Benji Boko
Benji Boko | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Benjamin Gordon |
| Born | 5 October 1986 |
| Origin | Brighton, Sussex, England |
| Genres | Electronic, Alternative, Hip hop |
| Instrument(s) | Ableton Live, Serato, Akai MPC, Korg Kaoss Pad, Korg Padkontrol, Behringer bcf2000 |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Tru Thoughts |
| Website | iambenji |
Benjamin Gordon (born 5 October 1986), known professionally as Benji Boko, is an English DJ and producer known for his unique live remixes and highly energetic shows.
Early life and career
Benji Boko grew up in Brighton, East Sussex. He first started to get interested in remixing from a young age when he used to store TV theme tunes on his computer and tried to mix them into each other. It was when he heard DJ Yoda for the first time that he realised that someone else was doing the same thing which convinced him to continue to explore and improve his style of mixing.[1] When he was 18, Benji bought his first turntables and began to enhance his live mixing skills at friend's house parties in Brighton and eventually hassling clubs and promoters to allow him to play.[2]
In 2008 Benji Boko moved to Leeds to attend Leeds College of Music graduating with a BA(Hons) in Music Production.[3] He managed to get a regular DJ slot at HIFI in Leeds. He played there for three years where he continued to experiment and improve his live mixing ability.[1] In 2011 he graduated from Leeds College of Music and returned to Brighton where he used what he learnt in his three years in Leeds and continued to perform as a DJ.
Late 2010 saw Benji Boko sign to the independent Brighton based label Tru Thoughts. After being signed to Tru-Thoughts,[4] Benji Boko played a midnight slot to 17,000 people at the London O2 Arena for a New Year's Eve party. Here he played alongside Deadmau5, Justice and Calvin Harris. This performance grabbed the attention of top Radio DJs such as Zane Lowe and Rob da Bank from BBC Radio 1 who were quoted as saying "What Benji does Live is really unique".[5]
Beats, Treats & All Things Unique
Benji Boko released his debut album, Beats, Treats & All Things Unique, on Tru-Thoughts in June 2011. This album saw Benji collaborate with Maxi Jazz of Faithless and Ricky Rankin of Roots Manuva.[6] The album was reviwed by BBC Music stating "Boko expressed an impressive breadth of imagination when it comes to trying out different genres and ideas".[7] The first single released off the album was "Where My Heart Is" which featured MC Maxi Jazz who was famous for being the lead vocals for the Electronica band Faithless. Since his debut album release, Benji has been continually supported by the likes of Radio 1 and MOBO who described him as "someone who breaks the mould".[8]
Releases and remixes
When Benji Boko is not performing live shows, he is mixing and remixing material. He has created a catalogue of remixes for many different artists such as Roots Manuva, Fatboy Slim, Chiddy Bang, Rizzle Kicks, Kidda, Pixie Lott, Beardyman, Nelly Furtado, Little Dragon and more. The remix he did for Little Dragon has been one of his most successful remixes reaching number 4 on the worldwide hypemachine charts last year.[9]
Festivals and live performances
Benji Boko is known for his completely improvised live remixes, which he describes as "Completely improvised, off the cuff, live remixing". This, and his highly energetic style, has led to a global fan base. His live shows has gained him critical acclaim from many other DJ's such as DJ Yoda and Rob da Bank.[10]
Since 2010 Benji Boko has become a regular on the UK festival scene playing shows at Bestival, Glastonbury, V Festival, Secret Garden Party and more.
2012 saw Benji Boko embark on a one-month-long tour of Asia where he visited Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Vietnam.[citation needed]
Viral video
In late 2012 Benji Boko performed an impromptu rave at Piccadilly Circus. It was similar to a flash mob where a van pulled up and a crew pulled out the equipment and set it up on the steps of the Shaftesbury memorial fountain. The stunt was filmed for a promotional video titled Piccadilly Rave,[11] and can be seen on YouTube.[11]
Discography
Singles and EPs
| TRACK TITLE | RECORD LABEL | RELEASE DATE |
|---|---|---|
| The Jungle V.I.P. | Wax on Records | 29 April 2008 |
| Kudos | Wax on Records | 29 April 2008 |
| Take A Look Around You (Benji Boko Remix) | Wax on Records | 9 July 2008 |
| Perhaps (Original Mix) | Wax on Records | 5 May 2009 |
| Beautiful feat. Yarah Bravo (Benji Boko Remix) – DJ Vadim & The Electric | OGS | 5 December 2010 |
| Glider (Original Mix) – Benji Boko | Tru Thoughts | 23 May 2011 |
| Where My Heart Is feat. Maxi Jazz (Original Mix) – Benji Boko | Tru Thoughts | 23 May 2011 |
| Toot Toot (Benji Boko Remix) – DJ Vadim & The Electric | OGS | 5 June 2011 |
| Moo Juice (Benji Boko & BOY COM Remix Vocal) – Renegades of Jazz | Muto | 27 June 2011 |
| Moo Juice (Benji Boko & BOY COM Remix Dub) – Renegades of Jazz | Muto | 27 June 2011 |
| Wanna Be Loved (Benji Boko Remix) – Kidda | Skint Records | 25 July 2011 |
| Glider (Original Mix) – Benji Boko | Tru Thoughts | 10 October 2011 |
| Cheating With You (Benji Boko Remix) – The Correspondents | The Correspondents | 7 November 2011 |
| What Do You Take Me For (Benji Boko Remix) – Pixie Lott | Mercury Records LTD. | 11 November 2011 |
| No.1 Sound | Tru Thoughts | 23 April 2012 |
| One More Night (Benji Boko Remix) – Maroon 5 | A&M/Octone Records | 26 October 2012 |
Albums
| ALBUM TITLE | RECORD LABEL | RELEASE DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Beats, Treats & All Things Unique | Tru Thoughts | 20 June 2011 |
References
- ^ a b "Benji Boko @ Guilfest". YouTube. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Benji Boko Interview – London – October 2011". YouTube. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Benji takes over Piccadilly Circus". Leeds College of Music. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Justin Robertson interview at Black Rabbit – 05/06/10". YouTube. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Benji Boko's Biography – Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and pictures at". Last.fm. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Benji Boko | Artists". Tru Thoughts. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ [1] Archived 17 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dean Woodhouse. "Benji Boko 'Beats, Treats & All Things Unique' | MOBO Awards". Mobo.com. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Brightonfreshtival.com". Brightonfreshtival.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Interview: Benji Boko". Brighton Source. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Piccadilly Rave – Benji Boko". YouTube. Retrieved 19 August 2014.