Charles Berthoud
Sometimes you stumble upon an absolutely amazing youtuber and after getting hooked, binge a ton of their videos, only to subscribe with notifications so you can be sure to catch the next video they put up. Charles Berthoud is definitely one of those youtubers.
Charles is a basest. Sorry, scratch that. Charles is a fucking insane basest. I honestly think his skill on the base is one of the best examples of mastery over an instrument I have seen. I was a bit of a music nerd in grade school, playing the trumpet in the jazz band and singing in the acapella group. And while I should never subject anyone to my music, I know enough to have a little bit of an understanding of the depth of Charles’ skill.
He has mastery over many different styles and genres that he often switches between at will in his videos. But he is also very unique and expressive, able to really give any song he plays a life of its own. He also very clearly loves playing the base and his passion really shines through in every one of his videos.
But it is not just his skill that makes Charles’ youtube videos so worth watching. It is the creativity and humor of his videos that makes his content so enjoyable. Youtube is a tough game and to breakout, you really need to find unique and creative ways to distinguish yourself. Charles does a great job with this, not only doing things like creative covers of popular songs, but also making funny skits to intro the music. He also engages with his community, doing music battles where he invites other musicians to submit their own creations against his. Or will engage in playful drama with other music channels in a clever attempt to draw in other viewers and create some hype.
You know how powerful I think it can be to play around with culture when expressing yourself through things like memes, and Charles is applying this same strategy in his own way with his music. It’s just so clever on so many levels. He even makes little inside music jokes and commentary that are so fucking charming and genuine. HOW CAN THIS MAN BE FUNNY, CREATIVE, AND SO GOOD AT THE BASE!?!?!
And not to mention his video editing. So many good angles and shots. Sometimes he will add some humorous bad special effects, but honestly, it really only adds to the charm and style. The videos are so well edited you don’t even think about it. But when it occurs to you he does this all himself, it is a bit mindblowing.
And he has only gotten better with time. His most recently done cover of the Bond theme is 5 minutes of pure creative and musical genius.
I just really love the passion and talent Charles displays in every video he makes. When I think of artists who are pushing their art forward, I don’t think of laughably moronic modern art exhibits of toilets or meaningless paintings of colored squares, I think of musicians like Charles who are finding new and creative ways to blend culture, entertainment, and skill in a way that is both entertaining, impressive, and clever. I highly recommend you check out his channel.
