Beatox Unveils New Single/ Video for “Learning How to Live” From Upcoming LP, Been A Long Time
Winnipeg beatboxer, vocalist, and producer Beatox (a.k.a. Adam Fainman) returns with the joyful synthetic funk track, “Learning How to Live.” The song will appear on his upcoming album, Been a Long Time, set for release on June 7 on Beatox’s own label and production company, Moonlite Media.
The tune revisits the early months after emerging from the fog of the pandemic to fully embrace life again. Shortly after borders opened, he was playing live shows in Europe and working on a collaboration with Austrian-based Slovenian duo freekind., which inspired the song (“In a different continent just a week ago/creating content ‘bout to make your speakers blow”). It serves as a reminder to live every day to the fullest, embrace adventure, and discover the possibilities that are out there.
“Being the type of person that really thrives around people and collaboration, those were difficult years. But coming out of it also gave me so much appreciation to do the things I love again and inspire others to follow their passions,” said Beatox. “I started beatboxing when I was a kid, which led to an interest in production and technology, and later completing a master’s degree from the University of Toronto in Music Technology & Digital Media. After that, I was developing curriculum and teaching college-level classes, performing shows around the globe, all while not knowing how to read music. Who would have thought doing clicks and clacks would turn into this? Cracking the code of life, in my opinion, is just doing what you love and letting everything else fall into place.”
The track arrives with an animation video created by Beatox, who has also made videos for other artists including Disaster Pony and Grimskunk. While “Learning How to Live” is an admission of someone still trying to figure it all out, the video is an effervescent depiction of the things that make the artist’s life fulfilling (i.e. love, travel, creativity), offering an encouraging mantra for those considering a leap of faith: “We only have one life / So we better get it done right.”
Beatox will be hitting the road in June and July with stops in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Saskatoon, with more live dates to be announced soon.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Absolutely, my artist name is Beatox. The name was inspired by my love for beatboxing and how music and songwriting has acted as a medicine or “detox” throughout my life. I was born in Toronto but moved to Winnipeg just before high school, and it’s there where I really leaned into my artistic side, spending the long winters beatboxing, recording songs with friends, and really embracing my performing arts side.
“Learning How to Live” seems like such a vibrant and uplifting track. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the song and its joyful, synthetic funk vibe?
I wrote the song while I was in Austria visiting and collaborating with the artist duo, freekind. Before COVID, I toured with Nina (Korošak Serčič) and Sara (Ester Gredelj) across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and they even came to Canada where they learned what a real road trip was like (only 5000 km!). I think the visit after the pandemic was a realization of how I wanted to live my life. It was such a stark contrast from the depressing days of COVID, to all of a sudden being surrounded by friends, music, nature, and travelling. We would spend a lot of our time talking about what truly makes us fulfilled: mindfulness, moving our bodies (performing, recording, sports, hiking), exchanging ideas with others (through conversation or actual teaching), serving others, working hard, setting goals, manifestation, etc. A lot of friends back home were still scared about travelling, and learning how to live their lives after the pandemic, so I wanted to lead by example. That’s what this song kind of encapsulates. If a guy who beatboxes can travel across the world performing music, play international jazz festivals, teach college-level music production, and become a brand ambassador for a company in the UK, yet can’t read music and technically failed high school, then anything is possible! I’m the proof. This song is proof. So just do it.
You collaborated with the Austrian-based Slovenian duo freekind. How did this collaboration come about, and what role did they play in shaping the sound of “Learning How to Live.”
It’s a bit of a long story. I met Nina in Winnipeg in 2017 when she was doing an exchange to learn jazz drums at the University of Manitoba, and we kept in touch. She said, “If you ever came to Slovenia, I could put together a band, learn your tunes, and we could play some concerts.” I took her up on her offer, and I’ll never forget the first day I met Nina and Sara in Slovenia. We met in what seemed like a bomb shelter in Maribor, where I was led through darkness until I heard a light sound in the distance, and was met by a group of six or seven musicians in a jam space. All my anxious thoughts went away when we started jamming, and I immediately felt at home. One show turned into more shows, so I extended my trip. We ended up performing at the beautiful castle in Ljubljana. By the end, the band was a bit too big to coordinate, so it naturally downsized to just me, Nina, and Sara. The three of us became extremely close. It was a rare friendship, unlike anything I had ever experienced. “Learning How To Live” was written during that visit, as a reaction to the highs of being together again, and manifesting what life could be like moving forward.
The track arrives with an animation video created by you. What was the inspiration behind the visuals, and how do they complement the themes and mood of the song?
I wanted to illustrate the story behind going to Europe alone, and what it was like learning how to live again and trying to understand happiness. I wanted the video to be vibrant, fun, and upbeat while showing the various things that bring me joy and the wide range of interests I have. I believe everyone is multifaceted, so the video attempts to remind people to really wake up and go for their dreams, even if they seem unattainable or change frequently.
As the lead single from your upcoming album, Been a Long Time; how do you feel “Learning How to Live” sets the tone for the rest of the album? Are there any overarching themes or motifs that listeners can expect to find throughout the record?
This is the second single from the album. It builds off the lead single, “Been a Long Time,” offering a more positive mantra for the album. I see the album like a rainbow arch that starts on a low note during pandemic times, then moves upwards, building musical energy and optimism, and comes back down, ending with an open-ended outlook of endless possibilities: the pot of gold. The record takes the listener on that journey, while posing various questions, like ‘What makes you happy,’ and ‘What’s preventing you from making your dreams a reality?’
Can you share a bit about your upcoming tour plans, including the album release party in Montreal and festival stops in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Saskatoon?
It’s not a conventional tour per se, but it’s a string of shows from June 6 until July 9 that includes an album release show in Montreal at L’Escogriffe Bar on June 6, and Manitoba Night Market & Festival on June 9 where I’ll be also performing with my mom, Rachel Kane. Then I’m performing at the Winnipeg Jazz Fest on June 22, and closing things off with my first time performing in Saskatchewan at the Saskatoon Jazz Fest on July 9. I’m still potentially adding some dates in between, but for now I’m just really pleased to play these shows, press this album on vinyl, and share this project that I’ve been working on for the past several years.
Upcoming Canadian Tour Dates:
June 6 – L’Escogriffe Bar Spectacle – Montreal, QC
June 9 – Manitoba Night Market & Festival – Winnipeg, MB
June 22 – TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival – Winnipeg, MB
July 9 – SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival – Saskatoon, SK