Deantoni Parks blends technology, hip-hop, sampling, and electronica for unforgettable live performances
Continually pushing the boundaries of music, experimental composer and percussionist Deantoni Parks blends technology, hip-hop, sampling, and electronica to create unforgettable live performances. Experience Parks’ expansive stage presence and mastery of music technology when he performs two shows on Thursday Nov. 30, at 7 and 9 p.m. in the preeminent venue for sonic experiences, the Moss Arts Center’s Cube.
Using the creative moniker “Technoself,” Parks combines elements of jazz, rock, electronic, and experimental music, taking audiences on a mesmerizing ride through the realms of sound and rhythm.
“There is no easy introduction to Deantoni’s resume. He’s provided the backbeat for luminaries like Lenny Kravitz, Mars Volta, and Sade, all of whom defined their musical moment via stringent personnel and signature sounds. However, Deantoni’s constant metamorphosis propels him towards a bold, defiant fusion of acoustic and electric percussive components,” said Shirlette Ammons, the Moss Arts Center’s first independent guest performing arts curator. “Equal parts cosmic percussionist and mad scientist, Deantoni crafts real time remixes in a one-man, mind-blowing experience that merges sampling and live drumming. As a result, no two performances are ever the same.”
Parks has been a member of new wave contortionists Kudu and art rockers Bosnian Rainbows. As a recording and performing drummer, he has worked with a broad scope of artists, including Yohimbe Brothers, Alice Smith, Meshell Ndegeocello, John Cale, and Flying Lotus. His album “Touch But Don't Look” was released in 2012, and “Technoself” arrived three years later.
Georgia-born Parks grew up in a family with musical preferences leaning towards funk, Southern soul, and gospel and began playing drums at age 2. He explored jazz as a teen with Delbert Felix and attended Berklee College of Music, where he studied the mechanistic beats of electronic music.
This event is co-sponsored by the Black Cultural Center
Related engagement events
During his visit to Blacksburg, Parks will demonstrate his unique combination of sampling and live drumming for students in Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates: Hip-Hop Studies at Virginia Tech and the Studio 72 arts living-learning community.
Tickets
Tickets for the performance are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.
Venue and parking information
The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.
