Beaten Track

KILLA Kela is a virtuoso musician. But not in the usual sense.

He is capable of summoning up whole symphonies – yet he doesn’t play an instrument.

He is what’s known as a human beatboxer – an artist who uses his mouth to produce an orchestra of sounds, principally percussion, sometimes all at the same time.

“It’s a flying circus which takes hip hop elements and throws in something current,” he enthuses. “It’s all about the manipulation of your voice to sound multi-vocal. I can choose the sound of any instrument and incorporate that.

“It sounds like it’s all happening at the same time, but it’s ventriloquism with rhythm. The beat always comes first before the vocal. You have to let your tongue do the talking and your mouth can do something else. It’s like patting your head and rubbing your stomach.”

Kela is croaky today. In fact, he admits he has just woken up after a heavy night out in London’s trendy Hoxton to celebrate the launch of his new album. It’s now early afternoon.

But while he laughs off my cheeky request for a private beatbox demonstration, he is on fire, racing along with a stream-of-consciousness flow of insights about what his artform means, and breaking, now and then, into bursts of sing-song rap.

Declared world beatboxing champion, he has a rare talent. And it all started at home in Sussex when he was six.

“I started doing it when I was a kid,” he says. “I thought everybody could do it. I listened to my dad playing the drums and started adding beats to other music and practised in the bathroom.

“My mum was into 80s rare groove, Barry White, Michael Jackson and stuff like that, which was a big influence.

“I wasn’t the coolest kid in the world, and because I was dyslexic I was shoved in the lowest groups at school with a lot of bullies and hard nuts – so I used the beatboxing to keep myself out of trouble.

“It was a good way to keep the bullies at bay. So, really, I should thank the bullies!”

He served an amazing apprenticeship – touring with Jurassic 5, being mentored by DJ Vadim, serving time with the Scratch Perverts and Rocksteady Crew, and touring and performing with new-found fans Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake.

Building up a grass roots fan base with albums The Permanent Marker (2002), Elocution (2005), and 2007’s On Tour Van Damage mix, he went on to collaborate with artists as diverse as Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Adam Freeland, Roots Manuva, and Plan B. His new album Amplified! is a dancey diversion put together with Alan Braxe of Stardust fame, Does It Offend You Yeah?, Hadouken! and Clipz.

“It stands so far away from what I've done in the past,” he says. “I feel totally reinvented by it.”

As well as the new album and solo tour, he has been on the road with grime star Lethal Bizzle and is working on an audio visual project with Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz.

“I’ve been very lucky,” he says. “The human interest in beatboxing is as important as the musical aspect.”

He comes across as supremely confident – as a hip-hop artist should.

“When I’m on stage my head goes everywhere; I go into a different place. I look calm, but inside I’m bouncing balls around my head.

“You have to act it out. A role model should be strong. If you’re going on stage and holding a mike you shouldn’t believe in shyness.”

On Tuesday he brings his vocal acrobatics to Oxford’s O2 Academy. He can’t wait. “It’s really cool there,” he enthuses. “Oxford is a musically gifted town, and they know a good sound when they hear it.”

His performances sound improvised, with every show different from the one before. But surely he must start with some idea of where he’s going?

“You can’t help but rehearse,” he explains. “You need a template you can work with before you go off the beaten track. That’s what keeps people coming back. You’ve got to play the tunes people want to hear – but give them other stuff as well.”

“With my DJ and drummer, we construct and deconstruct what’s happening on stage – battling against each other. It’s a snapshot of what is possible and gets us really into improvising. It’s very theatrical.

“So what is his favourite instrument sound? I love snares,” he says excitedly. “Though lately I’ve been working hard with panpipes.”

So what tips does he have for aspiring beatboxers?

“Be original!” he says. “Do something new, practice honing your skills, get out of the bedroom and on to the boards.

“And don’t get told who you are, you KNOW who you are!”

* Amplified! and single Everyday are out on 100% Records.

BEATBOX AMBASSADOR: KILLA Kela has been announced as one of a select few cultural ambassadors for a new Government music initiative, the World’s Best Music Lesson, which is taking the form of a week’s worth of activity across the country this week.

He joins a cabinet of other cultural ambassadors who have each prepared lessons for kids – including rock guitarist Slash, Lily Allen, N-Dubz, Katherine Jenkins, Dannii Minogue, Jamie Cullum, English National Ballet, The Hoosiers, Vanessa Mae, the cast of West End production Wicked and DJ Yoda.

The lessons, including a collaboration between Kela and jazz heartthrob Jamie Cullum will be streamed to schools across the country. See tuneinyearofmusic.com