals ask themselves regularly. Shortly followed by “can you teach me?”. Although, the beatboxing community has grown exponentially it is this emphasis on sharing and improving that makes the community feel small and connected. 

Battles:

A battle is when two beatboxers go head-to-head in a competition to outdo the other. They are judged of technicality (how difficult their routine is), musicality (how musical their routine is), timing, structure, flow and performance/crowd control. After two rounds of 90 seconds the judges will decide who wins and goes on to the next round. Battles are usually high energy hype routines full of special sounds that make everyone go wild. Battles are always the most exciting part of events and when artists produce some of their best work. They can be in person, such as The Grand Beatbox Battle (GBB) or online like The International Throwdown. The internet has also helped the beatbox community. Many battles and events get uploaded to YouTube meaning more people can watch,  potentially bringing in new people to the community. Discord has also been a big aid to beatboxing. The forum site allows big group audio and video calls meaning that even if people can’t be in person, the battles can still go on. 

But is Beatboxing music?

 The dictionary definition of music is “vocal and/or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion”.

The beauty aspect, of course, is subjective, for example Mozart and Stormzy have vastly different audiences. Today there are a host of beatboxers whose routines sound like produced tracks. Artists write their own lyrics and structure routines with drops, choruses and bridges, much like popular music in the charts. 

Some great examples of this are River (especially his routine “My Way”), Gene Shinozaki and Show-go. All three are perfect examples of real tracks coming from beatbox routines through various techniques including double voice, throat bass and singing. 

Beatboxing is still very niche and underground in comparison to many musical genres. However, this does not detract from the fact that beatboxers can produce some incredible work. Incredible work especially considering they’re only using their voice. There are many different sounds and techniques out there that it begs the question how many more will be invented in the next year? Or five, or ten. How long, if ever, until beatboxing reaches the mainstream? Beatboxing is a great tool, a talent crafted over time much like mastering an instrument or learning a sport. It is an excellent form of expression, and a fantastic community to start out in.

If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, some key beatbox artists include: D-low, Napom and Alexinho on YouTube. Additionally, channels such Swissbeatbox and Beatbox International have a host of shoutouts and battles on them. Alternatively, feel free to drop me a message @Apollo.bbx on Instagram for any pointers or further discussion.