Last night, before my DJ gig, I went next door to a cafe, and this guy who calls himself
manDrum was performing with a bassist and guitarist. I had never heard of him before, but this xit was really fucking cool.
Essentially, manDrum is a formally trained musician who has used his computer knowledge to forge into the electronic music arena. His specialty is an instrument that he built and wrote the computer software for: a series of pads attached to his body, that when beat upon, translate into digital percussion. The pads are run through a bevy of effects processors, pedals, a
KORG Kaoss Pad, and a Mac Titananium Powerbook. He performs barefoot, and manipulates these processors (on the floor) with his feet. It's crazy to watch, because, since he is so dextrous with his feet, he looks like he has an extra set of hands.
His other specialty is a virtual reality glove (again, plugged into effects processors) that he waves in front of some sort of receiver, which gives him the ability to manipulate sound with just the slightest flitter of a finger. This is amazing to watch, as you can almost see him bending and distorting soundwaves with majestic waves of his hand.
All of his performances are free-form, and he often harmonizes with himself by digitally looping his haunting vocals in real-time. The music is amorphous and atmospheric, as he fades his Drum and Bass beats in and out like the tide.
All in all, this was one of the most original explorations of music/technology fusion I have seen in a long, long time. I'll be on the lookout for this guy in the future.