I Done A Album

The debut album by Beardyman marks the transition from performing artist to recording artist and he is a marquee signing for Rob da Bank and his label Sunday Best. Whilst Beardyman might be best known for his beatboxing exploits, he is far from just another beatboxer. He is a musician with superhuman-like abilities and his voice is his superpower and his instrument. His sets boast dazzling variety, changes in beat-fuelled freakouts, a unique approach to a wide array of genres and a vivacious sense of humor – all of which set him apart from his peers and establishes him as being far more than a novelty jaw warmer. A genius savant would be a better way of looking at him.

I Done A Album gives you a sense of the inner workings of Beardyman. As Beardyman himself puts it, “I have some form of musical ADD. But everything’s beat driven and nothing’s out of bounds. My album’s all about taking people on a journey, and making it entertaining enough for everyone to willingly come with me – wherever it takes them, wherever it goes…”.  That journey includes destinations such as lead single Where Does Your Mind Go? which is a pulse throbbing demonstration of ear-shattering sonic sleight, to Africa with Twist Your Ankal. Smell The Vibe, a track layered in funky beats creating a captivating soundscape upon which Beardyman drops his Q-Tip flavoured rhymes. Vampire Skank is a dark journey into Eastern Europe with an accordion before becoming a savage dubstep monster chomping its way through to your eardrums.

And this, equally, is why I Done A Album is such a hugely invigorating, intoxicating and thrilling ride: he was free to craft the songs and grab the on-the-spot moments that make I Done A Album the pandemonium-inducing trip that it is.  “The reason why it’s taken so long is because I’ve been waiting till I could find a way to get the vibe of what I do live. And to get the whole Beardyman thing I’m known for on to the record. It’s all about improvisation and what happens in the moment – and it’s hard to record that kind of stuff. When you sit down at the computer and agonize over everything, the funs bits can boil off” explains Beardyman. “The whole thing is about capturing creativity – it’s not contrived in any way. No pretext, no agenda, just music as I’d like to hear it, as eclectic as my iPod on shuffle.”