Black Violin


This past weekend I trekked down to UConn to see one of the most widely listened to mash-up artist out there right now, Girl Talk. Although his music is completely composed of other artists work, his incredibly unique style has leant to his enormous popularity on college campuses across the nation. Considering this popularity, its likely that you already knew all that.

Surprisingly, the most notable aspect of the show (aside from the sickening amounts of neon spandex) was Girl Talk's opening act, Black Violin. Anticipating a night long rave, I (along with the rest of the crowd) was taken by surprise when two men took the stage wielding violins, followed by a DJ who began to lay down a beat. Soon thereafter, the two lead men complimented the hip-hop backing with their traditionally classical instruments. As their set continued, the music grew in complexity, drawing from a multitude of genres to create far and away the most unique sounds I have heard in ages.

While at first this synthesizing of hip hop, jazz, funk, and soul with classical may sound like a horribly unappealing mix, Black Violin manages to pull it off. This is largely due to their mastery of the most versatile of classical instruments, which they use in lieu of vocals on each of their tracks. By manipulating traditional musical styles to create something entirely new, Black Violin showcases their ingenuity as musicians. Considering they are opening for Girl Talk, it is likely the duo will soon gain greater popularity. To get ahead of the curve, check our their Myspace here. Below is a video of Black Violin on Current TV.



Listen:

Black Violin - Brandenburg
buy Black Violin


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