NE HOT SEAT: BOO

This week we’re back with our artist insight feature ‘NE Hot Seat’ – where we sit down with some of the North East’s brightest talent on a monthly basis, shine a spotlight on their latest work and find out what they have planned next.

Next up we have Boo, a producer, DJ, and founder of Ghetec party series in Newcastle. With her latest release ‘Air is My Element’ out now on Anetha’s ‘Mama Told Ya’ imprint, we sat down with Boo to chat about what they’ve been up to and what’s next!

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  Tell us a little about your musical journey so far?  

I started a number of years ago but at the time I had some personal challenges and didn’t have the energy or motivation to fully commit. It was during lockdown that I had this overwhelming urge to express myself and needed an outlet. Life was turbulent and it became the way out of it all. For me if I’m feeling something and I don’t express it or transform it into something, its stuck inside and brings me down. So, I quickly realised that I must do this and try and give it a real go because my soul needs it.  I also had a really vivid dream that I should start singing. The next day I wrote a track called ‘I see a halo’ which is coming on my debut EP soon, and I felt that was the key to me getting inside of the music. I’m not from a traditional music background so I do everything by ear, using a midi keyboard and my voice to figure things out.

  

Can you tell us about your latest release ‘Air is My Element’? 

I wrote ‘Air is my Element’ in about 30 mins. It was my first club track. I’d been making ambient stuff prior to that as it was easier for me to work without form. I wasn’t trying to make a club track; I started playing with a recording of my voice and added an 808. The breakdown is where it began, I’m very nonlinear and chaotic when I work and Ableton is great for that. The track came out quick and I sent it to Anetha, who runs Mama Told Ya (an electronic music label which is focussed on sharing and collaboration), in the hope she might play it. Didn’t think she’d reply let alone ask me to be part of this year’s VA! That was a nice moment, and it was a big goal to be part of her label.

  

You recently took part in Sage Gateshead’s Summer Studios, how was it?

The Summer Studios was great. I’d just finished my EP and was a bit directionless. I walk into this studio and there’s a piano, for days I was looking at it. I’d always told myself, I couldn’t make music without a computer so on the last few days, I sat at the piano and started to play intuitively, as I heard each chord – the words came to me, and I sang. I realised I’d always find a way to make music because its inside me. So, I’m going to teach myself more of that and get myself a keyboard. I’d also had an impulse to rewrite a Cure track, so I was pouring myself into that.

 

What inspires you the most when creating music?

Feeling. 100% feeling. Can’t make anything if I don’t have something to say or express. Of course, films, nature, sculpture, colours, people filter through in unexplained ways. I write poems and sometimes sing things into the mic, words come out backwards and I start making sense of it, sometimes!

 

What else can we expect from you in the future?

I’m continuing to put my energy into creating more music and developing my craft, I have so much to learn. Also, I will be putting on a series of Ghetec parties with La Bonne Musique, the London based record label and event series. We share the same ethos and want to unite for a culture exchange between two cities. We have parties 4th November at World Headquarters in Newcastle and then 3rd December at The Yard in London. Aside from this I have my debut EP coming out on Lobster Theremin quite soon.

 

Where can we find you on social media to keep up to date with you?  

I’m @boo.bub on Instagram and check out my Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/boobub

 

Check out  Boo’s July Rinse FM show and latest release ‘Air is My Element’ below