Kid Beyond (aka Andrew Chaikin) is a one-person band — using his mouth as his only musical instrument. He can produce the sounds of instruments, hip hop loops, techno beats, turntable scratches and synthesizers. In the episode “Percussion,” Spark gets into the rhythm with him at “The Vowel Movement: A Beatbox Showcase.”
The art of vocal percussion, also known as human beatboxing, is believed to have begun as an urban art form around the same time as hip hop in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in New York City. The term “beatboxing” is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes. Beatboxing’s early pioneers include Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and Buffy from the Fat Boys.
Kid Beyond takes beatboxing further into the modern day through the use of technology. Using foot pedals designed especially for him by a friend at Emeryville’s Expressions Center for New Media, he records parts of his performance in real time, then loops it back live, thus layering lyrics over his own vocal instrumentation. Kid Beyond has shared the stage with James Brown, Ray Charles, LL Cool J, Spearhead, Run-DMC, KRS-One, Blackalicious and the Neville Brothers.
“The Vowel Movement,” created by Bryan Neuberg (aka Process), Kid Beyond and Tim Barsky, is a monthly show in San Francisco at Studio Z. It’s a forum and a venue for beatboxers of all ages, backgrounds and genders to get on stage and practice the art form as well as try out new sounds and techniques.
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