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Vita=Life, Beats=Music – The whole story of the Vitabeats 1980-2023

by Andrew Barnum

Andrew Barnum with Lissa, aka Vitrabeats


Lissa and I began performing and recording together in Los Angeles in 1980. Our first band was called ‘Live Nude Girl’ formed during the post-punk era. Angular, with arcane drum-machines, synths, guitars, and theatrical graphic visuals. I am an American-born Australian, who grew up in Sydney, went to design school in Melbourne, then after starting my career in visual communication design, relocated to the USA to freelance in design and get serious about song writing. To find collaborators, starting bands, and doing solo singer-songwriter spots around LA, while designing in the daytime.

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Sweet Young Solitude

by Dim Kouchnir

Sweet Young Solitude by Dim Kouchnir
I guess to start things off I didn’t really have this direct introduction to music as blatantly most people get it (I think). You could say I kinda got ushered into it slowly during the period of 14 to 20ish.

Around my mid-teens, I started writing poetry in my native language which is Flemish (same as dutch), and in that same period, I also got into dancing, particularly in the styles hip-hop, poppin’, and bboying. Being a dancer and mainly educating myself in the field choreography, I got in contact with a lot of the musical influences that show themselves in my work today.

I think of people like: Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Sholomo, Clams Casino; and the list goes on…

I remember my dance tutor having this immense iTunes library, and after a lot nagging, I got him to put it on my blackberry tablet (hahaha). Having that period in my life gave me a passion for music in general, And helped me to develop my taste.

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