Chase Hummel and Noah “DJ Beatsmith Bear” Bellavance are just a couple of ‘Random Humans’ from small Alberta towns who moved to Vancouver to pursue a love of hip hop music.
“We formed in February of 2009 so we are fresh,” said beatmaker Bellavance, who is looking forward to his first gig in Lethbridge opening for Del The Funky Homosapien, April 12 at the Blarney Stone. '
“We are jazzed about that. That’s our first high profile opening. I was just checking my friend Cody the Catch’s Myspace site and saw he was playing too, so we asked him if we could hop on the gig too. And we did. It was the luck of the draw,” he enthused adding he had known MC Deception (Chase Hummell) for years.
“I remember when we used to party together back in the day and I was down with what he was doing. I said this has to happen. He’s a very crafty with his lyrics. It’s poetry. I look at him. He comes from a small town and I ask ‘Where do you find this inspiration?’ Then when you travel with him and you can see it. He’s got mice on a wheel in his head running 24-7. It’s crazy and eccentric,” he enthused adding a fortuitous meeting with MC Deception at a record store cemented their plans.
“I’ve always had a love for music. I listen to everything, psychedelic rock, hip hop, everything. I’m buddies with the owner of the record store and he just throws records at me. So when I feel something, I just feel it. I decided I wanted to take it further so I moved to Vancouver.”
This lead to another fortuitous meeting with Juno award winning producer and engineer Rob “Chicken” Shallcross, who is best known for working with metal acts like Gwar, Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad, but who won a Juno for engineering a blues album.
“It was just a fluke. That’s the beauty of it.
They released their debut EP on Shallcross’ record label, Reversed Records.
“He’s really shown me the ropes. The fact that he’s been in the business for so long. He brings a lot to our sound, which isn’t to say that I don’t have my own sound and Deception doesn’t have his but the three of us together we are a trifecta. He is the glue that holds us together.”
Shallcross helped record their EP and is working with the Random Humans on a full length CD expected to be released in September.
Bellavance said Shallcross writes the bass lines for the music, MC Deception comes up with the lyrics while the beats fall on his shoulders.
“I do sample, but I’m not focussed on sampling. We all listen to every part and see what works together. If a part doesn’t work, we change it. We might change a word or two, but Deception comes up with 98 per cent of the lyrics.”
The Random Humans are playing with Burkue One, DJ Zac Hendrix, Philly Moves, Cody The Catch and headliners Del The Funky Homosapien. Advance tickets are $20 from infamous, Boarderline, Blueprint and the Blarney Stone.
The show begins at 9 p.m with The Random Humans opening.