Beatbox Rave Oonsk-Oonsking with a Jaw Harp

Jean Jean french beatboxer guimbarde UP YOUR SOUND !, YouTube (Thanks, Brendan via "friends list")

[#1 posted by spazzm, October 5, 2008 5:10 PM]

Awesome. I'm going to get out and get a jew harp now.

[#2 posted by Ghede, October 5, 2008 5:11 PM]

That was freaking awesome. I used to have one of those, but the metal thing you twanged was probably to sharp to do what he did. I could still do some cool stuff with it though.

I found it on a forest floor.

... What? I cleaned it!

[#3 posted by The Joey B, October 5, 2008 5:21 PM]

Gentile, please... that's a Jew's harp.

[#4 posted by spazzm, October 5, 2008 5:31 PM]

I remember playing one of those when I was younger. The hard part was to not give your teeth a smack. Which can be rather painful.

[#5 posted by Tom Hale, October 5, 2008 5:35 PM]

Wow, put him together with a human beatbox and a good improvisational rapper and you would have a show.

[#6 posted by lectroid, October 5, 2008 5:52 PM]

You know, we all get jaded. We read our chosen blogs, watch our chosen shows, and nothing's new. Been there, done that. Blah blah steampunk blah copyright blah blah privacy iPhone coffee TSA.

Then something like this shows up and I remember why it might not be quite so hopeless.

[#7 posted by redteam, October 5, 2008 5:54 PM]

I love my Jew's Harp. I've always told people that it's an acoustic TB-303.

[#8 posted by Jake0748, October 5, 2008 5:58 PM]

Jew's Harp, aka Juice Harp.

You know, 'cause of all the saliva n stuff.

[#9 posted by Xeni Jardin, October 5, 2008 6:00 PM]

@The Joey B, and anyone else giving me a hard time over the language here -- look, some people, and by some people i mean me, prefer to call it a "jaw harp." This is also a commonly accepted name for the instrument shown. I'm aware of the various terms used, this is the one I'm using. I'm not Jewish, and calling anything a "Jew's" whatever feels weird coming out of my mouth or my keyboard. My blog, my voice, my choice of words I prefer to use.

[#10 posted by Jake0748, October 5, 2008 6:09 PM]

Xeni, I don't think anyone here was giving you any shit. I think we were all just having fun with it. This particular musical instrument has about 237 different names. ("Mouth-organ" is one of my faves). I think we are all sharing your reluctance to call anything a "Jew's-whatever", but keep in mind that one of the zillion great things about Jewish people is their sense of humor, and perspective.

[#11 posted by Jake0748, October 5, 2008 6:11 PM]

Great post, by the way. AFAIC, oonsk-oonsking is now the official way of describing the sound of, er, one of these, being played. :)

[#12 posted by Xeni Jardin, October 5, 2008 6:17 PM]

one of the zillion great things about Jewish people is their sense of humor, and perspective.

You're totally entitled to that, but I would not personally feel comfortable saying that "Jewish people have a great sense of humor," any more than I'd say "[insert race] have a great sense of rhythm." I am not judging anyone, I just do not feel comfortable making broad generalizations about ethnic groups to which I do not belong.

Here's my point: I'm not Jewish, and it feels weird to me for *me* to use the term "Jew's" [noun] when another term fits just as well. Just like -- perhaps a more extreme example -- I feel black folks are totally entitled to use certain terms, and I feel weird saying them under any circumstances. Personal choice, not condemning others' choice of words, it's really not a big deal. Let's move on. It's a really cool video.

[#13 posted by sammich, October 5, 2008 6:40 PM]

I used to enjoy my je/aw's harp until it chipped my tooth...

[#14 posted by Jake0748, October 5, 2008 6:57 PM]

OK, I guess I am wrong. My original point was that I didn't see anybody (including me), giving you a "hard time".

Please forgive me, but I do think you are being a bit judgmental. I feel like you were implying racism on my part. Maybe I came off that way, I don't know. If so, I apologize deeply.

[#15 posted by Xeni Jardin, October 5, 2008 7:08 PM]

Jake, all is well, I am not upset, and I am not judging you, nor am I judging anyone else. Your comments were funny and friendly. The initial comment from me in this thread wasn't @ you. Am explaining my choice of words, which was really not intended to be the point of this post. End of this particular line of dialogue AFAIAC.

[#16 posted by Antinous / Moderator, October 5, 2008 7:08 PM]

What's with all the pedantry about the name? Did anyone actually listen to the music?

[#17 posted by Jake0748, October 5, 2008 7:10 PM]

I used to have one of these gadgets (damn, where did it go anyway?... I need to get a new one). It does hurt, but smacking yourself in the teeth makes one of the best sounds. Also, it can be used to make one of the best "boingboing" noises going. :)

This dude rocks (for a Frenchie, anyway).

DON'T KILL ME!!

[#18 posted by Xeni Jardin, October 5, 2008 7:19 PM]

@Antinous, Indeed. And hey, does anyone know anything about this guy, Jean Jean? He's in France, ok, I got that much. I can't find a website or any background. He's amazing. It's trance music with a daggone mouth harp. All you need is banjo glowsticking and some hard-euro-progressive-acid-goa harmonica, and boom! you got yourself an old-time rave.

[#19 posted by Xeni Jardin, October 5, 2008 7:20 PM]

@jake0748, i hadn't thought of that -- it's truly "boing boing" music.

[#20 posted by kaiza, October 5, 2008 7:27 PM]

@#7 - This guy is a human 303 AND 808 ;)

I remember seeing a Japanese guy busking in Pitt St mall in Sydney many moons ago, playing a similar acid trance style, but he was using a minidisc for the drumbeat.

I've recently (as of last night) resolved to learn at least one instrument and have a crack at using a tracker/synth software - I might just go and get one of these too ;)

[#21 posted by morcheeba, October 5, 2008 7:58 PM]

#16 is right... no one noticed that his music was so awesome, it opened up a tear in the matrix?

[#22 posted by KurtMac, October 5, 2008 8:05 PM]

My grandma gave me one of those things when I was a kid. Then I got braces in high school which put an end to that. Although, I do concur with spazzm that I've endured quite a few painful tooth smacks while trying it out. "Boinnnga Boinnnnnn Boinnnga BoiZZZZZT! OW!! SONOFA!!"

I should dig up the olde mouth harp now that my teeth are straight and then totally beat the crap out of them!

Also, this was the first time I've seen "Oonsk-Oonsk" presented as an onomatopoeia, and its quite awesome.

[#23 posted by skramble, October 5, 2008 8:16 PM]

this sound is the fucking shit! sickness! I hope he puts out some vynyl 7" recordings. I wish there wasnt' so much background noise while he is rocking out. This should be blasted out of all VWs on the street. Word!

[#24 posted by Takuan, October 5, 2008 8:25 PM]

mmm! gonna call me mah man, git me some E and stalk the bewildered kids wit mah soother in hand! (it's truly a burden being unstuck in time)

[#25 posted by rancor01, October 6, 2008 3:37 AM]

Great... So what are we gonna call English muffins now??

[#26 posted by ed_g, October 6, 2008 4:20 AM]

Honky Cakes. Except here in England where we'll just call them muffins.

[#27 posted by Lobster, October 6, 2008 5:45 AM]

All the Jaw/Jew Harp/Horp comments have nothing to do with accuracy. People just like to correct other people. Makes them feel smart. You keep on doing what you're doing, Xeni. :)

[#28 posted by SamF, October 6, 2008 7:31 AM]

Ravetastic!

This video just needs 2 things:

1) A didgeridoo (see: Aphex Twin for applicability)

2) More cowbell!

[#29 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, October 6, 2008 7:59 AM]

When I play the video on my laptop, his right hand looks like it's holding still -- can't keep up with the speed of his motion.

[#30 posted by j5ive, October 6, 2008 9:13 AM]

That guy is awesome!

Me and a couple of friends actually used to beatbox and play jaw harps in highschool. There's this ridiculous picture of us posing for the school newspaper on the front steps of the school. We called ourselves "Hookjaw Pesto and the Harpomaniacs" (just for the silly photo) but it was really just a fun(ny) thing to do at lunch time.

We actually had a few different registers of harp. There was a Bass harp with a much thicker piece of metal, and boy did it hurt when you got one in the tooth. I'm surprised we all still have front teeth.

Thanks for this Xeni, gave me a good chuckle and brought back some fond memories!

[#31 posted by slida, October 6, 2008 9:56 AM]

So I special ordered one of these(it was a Snoopy brand) because I wanted to use it for a recording, but I can't play it to save my life. It makes one of the coolest noises ever.

[#32 posted by Saxtor, October 6, 2008 10:40 AM]

I like this guy. He seems to be a rather adequate beatboxer (although I am no critic; it's all amazing), but he incorporates some pretty clever instruments into his beats. The Mouth Harp is one, but here he is playing the flute (watch for when he plays it with his nose) and playing the kalimba. I love seeing someone using their creativity to take an art to a whole new level. In this case, Jean Jean doesn't have to be the best, but he sure as hell has caught my attention.

[#33 posted by Enormo, October 6, 2008 11:31 AM]

I'm deeply offended. Some of my best friends are Jaws.

[#34 posted by frankiefourfingers, October 6, 2008 1:19 PM]

reminds me of that horrible song cotton eye joe. he likes sticking flutes up his nose too!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ighSthnX2N4&feature=related

[#35 posted by botono9, October 6, 2008 9:03 PM]

He ain't got nothing on this kid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIyuVYzxMew

[#36 posted by fnc, October 7, 2008 10:40 AM]

It's always cool to see something made possible via electronics reproduced via analog means.

[#37 posted by kaiza, October 8, 2008 12:44 AM]

@#35 - That's the guy I was talking about! Thankyou for bringing this to my attention - he's actually released a CD!!!

[#38 posted by zish, October 12, 2008 10:09 PM]

I can't believe noone's posted Jean-Claude Bonno yet.
Yes, link is related.