"I’m trying to make beats how they might sound if they were recorded in 1968 in massive studios with real musicians" Boca45
Boca 45 has released work on a number of independent labels including Hombre, Illicit, Superslick Stereo Sounds and High Noon Records before he released his debut LP on Grand Central. The 7" single ’In The City’ featuring McKay released on High Noonearned him praise from Scruff, Peterson and Lamacq as well as support from Ninja Tune and Tru Thoughts. Those familiar with his work with Andy Smith as Dynamo Productions were keen to see how Boca 45 has developed his sound and ’In The City’ clearly heralded his new style.
Before ’Pitch Sounds’ Boca toured Australia, Europe and the US as part of Dynamo Productions, delivering dance floor shaking sets of hip-hop beats cut with classic rock and acappellas scratched over long-forgotten funk breaks. Since releasing his debut LP Boca has continued his worldwide travels but this time in his own right as Boca45. 2006 has seen his show develop into The Boca45 Experience, which features artists from his first album ’Pitch Sounds’ and his second album ’Vertigo Sounds’
An international collaborator, for his second LP Boca has allied himself with Germany’s Unique Records who are releasing ’Vertigo Sounds’ in the UK, Europe and the US. The album displays his love for the 45’s by maintaining a strong hip-hop-funk backbone but heralds a more experienced Boca sound. The album is musically ambitious and indulgent with real instrumentation, Bass from Jim Barr (Portishead) and Strings from Ben Salisbury (David Attenborough’s ’Life Of Mammals’!) are seamlessly woven together by Boca’s signature cut and paste style with each track containing elements of 60s and 70s rock, soundtracks and soul.
’Vertigo Sounds’ features strong vocal collaborations from Stepchild, (who brings his energy from The Boca45 Experience live show to the infectious ’Down To Mexico’); Kelvin Swaby, (who Boca describes as sounding "like an updated version of Curtis Mayfield on ’Makes No Sense’); Marc Gouvin who delivers a Gainsbourg-esque vocal on ’Crime De La Crème’ and finally New Yorks Emskee, whose performance on ’Meaning Of Life’ challenges any from De La Soul’s Pos - (circa 1987!)
