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Vocal Beatmakers Meet
Source: The Elements
Author: Elements Staff

The Human Beatbox Convention, Saturday 26th April, 2003
Imperial College, London, UK

On Saturday 26th April 2003 the world's first ever Human Beatbox Convention will take place in London, UK. This groundbreaking meeting will bring together vocal percussionists from across the world to explore the specialised art of beatboxing. The event will be held at Imperial College, adjacent to the Royal Albert Hall, and will run from 1:00pm to 7:00pm.

The beatbox revolution has started. The first ever Human Beatbox Convention will see a series of detailed talks covering many different aspects of the beatbox scene, alongside showcases displaying some of the finest examples of beatboxing in the world. Performers range from up & coming talent to veterans of the scene, and they will be showcasing in front of an expected group of 150 delegates from around the world. Guest speakers and performers are travelling from the United States, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and from around the UK.

"Beatboxing at its most simple level is the art of producing rhythms and beats with the mouth. By imitating percussion and other instruments a beatboxer can provide a backing beat for a singer or rapper. However over the years the art-form has developed into something evermore complex. It is constantly evolving, utilising one of the most complex things on earth: the human body."
- Brynley Gibson, Splinterproducts Ltd.

"Beatboxing is one of the most exciting art-forms around. It has an ability to entertain people that is unlike anything else. The best thing is that everyone can have a go at it: we all have the same instrument. To the un-initiated, it can be completely mind-blowing when you first see a talented beatboxer in action."
- Alex Tew, Humanbeatbox.com

More and more, beatboxing is becoming an integral part of both underground and mainstream music. Legendary beatboxer Rahzel showed us that vocal percussion works on record. His debut album, 'Make The Music 2000' was released on MCA Records in 2000 to high acclaim. Other albums created entirely from the human voice include Killa Kela's debut 'The Permanent Marker' (2002) and Scratch's 'The Embodiment of Instrumentation' (2002). Follow-up albums are already in production. Further proof that beatboxing is growing in popularity is that more mainstream acts are beginning to use beatboxing in their live shows and on their records.

The Human Beatbox Convention is a natural progression for this unique form of entertainment. With its current growth in popularity it is vital for practitioners to meet, collaborate and learn from each other. The international community of beatboxers developed by Humanbeatbox.com (formally Beatboxing.co.uk) has already begun to achieve this; the Convention is simply the next stage. The day will mix in-depth talks with showcases and will finish with an open mic for any delegates who want to demonstrate their style of beatboxing. The talks will cover a wide range of issues from the very technical to overviews on the scene in general.

The history of beatboxing will be looked at to see how the art-form has changed over the years, and the future of the art-form will be contemplated. Sound engineering for beatboxing will be discussed as will how to promote yourself as a beatboxer. Vocal percussion within A-cappella singing will be another focus of the afternoon, and there will be an in-depth look at the current state of the beatbox scene in both the United States and Europe. This information will not just be of use to beatboxers but to those who work with them - everyone from music producers and MC's to club promoters and A&R managers.

The aim of the day is to explore and enjoy the art of beatboxing, and help bring it to a wider audience. Expect a day of unique insight and entertainment.

Tickets are on-sale now priced at £15 (+£1 booking fee) and are available online at http://www.humanbeatbox.com/convention

For more information about this event or to learn more about beatboxing in general please visit http://www.humanbeatbox.com

The Human Beatbox Convention is being organised by Humanbeatbox.com and Splinterproducts Ltd.

Press Enquiries:-

Contact: Alex Tew
Tel: +44 (0)7751 214575
E-mail: alex@humanbeatbox.com
Web: http://www.humanbeatbox.com