Launchpad + FootBath, Dog Lick, Chic Bassline & Japanese Rapper = Total Win!
By Paul Dakeyne
| Posted in Music Technology
Jeez, I love the internet. The iridescent feed of news, views, info, rumour, madness, mayhem, sadness and hilarity that ensues daily makes for some compelling sights and discussion. Take this video that has recently surfaced. Mix this for a bizarre combination that you’d never think would keep you glued to a YouTube page for six seconds, let alone the six minutes plus it runs for.
It’s no secret that we at DV247 towers love the Novation Launchpad. We also love Ableton Live. Not sure how everyone here feels about foot-baths and being licked by a dog whilst trying to programme an iconic bassline though!?! Raised your eyebrow yet? Do read on. Bring into this scene a demure and lovely Japanese actress called Yukiko delivering her interpretation of the classic SugarHill track, Rapper’s Delight, and you have the most enchanting video I’ve personally seen in a long time.
The hilarity factor hits you immediately though as we watch a ‘friend’ of Yukiko’s attempting to tap in the Bernard Edward’s Chic bassline (from Good Times, later sampled by the SugarHill Gang). Can he get it right? No, erm yes, oh no, ye..Oh bugger it! With his feet sat in a relaxing foot-bath whilst Yukiko’s dogs lick his legs, he constantly messes up and delivers mucho Japanese signs of exasperation along the way. After a few minutes of blundering his way through numerous attempts to emulate ‘that’ bassline, the sampled Rappers Delight backing track morphs in and Yukiko’s “hip hop, the hippity hop hop” take over as she delivers pretty much the full rap delivered by the original Brooklyn four. It’s just infectious.
As if the above wasn’t enough to brighten up a gloomy, grey UK day, what’s this on the ‘related videos’ list? – It’s ‘Launchpad with Footbath and Rap Volume 2′. It gets better? Hell yeah.. The next installment catches the endearing Yukiko at the underground station, boarding a train and sticking her multi-coloured iPod to the carriage window (it’s cute the way the Japanese take their technology and customise it so innocently).
This time however, this new rap superstar grabs a similar SugarHill classic in the form of GrandMaster Flash’s The Message. Yet another contagious, endorphin inducing delivery kicks off whilst, pausing for the song’s break, the foot-bath, dog licked friend bashes out a filtered percussion solo on the Launchpad with, notably, Ableton Live doing a grand job of keeping up with him!
So there it is. One of those days when something comes along, says hello, and reminds you of life’s Good Times (excuse the pun) and that the bad stuff in all its forms can take a running jump – even if it’s for just six and a half minutes. Woof!
Tags: ableton live, launchpad