Boylan

Boylan is an artist in the truest sense and it’s not just his music which has demonstrated this fact. His vast history is an interesting one and it’s something which has shaped both his sound and outlook on the art he produces. After first being discovered by the label manager of Dope Ammo in 2003, Coco, drum & bass was his first love, something which has infiltrated his sound and it was through this genre that he met some of the most pivotal names in dance music, as well as his biggest influences. Following a chance meeting with the definitive outfit Bad Company UK, after years of networking and commanding respect throughout the drum & bass scene with his first release on Square One gaining him notoriety. And after changing his alias to become Boylan, the pseudonym his known for today, he was inspired by the records which were getting international acclamation, including cuts released by the roster of Ram Records and Ed Rush & Optical, with their imperative ‘Wormhole’ release.

Boylan was a sponge to his surroundings and whether it was his professional occupation or his production, music became his life. Well versed in the technicalities of live performance, working as a band engineer, he had an expansive contact list, which included Dave Pemberton of Strong Room Studios, a place lauded by industry professionals in London. After studying the work of Pemberton who worked alongside names such as Motörhead, his capabilities meant he soon began producing with Maxim from The Prodigy, as well as recording with his vocalist, whilst living under the same roof as grime MC Devlin, who would later ask him to perform remix duties for his music and feature on his debut album.

Oil Gang Records was where Boylan began to explore the murkier sounds of grime and dubstep. He was working on mixdowns for its catalogue and its here he met the likes of Spooky, as well as many other artists he later collaborated with. He began experimenting with instrumentals and after creating tracks like ‘Secret Garden’, which received spins from tastemakers across the UK, as part of production team Edgem (comprising of JT the Goon, Boylan and Dullah Beatz), his career was blossoming. He was immediately thrown into writing grime full time and his rework of Dizzee Rascal’s ‘I Luv U’ is still used to open sets today, with trend setting heads such as The Bug doing the same with Boylan’s remix of Logos’ ‘Glass’. After being introduced to Nomine, also known as Outrage, through his releases on Metalheadz, as well as through Boylan’s links with Slimzee and Nurve, the Nomine Sounds head honcho began taking an interest in Boylan’s sound.

After a studio session with Slimzee, which resulted in ‘No Cure’, later inspiring Boylan’s album and receiving support from Hatcha and Youngsta, Nomine approached him about completing an album. Taking on a horror-esque angle, the ‘2 Hours Sleep’ LP took shape, which went from the ‘No Cure’ EP into a feature length album. It’s an incredible feat, something which showcases an array of enviable talent and it’s something which will signal how important Boylan is to the wider electronic world. With vocals from Flowdan, Devlin and Riko Dan, it’ll encompass the years of dedication Boylan has given to his craft. The ‘2 hours Sleep’ album is due to drop imminently. And it stands as another gold plated edition to an already immense catalogue of tracks.