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Man Mimics Machine -- 5 Extraordinary Talents

by Leila Brillson on June 5, 2009 at 10:14 AM



Derek Paravicini isn't the first to mimic a music player's capability. As soon as animitronics started resembling something real, humans strove to imitate the mechanical. Call it a critique on technology or just plain cool, the history of people playing machine is as old and varied as technology itself. From beatboxing to 8-bit, take a look at some of our favorite machine-like moments.


Re-enacting gaming's greatest hits, Choir, Redefined makes the 'Mortal Kombat' theme song sound angelic.


A collection of moments from the first 'Police Academy' with the noisemaking prankster Cadet Larvell Jones demonstrating that nothing is more versatile than the human voice.

Amazing beat-boxing footage of Rahzel, the self-anointed "Godfather of Noize," as he explains his technique and song-writing in a short documentary.


Though not a pioneer of the form (try Rahzel or Doug E. Fresh for that), France's Joseph Poolpo perfects the human beatbox and proves to 'Nouvelle Star' -- the French 'American Idol' -- that you don't need music to make a beat.


Not to be outdone, comedian and vocalist Reggie Watts uses a sampler, his mouth, and a lot of talent to imitate not just a noise, but an entire studio setup. No editing or manipulation needed.


While they wouldn't actually be mistaken for robots, the duo from Flight of the Conchords tell us of a not-too-distant future where, as the song states, humans are dead and all that is left are robots with vague Kiwi accents.


Stick around until the end to see an amazing binary rap. Japanese father-daughter dance duo -- better known overseas as Machine 1 and 2 -- strut their stuff at Anime Matsuri this past January. Strong Machine 2 (12-year old Mao Murakami) did the robo-boogie for New Wave band Polysics, in the Korg-laden video "I My Me Mine." Must run in the family.

Tags: features, robots, top

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