We are thrilled to bring you guys our interview with one of the hottest acts on the Drum and Bass scene, DJ and producer Bou! He is a very interesting guy, an extremely talented producer and having a chat with him was a real treat. Check out the interview below and make sure to peep his latest release at the bottom of the article, Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix)!
How did it all start for Bou? Tell us how 4x Award Winning Producer & DJ Bou is born.
The first thing I ever did was go to a free party with my best friend Josh, and he introduced me to Drum and Bass, I fell in love with it! I was really interested in how the sounds were made so I went on Youtube and started from there. I then started uploading all my tracks onto SoundCloud, trying to collaborate with other artists who were doing similar stuff to me. The deeper it went the more opportunities came.
Talking about winning DNB Awards, first of all, congratulations! This is amazing and well-deserved! Did you see that coming at all?
Thanks! Not really, all of this has come quite quickly for me, I’m still trying to take it all in. I’m just so happy to be doing what I am doing.
Who was the biggest inspiration / influence on your sound?
When I first started off people like Hedex, Serum, Voltage. But as my sound is starting to mature I’m finding myself being inspired by people like Shy FX and High Contrast.
What is the first DNB song you’ve ever heard?
Pacso – The Trick at a free party.
How did it feel to have Chase & Status ask you to take over their Spotify playlist?
It was cool to do a takeover on their Spotify, hopefully get to work with them a lot more in the future.
When you remixed Shy FX’s “Warning” did you imagine that the Bou remix would so quickly become your number 1 selling track on Beatport?
I had good expectations for this remix because the original was such a classic. With Shy FX backing the track I knew it would do well.
What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?
Making tracks like Poison & Veteran as well as working on some big remixes for people like Shy Fx and Bru-C has really helped my growth. Also playing at places like NASS and Boomtown when I got to play my tracks in front of thousands of people.
Are you planning to branch out a bit in the future and produce other genres of electronic music? If yes, what genres would you be interested in? Would you do it under a different name?
My current album I am working on at the moment has a few different types of genres, I am trying to be as diverse as possible and give people music that they won’t expect from me.
What does Bou usually start with when preparing for a set?
No warm up, just go straight in, and vibe for an hour.
Where do you think the DNB music scene is headed? One year from now? Five years from now?
I see so many new producers making amazing music so I’m expecting many more! I never really thought that I would be doing what I am doing now 5 years ago, so I can’t really judge, sky is the limit!
If you could eternally be stuck in one year’s music scene, which year would it be?
2014-2015 was one of the favorite eras of DNB for me, although I wasn’t out DJ’ing and was new to the game or releasing tracks properly, it was one of the most inspiring times as I was loving all the music coming out at that time.
Your Instagram is amazing, perfect balance of new tunes, memes and live clips, we really enjoy it! Did you jump on the Tik-Tok bandwagon yet?
Yes I have, I have made a Tik Tok, I’m just trying to figure it out, wasn’t quite the same as Instagram to work but some people are getting incredible reach on there, would definitely say it’s important for new artists or producers to get on there.
Do you have a dream collaboration? If you could collaborate with one music producer, who would it be?
I’d love to work with Chase and Status in the future, that’s inside of DNB. Outside people like Skepta, Stormzy, and Aitch.
You collaborated with a lot of other producers, any of them you particularly enjoy working with and think that both your sounds create a fresh contrast?
I’m really enjoying working with Hedex, we are able to really glue our sounds together and both have a similar vision of where we want the track to sound like.
Name one thing that you love about the DNB music scene.
The energy when testing new music and getting big reactions! No other feeling like it.
Do you have a favorite destination? To perform? Just to enjoy.
New Zealand was one of the favorite places I’ve ever been to, the weather and the crowds where just insane to play in front of. Big up the NZ Crew.
What is your opinion regarding the difference between old school DJing where everything was restricted to vinyl and modern DJing where most tracks are never put on any physical medium before or after release?
Things are a lot easier nowadays when it comes to getting a hold of music and getting your music out there. The old school ways of releasing were legendary, but I am glad I didn’t have to go through all the effort they did when making and releasing music.
What is one track that never gets old for you no matter how many times you hear/play it?
Back in Time, Kanine Ft. A little sound, can’t stop listening to it!
What genres of music does Bou usually listen to? Are you strictly DnB music? Give us a few tracks that you’ve been hooked on lately.
I listen to all sorts of genres, check out my Spotify playlist takeover for Chase n Status.
What was a day like in the life of Bou during the lockdown?
Just got a new puppy and learning how to be a parent haha! Trying to get fit with my trainer Owen and locking myself in the studio and trying to get this album done!
What are your plans for the near future and what do you want to focus on for 2021?
Lots of exciting stuff I’m working on in the background, that I can’t announce. Lots of music, lots of shows and keeping healthy.
From SKMCSound: How did he get into/into making Drum and bass and how did he elevate his platform? (obviously making absolute bangers helps, but was he just making tunes and sending them out or did he have contacts that put a good word in etc) asking for a friend…and science.
Went to college, worked hard, collabs with people, good circle of people around me. You neeed to put the hours in the studio and not let negativity bring you down. Send your music to as many that will listen.
From CurtisPedler: What’s his approach to remixing songs?
I love to remix and put my sound on songs I get asked to do. I had a lot fun remixing You n I and the Shy Fx Warning tune
From MattyD_96: Any future festivals/events he looks forward to after corona?
Just excited to get back on road and show you all what I been working on
From Binko_banko: Bou – Veteran VIP release WHEN????
17th September!
Make sure to check out Bou‘s latest release, his outstanding remix of the Bru-C & Simula‘s mega-hit “You & I”.
Stream “Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix)” below!
Streaming Options:
- Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix) Apple Music
- Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix) Spotify
- Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix) SoundCloud
- Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix)
Free Download - Bru-C & Simula – You & I (Bou Remix) Download
- More Streaming Options HERE.
