a few words with...Detboi

Detboi really doesn't need an introduction to readers of this blog, we have been championing his work since our first post. Details about the man himself however remained hazy to many (including me and I played with him for a good year back in the day).

So, basics: this Boi is Irish (just like CLIMAXXX) and right now is rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in the scene that we love so. He has signed to Skint, Cheap Thrills and On The Brink, remixed tracks on Domino, Skint and Southern Fried and his tracks make regular appearances in the boxes of Sinden, Herve and other power houses of Bass.

After many weeks of messing, we finally sat down and caught up over a cup of tea.

CLMX: Yo, good to finally do this at last, to get started tell us how you would describe your sound, I get sick of thinking of new terms for the big bass sound wreckin' clubs around the world?

DB: eh its interesting, I've seen it taking a few forms now...fidget, wonk, wonky fidget...but i like to think of what i do is more like 'ghetto raaaaaaave'...watcha'bassbins im tellin'ya.

CX: How did you find this sound?
DB: I guess it was born out of frustration really, frustration with the scene here at home, I just wanted to do something different to everyone else. I wasn't into the electro scene like everyone else, I was more into the Baile Funk, Bmore and Getto Tek so I just sat down and started doing my own thing.

CX: First track I heard out on the blogs was Hot Glitch nearly 2 years ago. Was that your first experiment with this new sound and did you know straight away you were onto a winner?

DB: Yeah, I sat down in a day and came up with that Uffie edit and a Spank Rock remix, stuck em' up on the myspace and literally the next day Chaz from Chazology got in touch and put them on his blog

CX: So much has happened since then, how did you go from there to releasing EPs and hooking up with the MDC project?

Craig from On the Brink Records heard the tracks on Chazology and asked me to do a Hijack remix, which i was delighted to do as Herve had done a Hijack remix previously, so i wanted to put a fresh twist on it, I came back with a Ghetto Tek version, nobody was really making Ghetto Tek for the clubs at the time, so it sounded fresh. Craig really liked it and asked me to do my own Detboi EP, the 'Do You Know Who I Am' EP.
It went to number 1 in the Juno download charts, Hold Up got played out by Annie Mac and Herve so I went over and met them and ended up doing a remix for Josh(Herve) and Graeme(Sinden) of Beeper. We just stayed in touch, they're great guys, always helpful and when Machines Don't Care came up the lads asked me to get involved.

CX: Ahh blogs, is there anything they cant do?...I see you are working a lot with Toddla T too, Did you meet him through the lads?

DB: No, Toddla Tom contacted me on the myspace and we just ended up chatting all the time on Aim and a few months later started working on some tracks...I remixed Soundtape Killing for him, and we worked on one track for the MDC album.

CX: So, I am guessing that like many of dance musics young stars you are down with blog culture and the wonders of social networking. How does it feel to see your tracks all over the blogs for free?

DB: Yeah man, I'm a myspace freak, with the blogs, I just feel proud, You'd be a fool to think your music isnt going to get onto them anyway.

CX: Do you think that this new blog culture has made it easier for new talent to come through or has it just cloged up the scene with crappy re-edits of electro bangers?

DB: Well it's like anything really, its happened throughout the history of music... something cool comes along, then it gets rinsed.. it was happening way before the blog explosion! but i suppose it has accelerated the speed in which tons of the same old same old blog music has got out there.

CX: Take us back to before the age of myspace and blogs, what was shaping Detboi way back in the day?

DB: Oldskool Rave man, I loved the Prodigy, Liam Howlett is a hero, eh...Ragga Twins, 2 Bad Mice, Rob Playford, bit of dance hall and Dub but mostly rave.

CX: Hence the love of sirens and gunshots?

DB: That's It...^^ferrrrrrrrr^^*
*(Detbois attempt at a typographic siren sound)

CX: What about nowadays, you mentioned Baile and Bmore earlier, seems like a lot of your contemporaries are into the dubstep right now, you feeling that much?
DB: It's to moody and beardy for me to get into..I make music to have fun with so I want to listen to music with twists and turns, that gets the blood pumping. I was slightly interested in it early last year, Skream, Kode 9, N-Type where doing something interesting...but I do love Rusko, Cockney Thug was KILLER and to me his stuff is fresh, fun and has that energy.

CX:Any other sh!t influencing you right now?

DB: Cheesy Euro Dance...and a guy from Greco Records called 'Drums of Death' (insane live show)

CX: Now, you don't play out that much, not even in your home town, was that a conscience decision from the get-go?

DB: Yeah, I dont want to tire out my sound and over saturate what I do...plus its hard to make music when you're wrecked and right now making music is my number one thing.

CX: Very wise, so you wouldn't move to London, be in the thick of it, partying with Switch and Josh?

DB: Nah, Dublin keeps me grounded, its nice not be immersed in any scene so I can stay original and just do my own thing...but Josh makes a mean honey tea.

CX: So you don't hate Dublin then?

DB. (laughs) nah man, Dublin's great. The people really love their music here.

CX: You must have been offered some good tours and gigs abroad, any plans to hit the road?

DB: It's a long road man, there's no point in rushing off after just 2 EPs, I will get some more releases out there and then think about touring. It would be nice to have one big record before all that. I'm more focused on getting my next EP out on Cheap Thrills, then there's possibly a tour of Oz in November.

CX: Wow, you'll love it down there, they're good buzzers! -Have you dreams of top 10 success?

DB: It would be great to do sure, I think almost anyone making music would love a hit record.

CX: If someone said this record will go top 5 if you put a cheesy vocal over it, would you go for it?

DB: Tough question! I don't think so, no, if it doesn't work for me then it doesnt work.

CX: Do you ever worry that this sound is just a flash in the pan, like electroclash back in the day?

DB: Absolutely man, I always try to make sure every record I make doesn't sound like the last...the key is to keep things fresh, keep evolving watch how things are changing and shaping. it could be folk-hop next.

CX: Detboi predicts Folk-Hop as next big thing-there's the title for this article!

DB: Yeah, you can leave that in, seriously though, there's so much out there right now, I reckon Kudoro is deffo on the up. Its great to be able to take elements of these new sounds, like drum patterns or whatever and use em' in different tracks.

CX: I think that's about all we're gonna fit in, tell us lastly though, who else is sh!t hot right now?

DB: Foamo, Drums of Death, Action Man.

CX: Sound, thanks for that.....

DB: Wurd.

Detboi features on 3 tracks from the current Machines Don't Care album, available on Beatport. itunes and Juno. His new 'Ya'll Want Mo' EP is released on Cheap Thrills soon with collaborations with Foamo, Toddla T and a Sinden remix. As you can see there's exciting times ahead for this young lad, he has already done us proud and looks set for even more success. Keep it up fella!

LISTEN:
New Cheap Thrills EP Teaser
Detboi Mini Mix (Tracks from Machines Don't Care, Kidda, Hijack, Estaw)

Watch:
Detboi plays Dublins Lovebox festival Marlay Park 23rd August
Check the myspace for all other dates.