Hip Hop Violin

October 9, 2009 4:17 PM

Violinist Paul Dateh and turntablist Inka One bring it. Violin and turntables, like peanut butter and chocolate. If there are equivalent examples of where music is headed in the 21st century I'd like to see them. For a bit of a background on this, here's an interview with Paul Dateh the violinist.

I have no idea how this hasn't shown up on Mefi yet. Apology in advance if I somehow missed it in search, but damn, this clip is fresh.

posted by jeremias (31 comments total)

I sure hope music in the 21st century is not headed in this direction- violin and turntable covers of hip-hop tracks? arghhh... at least you could have posted a Kanye video or some such...
posted by frankbooth at 4:21 PM on October 9, 2009

Nice. And entirely fresh to me.
posted by philip-random at 4:33 PM on October 9, 2009

Some time ago, British series "Look Around You" attempted to answer the question of what music in the 21st century would sound like in their Music 2000 series. While Professor Tony Rudd didn't win, I do think that his performance of Machadaynu ranks amongst the greatest television music performances of all time, and a telling example of where music was headed in the 21st century indeed.
posted by eschatfische at 4:55 PM on October 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

A Kanye video like "Jesus Walks" which Kanye and Miri Ben-Ari won a Grammy for? Ben-Ari ("The Hip-Hop Violinist") performed and arranged (and co-wrote and co-produced) the strings on that track and several others on College Dropout.

Personally, it's not really my thing, but Dateh's skills are impressive, but I'm always glad to see robust signs of life in instrumental music and improvisation.
posted by EvaDestruction at 4:58 PM on October 9, 2009

I thought that kicked ass. But if I had to guess where music is headed in the 21st century, I'd go with this.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:59 PM on October 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

Interesting. I see your 'very good violinist and subpar dj doing hip-hop covers' and raise you 'greatest turntablist in the world (in my opinion, anyhow, though he's the DMC world champ from 2003) jamming live with one of the greatest classical and experimental Shamisen players in the world:'

LINK.

Beat that.
posted by koeselitz at 5:16 PM on October 9, 2009 [9 favorites]

And, by the way, if you're looking for music of the next century, DJ Kentaro happens to be close to the top of my own personal list. Anyone who thinks that DJing has to be limited to the okay-but-not-incredible mixing that Inka One does (with all due respect) in the topmost link, or that a turntable is not a vivid thing which can produce the same range as any other instrument, should witness Kentaro's jaw-dropping "Loop Daigakuin."
posted by koeselitz at 5:21 PM on October 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Jerry Goodman (from Mahavishnu Orchestra) plays with H2Boss.
posted by doubtfulpalace at 5:22 PM on October 9, 2009

Argh. Kentaro was world champ from '02, not '03. Anyway.
posted by koeselitz at 5:23 PM on October 9, 2009

I have heard the future. It happened in 1974.
posted by philip-random at 5:57 PM on October 9, 2009 [12 favorites]

If there are equivalent examples of where music is headed in the 21st century I'd like to see them.

Unfortunately, I think this was where music was heading about ten years ago, until it took a detour into crap. Seriously, I heard stuff like this all the time in the late nineties. Check out DJ Spooky and his ilk. These days, hip hop seems to have veered away from samples into horrible electronic crap. It's like the best genres of the nineties came together to suck. Notice that most of the samples here actually do come from stuff in the nineties. Hell, right now, as I play this clip in the background,, I'm hearing a Roots sample, from the same album that had a violin/HH collaboration (Things Fall Apart).
posted by Edgewise at 6:19 PM on October 9, 2009

Some Spooky for ya:

here

here

here

I know it's not quite the same, but it's good!
posted by Edgewise at 6:22 PM on October 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

If there are equivalent examples of where music is headed in the 21st century I'd like to see them.

If, you, and insist.
posted by anigbrowl at 7:00 PM on October 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

That DJ Kentaro jam was pretty killer alright. I also agree with the analysis of the individual talents in my link. No claims that a new genre is being formed before our eyes, but somehow what adds to this for me is the extra layer the video capture adds.

I love it that two musicians can kick it and instantly send an improv to millions. It almost feels like it turns the duo into trio.
posted by jeremias at 7:17 PM on October 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

Every year in Asia there's a new crop of young girls willing to slather on the makeup and slither into the micro-miniskirts to try to "cross over" their hard-won classical bow skills into electro-dance, hip-hop, hard rock, dancehall reggae, you name it (okay, maybe not that last one).

Every year they fail.

The world isn't so bad, after all.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:32 PM on October 9, 2009

That made me feel wonderful.
posted by nola at 7:50 PM on October 9, 2009

Jerry Goodman (from Mahavishnu Orchestra) plays with H2Boss

Holy Crap, I was about to post that for some totally strange reason (not that strange) this reminded me of Mahavisnu Orchestra, but that none of you damn kids on the lawn would know who that was. Also that I had seen this before, and was interested to see what other links folks had.

So, now I'll go watch your link - understand that you have totally blown my mind, and if your link sucks I will be very sad.
posted by freebird at 8:39 PM on October 9, 2009

I've been a fan of Paul Dateh's for a while now, but I personally favor his rendition of Blackbird.
posted by fizzzzzzzzzzzy at 8:42 PM on October 9, 2009

How about Venetian Snares?

Or orchestral covers of Aphex Twin.
posted by ifandonlyif at 9:44 PM on October 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

Okay, this probably is not the future. I have no idea of what it is. But there is a violin involved. and a flute.
posted by philip-random at 9:56 PM on October 9, 2009

Try Black Violin, Beatboxing the Flute, and Kytami from Delhi 2 Dublin.
posted by binturong at 10:27 PM on October 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

The completely overblown euro-dance tiesto version of this.
posted by empath at 10:50 PM on October 9, 2009 [2 favorites]

Meanwhile at the Penguin Cafe ... not in the future at all really.
posted by philip-random at 12:31 AM on October 10, 2009

Hip hop Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, perhaps?

How about funkified Slim Whitman?! ;-)
posted by markkraft at 1:51 AM on October 10, 2009

Not just hip-hop. The violinist also strays into the territory of one of metal's favourite son. A very Paganini styled (but modern) Caprice.
posted by clvrmnky at 6:11 AM on October 10, 2009

How about a laptop making beats with an orchestra? This is Mason Bates, who is both composer and DJ. Some cello and laptop improv as an intro to the Ligeti Cello Sonata.

The current new hotness with hip hop and violin is young American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain.

There are more than a few very serious musicians exploring these frontiers, it's a very exciting time in concert music, actually.
posted by LooseFilter at 7:39 AM on October 10, 2009

More trance plus orchestra music -- Paul van Dyk - For an Angel
posted by empath at 8:13 AM on October 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

If there are equivalent examples of where music is headed in the 21st century I'd like to see them.

My dear fellow, music is headed in so many different directions all around the world that it'd be impossible for you or anyone to see them all. That's just too many directions for one person to go in. Music is constantly moving forward, constantly evolving. This music that you've linked to is but one example, a small drop in the big ol' bucket.

It's wonderful that you've found something that you love, though, that moves you. That's what it's all about!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:36 AM on October 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Every year in Asia there's a new crop of young girls willing to slather on the makeup and slither into the micro-miniskirts to try to "cross over"

That immediately made me think of this kickass version of a great latin-jazz tune played by two Japanese chicks on electric keyboard.
posted by binturong at 10:02 AM on October 10, 2009

I don't know about "future of music", but I think Berlin rapper Amewu has a nice Hip Hop Violin.
german rap might be not to everyones taste though...

ifandonlyif: the whole album of Venetian Snares, Rossz csillag alatt született, is pure genious
posted by ts;dr at 7:09 PM on October 23, 2009

That it is. I think the best Venetian Snares find ever was coming across Live at die Werft.
posted by ifandonlyif at 5:59 PM on October 24, 2009