BeardyMan
Encyclopedia
Darren Foreman better known as Beardyman, is a musician
from London
renowned for his beatboxing skills and use of live looping technology, and according to the BBC
"King of Sound and Ruler of Beats".
.
As well as accomplished solo beatboxing, Beardyman was inspired by MC Xander
to use music technology such as the Korg Kaoss Pad
3 in order to loop and sample his vocals. Through his use of looping tools he effectively produces whole DJ sets where the records are constructed live from his vocalisations, as well as live production of original material.
, Barnet
, Foreman moved to Brighton
in 2001 to study at the University of Sussex
. Although he started making noises at the age of three by imitating Michael Winslow
from the Police Academy movie series, it was seeing Rahzel
perform live that convinced Foreman that beatboxing could sustain a whole show rather than simply provide interludes within the context of a broader presentation.
He has gigged and recorded with MC Klumzy Tung as part of MC/beatbox duo The Gobfathers. Together, they presented Get Lucky TV's 'The Freestyle Show” in 2005, and also appeared as traffic wardens in a hidden camera show for E4.
In 2008 he collaborated with visual artist mr_hopkinson, to produce a video called 'Monkey Jazz' which visually describes the live looping process, which has had over 1 million views on YouTube
. Since then they have worked together to produce various multi-camera videos of Beardyman's performances filmed at the Cube Microplex
. Beardyman has also appeared on stage for improvised live shows with mr_hopkinson providing visual backdrops from images instantly searched from the internet
in response to audience suggestions.
.
Beardyman also features in the Funky Sage ring tones in which he plays a floating head who beatboxes and gives good advice. His video "Kitchen Diaries" which features him combining beatboxing with cooking has been viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube
. "Kitchen Diaries" also makes an appearance in 'South Coast', a Brighton based documentary about Hip Hop in the UK.
Beardyman has somewhat of a cult
following, with many of his supporters sporting the phrase "Deus Ex Barba" - latin
for "God out of beard". This is a reference to the phrase Deus Ex Machina
. This has mainly spread over the internet, on websites such as YouTube
or MySpace
.
Beardyman cites the Lyrebird
as a form of inspiration, and hosted a BBC Radio 4 documentary about the bird entitled, "Beardyman and the Mimics".
During November 2006 he took part in a series of children's choir charity concerts called Young Voices appearing in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Belfast.
On 10 February 2007 he made an appearance on the second episode of the BBC One
show When Will I Be Famous. Despite winning over the studio audience and two of the three judges, he came second in a public vote. On the same day, he was on also on the Channel 4
show Homemade where he was profiled as the weirdest beatboxer around.
Beardyman supported Groove Armada
on their UK tour in 2007.
In July 2009, he appeared at the Udderbelly
during its residency at South Bank
in London. This was for a ensemble comedy show called "Beardyman's Complete and Utter Shambles" featuring JFB, MC Klumzy Tung, Beardyman's comedian brother Jay Foreman
, visual artist mr_hopkinson, guitarist 'j'm black, saxophonist Hellanor and comedian Reggie Watts
. The show took the technology based entertainment experiments of Battlejam to a more theatrical comedy club setting. A reduced cast version of the show renamed "Beardyman's Unplanned Explosion" went on to appear at the Udderbelly
at the Edinburgh Festival
in late August 2009, and again at Bristol Old Vic
in October 2009.
Beardyman appeared in the BBC Comedy Prom 2011 with Tim Minchin
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
renowned for his beatboxing skills and use of live looping technology, and according to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
"King of Sound and Ruler of Beats".
Stage name and musical style
He was given the nickname "Beardyman" because a name was quickly needed for a flyer for an early show, and at the time he had a beardBeard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
.
As well as accomplished solo beatboxing, Beardyman was inspired by MC Xander
MC Xander
MC Xander is a British musician and producer, known for creating his music using only his voice and a loopstation, which layers up his vocal sounds. His music references dancehall, reggae, dubstep, drum and bass and hip hop but more broadly fits into the electronica and IDM genres. In 2010 he...
to use music technology such as the Korg Kaoss Pad
Kaoss Pad
The Kaoss Pad is a touchpad MIDI controller, sampler, and effects processor for audio and musical instruments, made by Korg.The Kaoss Pad's touchpad can be used to control its internal effects engine, which can be applied to a line-in signal or to samples recorded from the line-in...
3 in order to loop and sample his vocals. Through his use of looping tools he effectively produces whole DJ sets where the records are constructed live from his vocalisations, as well as live production of original material.
Early life
Foreman was born to a Jewish family in London. After studying at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for BoysQueen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys
Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet is a boys' grammar school in Barnet, North London, which was founded in 1573 by Edward Underne, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and others, in the name of Queen Elizabeth I..-Admissions:...
, Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
, Foreman moved to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in 2001 to study at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
. Although he started making noises at the age of three by imitating Michael Winslow
Michael Winslow
Michael Winslow is an American actor and a comedian billed as the "Man of 10,000 Sound Effects" for his ability to make realistic sound effects using only his voice.-Early life:...
from the Police Academy movie series, it was seeing Rahzel
Rahzel
Rahzel M. Brown, also known as simply Rahzel, is an American musician and virtuoso beatboxer, formerly a member of The Roots.Nicknamed the "Godfather of Noyze," Rahzel is known for an ability to sing or rap while simultaneously beatboxing, as evidenced in his performances of "Iron Man" and his...
perform live that convinced Foreman that beatboxing could sustain a whole show rather than simply provide interludes within the context of a broader presentation.
Beatbox championships and other awards
In 2006 Beardyman battled to become UK Beatbox Champion and retained his title in 2007 making him the first beatboxer in UK history to win two championships in a row. He was on the 2008 judging panel.Collaborators
His interest in exploring new musical technology is also evident in the innovative Battlejam club nights he hosts with 2007 DMC champion turntablist JFB. Here the live looping technology is augmented with live sampling of the audience to make the hook of instantly composed tracks and even live video sampling and scratching.He has gigged and recorded with MC Klumzy Tung as part of MC/beatbox duo The Gobfathers. Together, they presented Get Lucky TV's 'The Freestyle Show” in 2005, and also appeared as traffic wardens in a hidden camera show for E4.
In 2008 he collaborated with visual artist mr_hopkinson, to produce a video called 'Monkey Jazz' which visually describes the live looping process, which has had over 1 million views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Since then they have worked together to produce various multi-camera videos of Beardyman's performances filmed at the Cube Microplex
Cube Microplex
The Cube Microplex is a cinema and event venue in central Bristol, which operates as a non-profit volunteer-run cooperative. Since opening in 1998 it has hosted artistic and cultural events including films and music performances as well as providing a focal point for the local artistic community...
. Beardyman has also appeared on stage for improvised live shows with mr_hopkinson providing visual backdrops from images instantly searched from the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in response to audience suggestions.
Use of humour, viral videos and other media appearances
Beardyman often incorporates humour into his act. He has impersonated Elvis, dressed as a monkey on stage at Bestival and once posed as an Austrian climate change lecturer, "Professor Bernhard Steinerhoff", before breaking into his set, with over 1 million views on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Beardyman also features in the Funky Sage ring tones in which he plays a floating head who beatboxes and gives good advice. His video "Kitchen Diaries" which features him combining beatboxing with cooking has been viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. "Kitchen Diaries" also makes an appearance in 'South Coast', a Brighton based documentary about Hip Hop in the UK.
Beardyman has somewhat of a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
following, with many of his supporters sporting the phrase "Deus Ex Barba" - latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "God out of beard". This is a reference to the phrase Deus Ex Machina
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
. This has mainly spread over the internet, on websites such as YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
or MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
Beardyman cites the Lyrebird
Lyrebird
A Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, that form the genus, Menura, and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured...
as a form of inspiration, and hosted a BBC Radio 4 documentary about the bird entitled, "Beardyman and the Mimics".
During November 2006 he took part in a series of children's choir charity concerts called Young Voices appearing in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Belfast.
On 10 February 2007 he made an appearance on the second episode of the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
show When Will I Be Famous. Despite winning over the studio audience and two of the three judges, he came second in a public vote. On the same day, he was on also on the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
show Homemade where he was profiled as the weirdest beatboxer around.
Beardyman supported Groove Armada
Groove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
on their UK tour in 2007.
In July 2009, he appeared at the Udderbelly
UdderBELLY
The udderBELLY is an upside-down giant purple cow tent owned by the event venue and management company Underbelly, and sponsored by E4.The udderBELLY can be used for a variety of different purposes as it can be adapted to contain a stage and all-seater 322 seat venue, or alternatively can be...
during its residency at South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
in London. This was for a ensemble comedy show called "Beardyman's Complete and Utter Shambles" featuring JFB, MC Klumzy Tung, Beardyman's comedian brother Jay Foreman
Jay Foreman (comedian)
Jay Foreman is a British musical comedian based in London. His brother is Beardyman, the UK beatboxing champion. They have collaborated on stage several times....
, visual artist mr_hopkinson, guitarist 'j'm black, saxophonist Hellanor and comedian Reggie Watts
Reggie Watts
Reggie Watts is a Seattle-based comedian and musician. His shows are mostly improvised and consist of stream of consciousness stand-up in various shifting personae, mixed with loop pedal-based a cappella compositions. He also performs regularly on television, radio, and in live theater...
. The show took the technology based entertainment experiments of Battlejam to a more theatrical comedy club setting. A reduced cast version of the show renamed "Beardyman's Unplanned Explosion" went on to appear at the Udderbelly
UdderBELLY
The udderBELLY is an upside-down giant purple cow tent owned by the event venue and management company Underbelly, and sponsored by E4.The udderBELLY can be used for a variety of different purposes as it can be adapted to contain a stage and all-seater 322 seat venue, or alternatively can be...
at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
in late August 2009, and again at Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
in October 2009.
Beardyman appeared in the BBC Comedy Prom 2011 with Tim Minchin
Tim Minchin
Timothy David "Tim" Minchin is a British-Australian comedian, actor, and musician.Tim Minchin is best known for his musical comedy, which has featured in six CDs, three DVDs and a number of live comedy shows which he has performed internationally. He has also appeared on television in Australia,...
Discography
In a departure from his prior live work, Beardyman released his debut album I Done A Album on the 21st of March, 2011.External links
- Beardyman
- http://hesomagazine.com/music/beardyman-the-interview/George Bull interviews Beardyman for Heso magazineHeso magazineHESO Magazine is a quarterly, culture magazine based in Tōkyō . Every issue has a theme, and features the work of famous photographers, interviews, music, art, poetry and articles of social and cultural interest.- History :...
in March 2008] - Beardyman video interview at Hydro Connect Festival August 2008
- BeardyMan Interview - June 2008