This is beatjazz

[FUBAR]

Crazy stuff

Onyx Ashanti: This is beatjazz | Video on TED.com

[DSK]

That TED clip has horrible quality a quick search revealed this.

[FUBAR]

Next time I will get the 1080p version

FFS it's a live performance, your quick search is irrelevant.

[boon]

[Simonator]

So, he has basically re-invented the wheel in the form of an octadecagon?



... Surely everythinghe's doing could be done WAY easier & simpler just with a laptop & a regular keyboard?... and without necessitating you to flail around like an ostentatious muppet.

[FUBAR]

just with a laptop & a regular keyboard

Lol

Why don't you guys just say "I don't like it" ?

You know the saying, If you want to make enemies, try to change something. I am actually surprised you both think the performance is shit

but then again it is GS and I guess you know the rest

[boon]

Originally Posted by Simonator

So, he has basically re-invented the wheel in the form of an octadecagon?


... Surely everythinghe's doing could be done WAY easier & simpler just with a laptop & a regular keyboard?... and without necessitating you to flail around like an ostentatious muppet.

you don't need to convince me. i just think it's funny... and funny is just another thing that makes the world go round. i've always though the "midi glove" body contact things were pretty annoying and totally goofy.. but c'mon.. listen to the songs he plays! hilarious and awesome. the guy is on his own trip. so let him go for it.. who cares..

[Simonator]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

Why don't you guys just say "I don't like it" ?

Isn't it a bit lame to simply post 'I think this is sh*t'?... I thought I'd explain why I don't like it.
It is a discussion forum after all.

Seriously though... isn't he just doing something that's already easily done... except in the most ridiculously, needlessly complex way possible?

Proclaiming that he has invented a new genre doesn't do a lot for his cause either.

Originally Posted by boon

listen to the songs he plays! hilarious and awesome. the guy is on his own trip. so let him go for it.. who cares..

[dhollmusik]

Originally Posted by boon

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaha! It's funny because me and Onyx were talking about McRorie just the other day


Onyx is an old and great friend of mine, we played the odd gig together almost a decade ago in London, and hang out here in Berlin nowadays...he's always been very much on his own tip musically, and counts as one of the most dedicated performers I know.


It's nice to see someone start a thread on him on my favourite music gear forum. These recent videos shown by Fubar and DSK is a system he's only just finished developing these last few months, before he was known for playing his beatjazz with a Yamaha EWI.


He's used to flaming just as much as praise, so feel free to post whatever you like, he still gets gigs at the best clubs in Berlin...it's all good

[dhollmusik]

aw...looks like i killed the thread

[dr_Jezz]

No...

But it occurs that to me that the original post seems to portray something that makes non-muso club-goers feel so amazed when they see someone in front of a pair of decks apparently making all of 'those sounds' spontaneously and independently. He has nothing in front of him, so the illusion returns even to us for a moment... but, of course, as you say, it's not entirely different to having a laptop with Ableton and a keyboard in front of you (the latter being necessary also in his case).

Even so, i'd say he seems to be far more talented than most and light years ahead of a DJ playing 'someone else's tunes' on a pair of decks while the uninitiated think he's 'mixing' everything and is consequently some sort of genius.

It's all about the performance and that's so sadly lacking so much of the time IMHO. Good on him

[seen-da-sizer]

Yeah, we need more performers who do some spastic moves on stage!

[AJ Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Simonator

... Surely everythinghe's doing could be done WAY easier & simpler just with a laptop & a regular keyboard?... and without necessitating you to flail around like an ostentatious muppet.

maybe he's doesn't play keyboard. if you played sax you would understand.

this will be more common than DJ's in a few years so you better start liking it

[duggabax]

Guys...some musicians aren't programmers. The guy is a player and wants to make synthetic sounds.

If I can have an elaborate piano multisample and never touch a piano, why does this guy need a sequencer to be a legitimate synth player?

I think it's awesome.

[msl]

Yeah hardly a new genre, but good for him he's offering something unique.

Personally I prefer 'bird rock' as new genre!

[Radiance]

Very cool!
Yes it has (kinda) been done but never took off really.
He does it with cool music and he creates a sort of buzz by saying it's a new genre, & playing @ TED....All good for him.
Whether it's a new genre or not, doing this on a keyboard will not give you the same results. ..ha! can't argue with that can ya ;-) LOL

[boon]

the body triggering one man band thing is to me.. just a novelty. i'm all for people doing their thing and not hating on it but i just find that it doesn't really "deliver" for me musically... and it's just so goofy.

[seen-da-sizer]

Originally Posted by boon

the body triggering one man band thing is to me.. just a novelty. i'm all for people doing their thing and not hating on it but i just find that it doesn't really "deliver" for me musically... and it's just so goofy.

Yep! Some more awkward body movements:



Soon to be released the Air Guitar MIDI controller...

[boon]

Originally Posted by seen-da-sizer

Yep! Some more awkward body movements:



Soon to be released the Air Guitar MIDI controller...

i think an interesting use of this kind of stuff would be to suit up two people who know how to fight.. and make sure all the triggers are set to some kind of percussive attack type sound and then let them go at it. that would be kind of interesting/funny to watch.

[RyanC]

I would be curious to hear what he can do differently with that setup vs a EWI and foot pedal. From the sound of it, not much.

It's interesting that so much novelty is found in self made electronic instruments...consider the same on acoustic ones:

"that is some pretty mediocre piano playing"

"Yeah but he built that piano"

"Ohh...wow, this is amazing".

[submodern]

I met Onyx in SF about five years ago. You ask why not just an EWI and pedal, well he actually was using an EWI at the time, had been using it for a good while, and was full of ideas about how to take his beatjazz (called it that then too) to another level. As you can see in the video he has since made all those ideas happen. He is a super inspiring guy to talk with, he has dedicated his life to music, and he works and plays his ass off. At that time he was busking on the streets of SF every day with a portable electronic rig, living music every day.

If you get a chance to talk with him, I'm sure he'd be happy to explain in as much detail as you'd like exactly why he has things set up like he does. That cat knows exactly what he wants to be able to do, what's holding him back, and how he can fix it. Every time I talked to him, I walked away re-energized and with a ton of ideas about things I could be doing. I would also come away humbled and a little embarrassed to call myself a musician, knowing I don't quite share that same crazy passion and am just not willing to put it all on the line -- and I do mean all, everything -- like he has.

If his music isn't your thing, that's cool. Most music doesn't appeal to everybody. All that means is it isn't your thing. My impression having talked with him and watching him play was that he's the real deal, and a super nice guy too. Basement Jaxx had him play on several of their tracks, and even named a song after him, so I guess I'm not the only one who's had that impression as he's wandered his way around the world. But you know, whatever...

[W-W-Int]

so...
mcrory
he's livin the dream and he's happy good for him.

he's playin cover tunes using loops and midi triggers in a one man band format. bad for us.

onyx...
he's using loops and custom controllers to do original music. much better. but i have to go with...
he's doing it to geek out on doing the one man band thing.
basically he's using his custom controllers being custom as part of the stage show.
so for that it does nothing for me.
there's nothing there musically that can't be achieved with off the shelf stuff.
he's simply taken a different more difficult approach to doing his stuff live.
instead of learning to use something available he's made stuff to adapt to him and how he wants to play. which i have no problem with. but in this instance it gets inthe way of the music because he makes it part of the performance for the audience to know all the work he put into his custom set up. for me that is too much distraction from the music he's performing.

and now for the music itself. it's not that great. it's okay but on it's own it's pretty tame improvised electronic jazz/fusion. all the tech dink stuff just makes it seem more contrived.

[dr_Jezz]

Originally Posted by W-W-Int

so...
mcrory
he's livin the dream and he's happy good for him.

he's playin cover tunes using loops and midi triggers in a one man band format. bad for us.

onyx...
he's using loops and custom controllers to do original music. much better. but i have to go with...
he's doing it to geek out on doing the one man band thing.
basically he's using his custom controllers being custom as part of the stage show.
so for that it does nothing for me.
there's nothing there musically that can't be achieved with off the shelf stuff.
he's simply taken a different more difficult approach to doing his stuff live.
instead of learning to use something available he's made stuff to adapt to him and how he wants to play. which i have no problem with. but in this instance it gets inthe way of the music because he makes it part of the performance for the audience to know all the work he put into his custom set up. for me that is too much distraction from the music he's performing.

and now for the music itself. it's not that great. it's okay but on it's own it's pretty tame improvised electronic jazz/fusion. all the tech dink stuff just makes it seem more contrived.

(just checking you're talking about the original post... yeah, you must have or you wouldn't post that, surely?)

Man - I've read that through twice and I'm supposing that if someone was to give a performer a hard time for not being able to actually compose and perform in real time rather than simply compose... I'm guessing you'd be pretty unimpressed The performance gets in the way of the music which supposes the music is good enough but you're unimpressed with all that craft and practice/performance/ability type stuff... yeah... well I might use that as a signature... lol

[tsutek]

You haters... You're saying he'd be better off doing things like the rest, well, AFAIR he has been there, done that already.. And according to him, he got bored doing it that way.. Wanted to take things further..

I respect Mr Onyx's work immensely. All the love in the world for him.
If I could have the choice of performing my live set within the audience, dancing around, instead of bopping my head behind a laptop/kbd/controller, I surely would. The thought of fusing dancing with making the sounds to dance to is inspiring to say the least.

[L-feld]

Originally Posted by RyanC

It's interesting that so much novelty is found in self made electronic instruments...consider the same on acoustic ones:

"that is some pretty mediocre piano playing"

"Yeah but he built that piano"

"Ohh...wow, this is amazing".

[Goa-Dubs]

Originally Posted by tsutek

You haters... You're saying he'd be better off doing things like the rest, well, AFAIR he has been there, done that already.. And according to him, he got bored doing it that way.. Wanted to take things further..

I respect Mr Onyx's work immensely. All the love in the world for him.
If I could have the choice of performing my live set within the audience, dancing around, instead of bopping my head behind a laptop/kbd/controller, I surely would. The thought of fusing dancing with making the sounds to dance to is inspiring to say the least.

Well said....

[Itsmorning]

So he uses a wii controller to make music?

Wait no

He launches loops then uses a wii controller to control filter envelopes.

In a live performance I don't what's worse: the boringness of watching a dj turn knobs or the ridiculousness of watching a guy flail his arms.

This is almost as bad as that laser harp I see all over the place.

The coolest thing about this is the nerdiness.

[FUBAR]

The guy got a live gig at TED, got his freak on and the crowd loved it and people are now on an internet forum bitching about it.

Without deviation from the norm, 'progress' is not possible (Frank Zappa)

Your a bunch of space monkeys who like to call yourselves "musicians".

[Itsmorning]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

The guy got a live gig at TED, got his freak on and the crowd loved it and people are now on an internet forum bitching about it.

Without deviation from the norm, 'progress' is not possible (Frank Zappa)

Your a bunch of space monkeys who like to call yourselves "musicians".

Wait wait wait

I'm all for deviating from the norm. It's what i live by.

But this. THIS!

Is about as normal as it gets.

1. Sample based music. All over the ****in place. Check!

2. Motion controls. iPhone, wii, ps3, xbox. Check!

3. Alternative ways to launch loop based music. Lady gaga, bjorn. Check!

4. Envelope control. Everyone. Check!

5. Acceptance as a way to gauge success. O no wait that's you not onyx. Check!

There isn't modern day pop culture reference missed in this combination.

Original this is not. Isn't there a wii music game that does this same thing? Somebody should link a video of that next to a video of onyx. Should be surreal.

I like his music. But it obviously needs some type of gimmic to have a thread started.

But who knows maybe your one of thos people that think the keytar is the instrument of tommorow.

Puh-lease.

[FUBAR]

Originally Posted by Itsmorning

Wait wait wait

I'm all for deviating from the norm. It's what i live by.

But this. THIS!

Is about as normal as it gets.

1. Sample based music. All over the ****in place. Check!

2. Motion controls. iPhone, wii, ps3, xbox. Check!

3. Alternative ways to launch loop based music. Lady gaga, bjorn. Check!

4. Envelope control. Everyone. Check!

5. Acceptance as a way to gauge success. O no wait that's you not onyx. Check!

There isn't modern day pop culture reference missed in this combination.

Original this is not. Isn't there a wii music game that does this same thing? Somebody should link a video of that next to a video of onyx. Should be surreal.

I like his music. But it obviously needs some type of gimmic to have a thread started.

But who knows maybe your one of thos people that think the keytar is the instrument of tommorow.

Puh-lease.