Back from the future

For those of you well cultured listeners who have ventured into the sound of Bela Fleck and his fabulous Flecktones, high-five, for those of you who haven't, WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM! I can understand that there is plenty of music out there that just isn't for everyone, but these guys should be enjoyed by every soul at least once in a while. Their ability to play some of the sickest rhythms and time-signatures, then break into separate solos or jams and some how bring it back around for a finale of the original tune, is just unfathomable.

I highly recommend that when listening to these guys, try and focus on a particular melody line or instrument, most of the way through the song, just to hear all of the incredible little things they do. These guys are just incredible musicians and when you put them all together, its like nothing else. First off Bela is a sensei on the banjo and with a bass revolutionary like Victor Wooten, it is impossible for them to do anything but rock the crap out of every tune they play. Definitely check out Stomping Ground on the Live Art album. It is one of my favorite tunes and a great example of just how tight these guys are.

I have been enjoying their stuff intensely for the past year or so, and I actually caught Bela with his Acoustic Trio and the Del McCoury band this summer in Northampton, MA. It was a great show aside from the fact it was in a seated venue and there was no room to bust out, but it was still a hell of a night. I highly recommend trying to catch Bela with the Flecktones at some point, or even just Bela if possible, if you dig the banjo and someone who can seriously rock it, you won't be dissappointed.

With the formalities out of the way, the real subject of my post is about one particular member of the group, Roy "Futureman" Wooten, also known as Futch. He is responsible for providing the funked out percussion and drumwork for the group. Until recently I was just assuming he did hand precussion and drumset, which was blowing my mind listening to some of the synocpations and patterns he cranked out with such accuracy and ease. So I did a little research, and in fact he uses a home-made electronic device known as the Synthaxe Drumitar.

It is basically a combination of velocity sensitive triggers in the form of a little guitar. It is plugged into a collection of samplers and can be programmed to litteraly any sound or a blend of different sounds on one trigger. So all the audience sees is Futch tapping away on this little device hanging from his neck, while hearing these crazy beats and solos, that sound just like a drumset! Very trippy. This is a really advanced electronic instrument that is a true technological breakthough. Sometimes Futch also uses a similar, publicly marketed device, the Zen Drum.

Check out the Flecktones and Futch's crazy Drumitar. Crazy shit, it will blow your mind.
Peace