Mixtape Album: Killa Kela – Ontour Vandamage

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Despite reaching unimagined levels of mainstream acceptance, certain elements of Hip Hop culture seem to have been lost in the proverbial shuffle; the art of beatboxing very much seems to fall into that category. So with that in mind, it is up to the likes of Rahzel, Biz Markie and Britain’s Killa Kela to raise awareness, while taking the treasured form of expression to new creative levels.

Killa Kela’s Ontour Damage mix-CD, which was released to coincide with his last Australian/European tour, gets the job done very effectively and then some.

DJ Plus-One, from the renowned Scratch Perverts crew, capably mixes the collection of live performances, studio tracks and remixes, however doesn’t flex his superior scratching techniques. In this setting though it is not entirely necessary as the mass of tracks on the display are there to do the talking.

For both existing fans and unaccustomed listeners the cleverly-titled Ontour Vandamage, is a testament to Killa Kela’s incredible human beatbox skills and theatrics; he also shows considerable presence as an MC on occasion as well.

It is truly amazing to hear his near-perfection recreations of tracks, as he transitions from drum ‘n’ bass (Supergrass) to breakbeats (Submarines) and Hip Hop anthems (Jesus Walks, The Champ Is Here).

The 33 minute mix is both intense and unrelenting, ensuring that his routine doesn’t grow stale, a fate which was suffered by his debut LP Elocution (which is included in this two-disc package). It can grow to be somewhat of an overwhelming listening experience at times though, particularly when the more dance music-inclined tracks kick in (Secret Medley).

The only other drawback of Ontour Vandamage is the inclusion of instruments/samples during some of Kela’s routines; this detracts a little from the vibe and mystique of what he’s doing.

All ends well though with the closing track Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly, which was recorded during a live show. The concoction is a magical marriage between Kela’s jaw-dropping human beatbox accompanied by DJ scratching and a string/horn combo. Ontour Vandamage is an important musical document.

Available through Spit Kingdom/Shock Records