Killer Bass Cover of Michael Jackson's Speed Demon

Federico Malaman & Laurus Bass
Photo by Laurus Bass

I recently came across a great clip of an amazing bass player named Federico Malaman performing a cover of Michael Jackson's song "Speed Demon." While playing his rapid-fire runs, he manages to keep the groove right in the pocket and maintains the heavy funk throughout. What's particularly impressive is the slap run that he does on the chorus was actually played on a synthesizer on the original version, but he replicates it perfectly on the bass. The dude's a beast.

Malaman is from Noventa Vicentina, which is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy. He's a graduate of the Conservatory of Verona, “E.F. Dall’Abaco” where he studied double bass. Federico has worked as a bassist with various orchestras in classical music, including the Orchestra of the Olimpico in Vicenza, the Youth Orchestra of Veneto, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Verona. And he has played with notable musicians such as George Benson, Dave Stryker, Michael O'Neal and Andrea Braido. The bassist has played on several recordings as well.

Federico plays bass, double bass, piano and keyboards, and is also an arranger. He has several clips on youtube that showcase his stellar bass-playing skills. He also does a great bass cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."




Related blog entry: Michael Jackson's Bad: Out of the Shadow of Thriller