AVAILABLE NOW AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OR CD FOR THE FIRST TIME OUTSIDE OF JAPAN.
Dokaka, is a one manned voice, no effect, no auto-tune, no edit, no sampling, DIY human synthesizer. Most will remember him as the Japanese beatboxer whose vocal only reinterpretations of Led Zeppelin, Slayer, the Rolling Stones, and many others gained cult status when his mp3’s went viral. The sensation was enough to attract the attention of Björk who incorporated his unusual skill into her 2004 Medúlla album. Now in 2009 Dokaka has recorded his first album of original material ‘HUMAN INTERFACE’ which is now available for the first time outside of Japan courtesy of cultural maverick imprint dualpLOVER. The album includes 17 hours of vocal insanity multi-tracked into 88 muttered micro tracks.
Dokaka’s style is unlike that of the hip hop beatboxers, firstly he’s not really a beatboxer as he multitracks his vocals sometimes with as many as 20 passes per song. However the most important distinction is Dokaka’s intent. Without a Hip Hop background he first started vocally mimicking music while humming along to his television as a child and by the age of six was making tapes of his efforts. These childhood skills almost went unnoticed until he starting playing drums with bands as a teenager. During one practice after the bass player failed to show up, Dokaka filled in by humming the bassline. The singer was so taken with his vocal ability he encouraged him to record which lead onto his mp3’s / Björk and now this album.
"this is the evolution of beatboxing, a one man barbers shop quartet attacked by a rubber lipped banshee"
-BobBakerFish, Inpress Magazine.
"Finally, a first bona fide album from Dokaka, the Japanese multitracking a cappella singer whose demented covers of King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, et al. had taken the Internet by storm a few years ago (he was also on Björk’s Medulla album). This laugh riot of a CD features 88 tracks made using only and strictly his voice. It’s short, fast-paced, punchy, in your face, and crazy. Tons of covers, jingles, and stupidities, but most of all a stunning voice – not because of some level of viruosirt, but simply because it’s bold, driving, and ruled by pure childlike joy. I love it, but darn is it exhausting to listen to!"
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