One Man Beatbox: Shlomo Mouthtronica

SHOW REVIEW: SHLOMO MOUTHTRONICA at Ipswich New Wolsey Theatre

An intoxicating one-man music machine, an hour of pure entertainment from just one instrument, the human voice.

I had never realised just how many different sounds it is possible to make with your mouth. As children we are obsessed with playing with everything and anything, testing all the boundaries, seeing who can shout the loudest, make the strangest sounds. But Shlomo just takes it to a whole new level.

His show was, in a word, neat. Cleverly put together, with short beatbox tunes interspersed with what he called "polite conversation", finished by "impromptu" collaboration with a harmonica and drum. We were instructed in the ten tools of his trade, from voice to loop sampler,  employed to build up the act and the musical pieces, layer upon layer. It was this layering feature which really made the show, and his music. Interestingly, Shlomo uses a loop sampler to record short bursts of voice which he then builds on and replays continuously, until the piece grows in volume and depth, like constructing a paper maiche model, layer by layer. Use of a voice distorter, which allows echo and pitch altering effects, polishes off his handicraft.

Shlomo's work is intelligent. It appeals on so many levels, mostly because it is constructed of many layers. His show itself is built up of layers, creating a picture of his life with each mini conversation, outlining the tools of his trade piece by piece, and building a relationship with his audience. So many layers, so many aspects, each different layer reflecting and alluding to the fundamental layers which make up his music, layers of the same voice played over and over.

Mouthtronica is essentially a complex show, but this does not make it inaccessible. The Wolsey show attracted a mix of viewers, many young, several less-than-desirables coming and going throughout his set. But even they, who perhaps had little theatrical knowledge or experience, were quickly sucked in by Shlomo's sheer exuberance and openness. An unexpected musical genius.