Boca 45

Don’t say Boca’s back; he’s never been away. Scott ‘Boca 45’ Hendy is the Bristol UK beatsmith who’s been at the forefront of funky breakbeat music for well over a decade.

With three solo artist albums in the bag (Pitch Sounds, Vertigo Sounds and Bombonera Sounds) dancefloor devastating collabos with DJ Andy Smith as Dynamo Productions, and the brand new Beekeepers project with rising star Parker, now has never been a better time to catch Boca 45 fever.

His love of funk, soul, psych, and hip-hop jumps out of anything he touches, and it’s easy to make comparisons to fellow sample-slayers like RJD2, DJ Format and DJ Shadow.

This type of deep, crate-digging mentality and heavy sound arranging are heavily showcased in Scott Boca’s other group, Malachai.

Along with vocalist, Gee, Boca has released two full-length albums as Malachai on Domino Records. Earning mainstream radio rotation and live support slots with Groove Armada and Mr. Hudson. The pair even clocked up the feted ‘hottest record in the world’ accolade on tastemaker Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show.

Also on the plate is that buzzing Beekeepers project. Early singles have been causing a stir, and making their way into top DJs record boxes. As usual, Boca brings the fly beats, strings and sounds, sourced from the dustiest crates and freshest musicians. Young buck and fellow Bristolite, Parker, adds his trademark bass-heavy wobble and touch of delicate groove.

With an album imminent on breakbeat HQ, Jalapeno Records, it looks like the Boca 45 name is fully on the rise. The LP’s mix of luscious, cinematic sounds, club-ready tracks with rappers like UK legend, Mystro, and deep torch songs with fine Bristol vocalists Sarah Scott and Hazel Mills, are sure to make it a staple on many a best-of-the-year list.

But with so many releases over the years on labels such as Island, Domino, Grand Central, Illicit, Jalapeno, Unique and Jack To Phono , under a slew of aliases, it’s always tricky to pin the man down. As he says himself, the best way to soak up the Boca 45 experience is to catch one his blistering live DJ sets.

Boca 45 is ready to hit the clubs, armed with a heaving box of 7” vinyl. His aim? As it has been on all his global travels and international DJ shows, to whip crowds into a frenzy with his crazy collection of vintage vinyl gems.

His hugely popular ‘Boca Plays his 45s’ mix series comes close to capturing this magic, and a DJ in his element.

Playing 45×45s in under an hour, he touches on vintage breaks and grooves from the history of funky music. The latest instalment, up on The Beekeepers SoundCloud page Bocasnapscracke45partymix right now, crackles and pops with a deft blend of disco, early rap, soul, and of course, all that funk. It’s already proving to be one of the mixes of the year, and gives old and new fans a piece of that Boca 45 club magic.

Don’t say Boca’s back. It’s business as usual….He ain’t gone nowhere.

“A stand alone Bristol sensation” – Mojo magazine