Cork 24-piece live house and techno big jazz band BoolaBoom have released their new single, Shuffle, the title track of their upcoming new EP. We asked band leader Darragh O'Connor the BIG questions . . .
Hailing from countries including Ireland, Brazil, France, Chile, the UK and New Zealand, BoolaBoom, who are fresh from a year of festival appearances and a headline support slot for US house act Kerri Chandler, features12 horn players and 10 samba drummers.
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Speaking about Shuffle, Darragh says, "We love mixing big band jazz with a thumping samba-house beat and we're delighted with how this track turned out.
"When we play this live we always get the audience chanting along 'cup final’ style to the vocal hook - fists punching the air just before the drop - which really gets a packed venue or festival crowd bouncing."
BoolaBoom play: Kaleidoscope Festival, Co. Wicklow – Sunday 6 July and All Together Now Festival, Co. Waterford – Sunday 3 August.
How would you describe your music?
Rowdy, jazzy electronic dance music but played by an acoustic 24-piece big band.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Stevie Wonder, French producer Ludovic Navarre (aka St. Germain), Donny Hathaway, and techno-brass band Meute.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Actor Cillian Murphy was a few years ahead of me in secondary school in Cork and his band Saradaze played a lunchtime gig which I thought was amazing. It made me want to be in band.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I actually got my first record for free but it had a huge influence on me. In the late 1980s ,you could save up Rice Krispies tokens and they would send you a random 7-inch vinyl. I got Herbie Hancock’s Rockit, a break-dance classic, which blew me away.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Keep Me Satisfied by Jungle - my favourite band for the last few years but I still haven’t seen them live!
Favourite lyric of all time?
"There's a super cool band, yeah, with their trilbies and their glasses of white wine. All the weekend rockstars are in the toilets, Practicing their lines" - Fake Tales of San Francisco - Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
In The Ghetto (live version) by Donny Hathaway. His Rhodes solo is so perfect it gives me a lump in my throat.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Our website, Instagram, YouTube.
Alan Corr
