"DJ Gary’s Beatnik Karaoke"

DJ Gary’s Beatnik Karaoke is a kind of new cabaret where music and poetry meet through song and improvisation neatly tied together in the compositions of Garrett List.

In its present form “DJ Gary’s Beatnik Karaoke” is based on the encounter between Garrett and his young piano playing friend, Johan DUPONT. The 40 years that separate the two of them has created a whirlwind of ideas and energy. Both of them are deeply rooted in the traditions of our dear old western music: their music is decisively eclectic.

They will be assisted by a formidable quartet of musicians of the Euregional Orchestra ViVo!:
Maritsa NEY (violin), Domenica EYCKMANS (violin alto), Romain VIESLET (oboe), et Marine HORBACZEVSKI (violoncello).

The program will be played in 2 parts of 40 minutes

Why DJ Gary?

For this project, Garrett List has concentrated on his old love for electronic music and the voice by using the techniques of today’s mixing art. The laptop computer and a midi controller are used to manipulate a series of looped, synthesized and sampled sounds.


Why “Beatnik”?

The Beatniks were the poets of the 1950’s. Exemplified by writers like Allen Ginsberg, jack Kerouac or William Burroughs, their work stood in strong contrast to the conformism of the time.


Why “Karaoke”?

The written word is the key point for “karaoke”. With DJ Gary’s Beatnik Karaoke the written word becomes sound. (The spoken or sung word could be thought of as the beginning point music.) The poetry of Allen Ginsberg, Judith Malina, Garrett List and others is scatted and rapped, slammed and sung in compositions. DJ techniques are mixed with live classical instruments.

DJ’ Gary’s Beatnik Karaoke, seen by Gary