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Influence 1 | Nero - Welcome Reality (Album)

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Influence 1 | Nero - Welcome Reality (Album)

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Nero's album [Welcome Reality, 2011] hit my ears at a time when I didn't have much of an idea of what a concept album is. The timing was perfect for me as I had just started developing a passion for electronic music, especially dubstep. Through combining genres of the past such as "raw swoops of early-1990s rave, the arpeggios of synth-pop, the string-section jabs of disco, even some 1980s rock-anthem guitar" (Pareles, 2011) with dubstep sound design focused on heavy bass, this album condensed nuanced musical ideas into a cohesive sonic identity. Combine this with a strong sci-fi/cyberpunk theme, and my teenage self simply couldn't resist putting this album on repeat. Conceptually, Dan (one-third of Nero) says in an interview "We wanted to almost create a world in which the album takes place and make it all quite cinematic." (Telekom Electronic Beats, 2011) In this vein, I learned that music is capable of creating a world that exists in the mind of the listener.

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Influence 2 | Reeps One (Artist/Beatboxer)

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Influence 2 | Reeps One (Artist/Beatboxer)

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Reeps One inspires me to always push boundaries. Being "one of the first to introduce dubstep into beatboxing" (Human Beatbox, 2014), he spent his early years as a beatboxer competing in tournaments both nationally and internationally. Gaining the accolade of UK beatbox champion and placing among the top 4 in two international beatbox competitions were seemingly just stepping stones for Reeps’ artistry. Harry Yeff would go on to break new ground by working with A.I. One project was a collaboration with Dada Bots and Nokia Bell labs to create an A.I. that could not only replicate beatbox compositions but also predict what would follow (Swissbeatbox, 2019). Yeff has also been involved in academia, having been the subject of studies that investigate how the brain of an expert musician is utilised when engaged with music. As someone with a passion for the experimental, I take a lot of influence from Reeps One's continual efforts to explore the unexplored.

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The trio of Nero mention the French dance music scene, and more specifically Daft Punk (KarmaloopTV, 2012) and speaks of their own experience attending live performances from the French dance music powerhouse. "Equipped with Moog synthesizers, Ableton software, and visual rigs, Daft Punk's "neon pyramid" allowed them to make music in the moment" (McCormick, 2015). Nero's live performances had none of these things, but it's clear they were inspired by Daft Punk's intent to perform music, as opposed to simply playing it. The vocalist of Nero would become something of a front woman during their live shows, performing live vocals, and in the process, elevating it to more than just a DJ set.

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While interviewing vocalist Alana, it's revealed that "dystopian environments such as Akira and Bladerunner [are] inspirations for Nero." (DiscoDroppings, 2012.) It's not hard to draw similarities in sound and visual aesthetics with Welcome Reality and its music videos/album art. The sound of sci-fi is unmistakable in Nero's album. Warm droning synthesisers hang a heavy atmosphere over several tracks on this album. Eerie electronic soundscapes with slow, sustained notes evoke a retro-futuristic element that contributes to a dystopian sci-fi identity for Welcome Reality.

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On their album [Cross, 2007], Justice sampled "maybe 400 records" (MTV, 2008). Sampling was a common technique for French dance artists such as SebastiAn, Daft Punk, and Justice during their time. Nero would also use sampling within their music but even wore their influences on their shoulder by utilizing the method similarly. Taking samples that stylistically were very similar to the aforementioned artists, and injecting their wobbly dubstep flavour into what would otherwise be comparatively generic tracks.

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Grime as a genre has been a large source of stylistic inspiration for Reeps One. The use of deep, distorted bass lines is one of the most identifiable aspects of his music. To further this point, the "throat bass" technique in beatboxing was popularized in large part due to Reeps One's mastery and focus on it within his own compositions. Beyond bass, I believe the arrangement of instruments and song structure present in Grime can also be found in Reeps One's creations. Even in recent years, his live performances contain at least one of his popular tracks created in this grime genre.

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Reeps One mentions Faith SFX as an influence because of his intensity while beatboxing and how seriously he took his performances. Movies like Police Academy and Men In Black used beatbox for comedic effect. It's entirely possible that this influenced the perception of beatbox. Regardless, Reeps One learned to take his beatboxing seriously; A vital step towards making a career out of something as unorthodox as mouth music. While listening to Faith SFX, I identified many techniques present in Reeps One's sound palette. It seems that stylistically he had an influence too.

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London in the mid-late 2000s was a cultural melting pot—people from all kinds of backgrounds, with incredibly different histories gathered here. As a result, many genres of music came into existence, with roots traced back to all over the world. The landscape itself, however, was typically dark, grey, and gloomy. This inevitably played a role in the kinds of music created here. One example that comes to mind is Burial's album [Untrue, 2007]. This album is full of desolate, lonely soundscapes that evoke a very dystopian aesthetic that reflects the kind of atmosphere present at the time. Reeps One specifically cites London itself as an influence, no doubt due to these reasons, to some extent.

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Burial. (2007). Untrue [Album]. Hyperdub.

Caramanica, J., Pareles, J., & Chinen, N. (2011, December 20). New albums from Young Jeezy, Nero, and Bryan and the Haggards. New York Times. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A275280383/EAIM?u=saeinstitute&sid=oclc&xid=bfdf6480

DiscoDroppings. (2012, March 26). The Voice of Nero – Interview With Vocalist Alana Watson. DiscoDroppings.

https://discodroppings.com/2012/03/26/the-voice-of-nero-interview-with-vocalist-alana-watson/

Human Beatbox. Reeps One | Beatboxer Profile (2014, June 26). HUMAN BEATBOX. https://www.humanbeatbox.com/beatboxers/reeps-one/

McCormick, E. (2024). Roaring ’90s: Daft Punk live shows change the face of electronic music - Daily Bruin. Daily Bruin. https://dailybruin.com/2015/11/09/roaring-90s-daft-punk-live-shows-change-the-face-of-electronic-music

Justice. (2007). Cross [Album]. Ed Banger, Because, Vice & Warner

KarmaloopTV. (2012). Nero | The Rise of Dubstep, Daft Punk, & Raving In London [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xlzajg5Gj0&t=51s

MTV. (2008, November 11). French Duo Justice Reveal Songwriting, Sampling Secrets: 50 Cent, Slipknot Take Note! MTV.

https://www.mtv.com/news/giov7c/french-duo-justice-reveal-songwriting-sampling-secrets-50-cent-slipknot-take-note

Nero. (2011). Welcome Reality [Album]. MTA, Mercury

Swissbeatbox. (2019). Reeps One ft. A.I. “Second Self” (We Speak Music | Episode 6 | Human and Machine) [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q981cTdL0_Y