Global Beat Fusion: The History of the Future of Music is a documentary based on the 2005 book of the same name by international music journalist/DJ/producer Derek Beres. The film bridges cultures through music, focusing on the sonic heritages of various countries in Africa, India, Eastern Europe and America, as well as documenting the rise of the computer in modern music, which the author considers the first ‘global folk instrument.’ The result is a musically rich exploration of the diverse nations of the planet uniting through song and ritual.
“Having written about music since 1993,” Beres writes, “I understood that the quickest way to learn about people from other lands is through their arts. A common trait of being human is that we all love and are passionate about music. Music works on two levels: the universal—think love songs, songs expressing anger, sadness and joy—and the very personal, like songs about the environment you’ve grown up in or the politics of your nation. Too often we only learn about foreign cultures through media sources that discuss tragedy and terror. Politics are important, but if our sole focus is on a select group of individuals, we are missing the broad majority of people, who very likely live lives similar to ours. So this book, and documentary, is about celebrating the things that bring us together, getting up close and personal with some of the greatest musicians on the planet.”
Produced by Austin-based Spectral Alchemy and New York-based Fifth Column Films, Global Beat Fusion follows Derek around with his musical partner, David ‘Duke Mushroom’ Schommer. Otherwise known as EarthRise SoundSystem, during the film the duo heads to Brazil, Morocco, India, Romania and across the United States talking with a wide variety of artists, label owners, DJs and fans about the state of modern music. While there, they will be recording with artists in their homeland, returning to Duke’s Harlem studio to create an album to accompany the documentary. Seeing where, why and how music is created teaches us not only about other cultures, but enriches our experience of our own, helping everyone appreciate the ritual of being human and how much benefit we receive from working together on creative endeavors. With so much tearing us apart in the modern world, Global Beat Fusion is a documentary about coming together.