Traditional choir music flows like water. Beatpella hits like a hammer. For centuries, a cappella singing was defined by "Bel Canto" beauty—smooth vowels, blending textures, and floating suspensions. Think of the King's Singers or Eric Whitacre. But in the last decade, a seismic shift has occurred. Influenced by Hip-Hop, Techno, and Dubstep, a new generation of vocal groups has emerged. They aren't trying to sound like a choir; they are trying to sound like a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). They are becoming human synthesizers and drum machines.
Part 1: The Titans: MayTree & VoicePlay
While Pentatonix brought pop a cappella to the masses, other groups are pushing the boundaries of sound design further than anyone thought possible.
MayTree (South Korea): The Human Sampler
MayTree went viral not by singing Top 40 hits, but by mimicking technology.
- The Concept: They recreate the sound effects of everyday life—the Windows XP startup sound, the iPhone marimba ringtone, the Samsung Galaxy alarm.
- The Technique: It isn't just about pitch; it's about timbre. When they mimic a "Trash Can" deleting a file on a Mac, they find the precise, hollow, paper-crumpling resonance in their throats to match the digital sample.
- Precision: Their rhythm is tighter than a metronome. They treat the voice as a sample trigger. There is no rubato. There is only the grid.
VoicePlay (USA): The Theatrical Bass
VoicePlay treats a cappella as theater.
- The Weapon: Geoff Castellucci. His bass range (reaching down to A0 and lower) allows the group to have a "Sub-Bass" frequency that physically rattles listeners' chests.
- The Style: They use heavy processing, distortion, and aggressive vocal percussion to create a sound that rivals a full Hans Zimmer film score.
Part 2: The Beatbox Toolkit: BTK for Beginners
You don't need to be a professional beatboxer to add rhythm to your choir. You just need the BTK Method. Beatboxing is simply the art of replacing vowels with consonants.
1. The Kick Drum (B)
- The Sound: A deep, thudding bass drum.
- How: Say the letter "B". Now, remove the vocal cord sound (make it unvoiced). Tighten your lips and build up pressure behind them. Release it explosively.
- Pro Tip: Engage your diaphragm (just like singing!). A kick drum needs air pressure. If it sounds weak, you aren't using enough abs.
2. The Hi-Hat (T)
- The Sound: A crisp, metallic tick.
- How: Say "Ts" or "Tuh". Keep your tongue high against the roof of your mouth, right behind your teeth.
- Variations:
- Closed Hi-Hat: Short "t".
- Open Hi-Hat: Long "Tss" (let the air hiss).
- Cymbal Crash: "Pshhh" (a snare structure but with a long, white-noise fade).
3. The Snare Drum (K or Pf)
- The Sound: The sharp crack that drives the backbeat on beats 2 and 4.
- The "Pf" Snare: Combine a "P" and an "F". Force the air through your bottom lip. It sounds like a fat, wet snare (classic hip-hop).
- The "K" Snare (Rimshot): This is harder. Make a "K" sound in the back of your throat, but inhale sharply or force air out aggressively without vocals. It creates a dry, woody crack.
Part 3: The Pocket (Rhythmic Interaction)
The notes don't matter if the groove is wrong. In Beatpella, the Bass and the Beatboxer must effectively be married.
- The Lock: The Bass singer must hit their note exactly when the Beatboxer hits the Kick Drum. If the bass is 50 milliseconds late, the groove feels "flammy" and weak.
- The Space: Musicians often "overplay." The funk is in the silence. If the Bass sings a short, staccato note on beat 1, he must stop singing to let the snare ring out on beat 2. Playing "in the pocket" means respecting the empty space.
Part 4: Technology Meets Voice: The Loop Station
Purists hate it. Innovators love it. The Loop Station (like the BOSS RC-505) is the new instrument of the a cappella soloist.
How It Works
- Record: You sing a bass line for 4 bars and hit a pedal.
- Loop: The machine plays it back endlessly.
- Layer: You sing a beatbox track over it. Then a harmony. Then a melody. Finally, you sing a solo over your own choir.
Essential Gear
- BOSS RC-505: The industry standard tabletop looper (used by Ariana Grande and serious beatboxers). It allows for 5 separate tracks that you can fade in and out, add reverb to, or even distort.
- Octave Pedals: Bass singers often use an "Octavizer" to drop their voice an octave lower than humanly possible. This creates compelling sub-bass frequencies (40Hz - 60Hz) that shake the floorboards and mimic a synthesizer.
Video Experience: MayTree's iPhone Sounds
Watch MayTree recreate the iPhone's sound library. It is funny, yes, but listen closer. The tuning is impeccable, and the rhythm is absolutely robotic (in the best way).
The Future: A Cyborg Choir?
Beatpella proves that the human voice is the ultimate synthesizer. But with the rise of AI tools like Ace Studio, we are seeing a convergence. Composers are writing rhythms so complex that only a computer (or MayTree) can sing them. The future of a cappella isn't just human; it's a collaboration between the biological voice and the digital beat.
We have pushed the boundaries of what is humanly possible. Now, let's look at how AI is pushing them even further. Next: AI and the Future of Choral Composition.
Recommended Gear for Beatpella
- Microphone: Shure SM58 (The industry standard for durability).
- Loop Station: Boss RC-505 (Tabletop) or Boss RC-30 (Pedal).
- Octave Pedal: BOSS OC-5 (Best for tracking low notes cleanly).
- In-Ear Monitors: Shure SE215 (Affordable entry-level isolation).
About the Author
HaND. is a choral veteran with 15 years of experience in practice and organization. A primary Bass, HaND. also demonstrates exceptional versatility as a Countertenor and Vocal Percussionist.
