Metro Funk 2011メトロファンク2011!!

featuring Felix Zenger

SPECIAL Session: Felix Zenger x MaL x SMILY (Human Beat Box & Didgeridoo Session)
LIVE: Lo-Fi, MIDICRONICA
DJ: Top Bill (Circus DJs/MetroEar Records), Ryu Konno
Hailing from Finland, the world-renown beat-box artist Felix Zenger is joined by some local hip-hop, jazz and funk luminaries for an unforgettable night of international collaborations.

Felix Zenger

Drums, scratches, bass, vocals, effects, percussion - and just one mouth! Felix Zenger not only produces a wide array of sounds, imitations of musical instruments, and fast complex rhythms, but above all uses his mouth to create new and original music. The 23 year-old, awarded with Artist of the Year honors at the 2007 Funk Awards, has already performed with Pharrell Williams's N.E.R.D., the J.B.'s (James Brown RIP), DJ Q-bert, Joseph Bowie (Defunkt), Lew Soloff (Blood, Sweat and Tears) and The Coup. FZ is also a familiar face in the ranks of Don Johnson Big Band. In spring 2010, he graduated from the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Concervatory with beatbox as his main subject - as the first and only student in the world.In recent years, he has been touring in Australia, Mexico, Japan, El Salvador, Singapore, France, Spain, Russia, Germany, Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, England, Denmark, Korea and in China. In 2007 Felix performed in the Eurovision Song Contest semifinals opening act for a crowd of 150 million people. The
show was broadcasted worldwide. Felix is influenced far more by the music he listens to than by other beatboxers, which has helped him conjure up a completely unique style of his own. Respecting the roots of Human Beatboxing, Felix is always prepared to provide beats for an MC in distress, whether it be on stage during technical difficulties or on the street corner with no electricity or sound system. He is known for his unprejudiced approach to fusing the art of Human Beatbox with different instruments and styles of music. Felix also likes to kick some hacky sack (footbag freestyle)...
Homepage
Movie

MaL

Born in Chiba in 1977, MAL joined the a cappella group ChuChuChu Family in 1999 and was featured on TV, radio and in several events nationwide. In 1993, he left the group to forge a solo career, collaborating with DJs. MCs, dancers and musicians across a broad
range of genres. In 2004, he travelled to Florida and Texas to join the members of the American a cappella group "Rockapella" to form a new unit called SWANK which received standing ovations from sell-out crowds. Today you can find him in live houses and concerts halls across Japan lending his unique vocal styling to various ensembles.
Whether it be as a human beat box for a hip-hop crew, or as a voice percussionist for jazz units and orchestras, MAL brings one mic and world of possibilities to every event.
Homepage

SMILY

Next Generation Didgeridoo performer Smily was first introduced to the magical sounds of the didgeridoo while studying abroad in Australia. After returning to Japan, he continued to practice on his own, later adding beat-box and drum'n bass rhythms to produce an unimaginable range of sounds from a single instrument. He is currently active as both a solo artist and in a various collaborations with a wide range of artists.
SMILY-official-website
myspace

Lo-Fi

Lo-Fi is a unique trio from Tokyo Japan that puts together a wide range of music styles together into a collage of funky vibes and rhyme. Bass/Vocalist and song writer 5(Goh) has spent most of his life constantly moving from on e place to another. This experience has helped in shaping the music created by the band. Although their foundation lies in soulful grooves, both live and recorded they change grooves freely, not restricted by any one genre on their sonic journey.
Homepage

MIDICRONICA

Homepage

Top Bill (Circus DJs/MetroEar Records)

metroear-records

Circus DJs

RYU KONNO

RYU KONNO’s DJing style is based on dance music with selections from a story-rich world of Classical music, Latin, Jazz / Folk Song that he covers with great flexibility. His keen and rhythmical scratches can be heard everywhere as musical instruments making for another one of the highlights of his style. Recently, he is actively doing sessions with other musicians (drums, sax, cello, wood bass etc.) while using scratches, effects and original tracks. In 2008 and 2010 he played at the big open air music festival “Sense of Wonder”. He also performed the GRAND FLOOR opening act at Urban Tribes’09 along with DJ KRUSH, FUMIYA TANAKA, KENNY LARKIN and Tokyo No 1 SOUL SET where his aggressive and anarchic DJing style won him a good reputation. RYU KONNO made his track maker debut on a compilation album in 2005 and released his latest original album “MIKAISEKAI” from RefRain Records in October 2010.
Homepage