REAL TIME Beats at work.
“My number one priority is getting more of my music out there.”
That’s not something you’d expect to hear from local DJ/producer extraordinaire Joe Beats, who has made a full-time living in the professional beat business since 1999 and has an extensive resume dating back to his days as one-half of immortal duo Non-Prophets alongside wordsmith Sage Francis. Beats has been playing out steadily all summer, from weekly local solo gigs to supporting AS220’s Rhodeshow collaborative on the road, where he supplied beats for The Growth Project 2.0 crew. But there’s bad news for fans of his re-nowned live set — a weary Joe Beats and his SP-404 samplers will take a well-deserved break, as chronicled in a recent post on joebeats.blogspot.com: “I need to go back to the drawing board [and] will rest for two months on live performances.”
Joe told me: “I hit points like now, where I’m completely exhausted by music and am forced to find new and interesting ways to keep myself enthusiastic.”
Beats has a few projects in the can and ready to roll, and said he has been in “research mode over the past few months,” getting ready to buckle down back in the lab and churn out his brand of uniquely raw yet buttery beats.
“If I go out to a record store without a plan or vision, just digging in crates, I’ll sound like everyone else or worse yet, I’ll find myself after the same types of sounds most produc-ers are out for.”
Beats broke the news that he has another album with talented Tampa-based lyricist Blak completed, the follow-up to the acclaimed Strategery EP.
“It’s different from what people would normally expect from me,” Beats said. “It’s much more accessible.”
Beats also contributed to Romen Rok’s upcoming debut album, due out by year’s end, and says the Edgewood-born rapper is “serious about his craft and ready to shine.”
Beats also found some unexpected inspiration collecting dust on the shelf.
“A New York MC named Anonjondoe and I have had an EP in the can for awhile now, and I called him up recently and told him that I still love these songs and that we need to get it out there, which is rare after listening to them over such a long span of time.”
Having known Beats since the Warwick high school days, I’m comfortable when trying to push his buttons a bit, in a matter of speaking, when discussing his live show. So, what’s so hard about it, Joey? Why so exhausted? What’s the big deal?
“I don’t know if anyone can do what I do,” Beats said, “meaning they probably don’t want to, because using a laptop would just be easier, and I don’t feel that’s fair to the artist or the audience. They came to see you perform, not your computer.”
Beats proceeds to break down what looks like nothing more than a game of Simon set to music.
“I perform on twin mini-samplers. Each pad out of the 12 main buttons represents a sample. If eight things come in on the chorus, I hit all eight buttons at the same time, and they light up accordingly.”
The renowned live sets are also unique because Beats always plays within the crowd, never onstage.
“People are always curious, and it gives the audience the chance to walk up and see that I’m playing everything out live,” he said.
And why pay to watch someone stand there and push an oversized keypad of illuminated buttons?
“Because I’m not scared to perform my music live in real time without the assistance of a computer metronome that makes it fail-proof,” he said.
“I’m not embarrassed or afraid to fuck up,” the always humble Beats said. “It gives people something more realistic.
“I can perform my albums live — not a lot of hip-hop producers can say that.”
OFF THE COUCH
Dust off the 2002 classic O.S.T. and peep out LA rap duo PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS on Friday, August 8, at a must-see show at the Living Room. Their self-proclaimed brand of “BBQ and kickback rap music” will have the indie backpacker sect wiling — think the Pharcyde meets Jurassic 5. Also, longtime wackadoo comedian NEIL HAMBURGER is on tour behind his first country music album and will stop by on Sunday , August 10. Call 401.521.5200 for info on both shows. On August 7, Rehoboth-based trio THE WIPPETS (not to be confused with UK indie kids the Whippets) break out the banjos and washboards at a free show at Nick-a-Nee’s. Call 401.861.7290 for more info. Also tonight, FURLONG head-lines at JR’s Bourbon Street Rock House (401.463.3080) before sharing the stage with fellow Providence rock hopefuls FOR THE LOVE OF SLOANE on Friday at Cats (401.722.0150) in Pawtucket. FTLOS released their debut EP Bitter on White Noise Records in May; it’s available on iTunes and definitely worth checking out. FLOBOTS’ hit single “Handlebars” is currently all over the radio, but the Denver crew has been releasing albums since 2001 and will open for the Zappa-gypsy noise spectacle that is Gogol Bordello at Lupo’s on Friday. Dial 401.331.5876 for details.
This weekend, Club Hell and Jerky’s Bar on Richmond Strret in Providence host the NEW ENGLAND DEATH FEST, a decibel-shattering slugfest. Doors open at 1 pm on Saturday and Sunday for 26 hours of death metal in two days — yikes. There’s also a pre-show on Friday at Jerky’s. Hit myspace.com/newenglanddeathfest for more. But, the big news is at Twin River on Friday, when New York’s legendary all-female tribute band LEZ ZEPPELIN takes the stage at the Lighthouse Bar. Admission is free and, trust us, this one is gonna be bananas. Call 877.82.RIVER.
