Dazed Mix: Bella Boo

This week, Robyn takes over the site as guest editor. Here, she selects Swedish DJ and producer Bella Boo to put together our latest Dazed Mix.

Bella Boo specialises in downtempo house music that makes your heart yearn as much as it makes your body move. Earlier this year she released her debut EP, Fire, with Studio Barnhus, the Stockholm label who’ve built a reputation for putting out dance music that balances a wonky sense of humour with something that’s genuinely soul-stirring. Tracks like the balmy dancefloor cut “Keep Me Warm” and the emotional E-dream of “Magnolia” make perfect sense when played alongside the label’s more established stars like Kórnel Kóvacs or Baba Stiltz, while recent cut “Boyboy”, from the label’s Studio Barnhus Volym 1 compilation, is another neat fit, finding real pathos in something that sounds a little ridiculous on paper – where Axel Boman once turned in a tearful tribute to Abba, Bella Boo finds an unexpected wistfulness by zeroing in on a specific lyric from Blackstreet’s “No Diggity”.

Swedish pop superstar Robyn is a fan, and for her guest edit of Dazed this week, she suggested that Bella Boo should put together our latest Dazed Mix. The hour-long session deftly moves between jazzy house grooves by Mall Grab and Bella Boo herself, percussive club tracks by Roska and D. Tiffany, and sparse rap heat from Leikeli47. Listen below, and read on for an insight into Bella Boo’s world.

How did growing up in Sweden influence your relationship with music?

Bella Boo: Growing up in Sweden, I learned to play a couple of instruments early on thanks to the public music schools. The rave scene was poppin’, so early on I went to raves, and now it makes sense – I can connect me playing the piano with raving by making my own tracks.

Were any members of your family creative?

Bella Boo: Yeah, I guess – but no one could really afford to live it out. My dad’s an immigrant and my mother’s working class, so the vibe has always been to study and get a ‘real job’. It took me some time to get the confidence to let go of ‘real jobs’ and focus only on music.

What was the first music you discovered that you felt you could call your own?

Bella Boo: My older cousin played ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ by The Stone Roses. Wow, it was magic. It still is. But TLC’s CrazySexyCool and Björk’s Debut were the first albums I bought and loved and played over and over. I realise now, listening back, that Debut actually has a couple of house bangers!

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Bella Boo: Zlatan. He is my spirit animal, and he looks like me.

Who’s your dream collaboration?

Bella Boo: Sade. Her voice and appearance is everything, forever.

What’s your favourite piece of clothing?

Bella Boo: The only pieces of clothing worth spending money on is jackets and shoes. And underwear. And cashmere.

What fictional character do you most relate to?

Bella Boo: Ferdinand the Bull. I just wanna smell the flowers...

What do you have coming up?

Bella Boo: I just finished another EP for Studio Barnhus, and I’m working on a new project called CharlieCharlie together with my friend Jens Resch.

TRACKLIST

01. Charlie Charlie – “Untitled”
02. Music People – “Always On” (Bonus Beats)
03. Bella Boo – “Untitled”
04. Leikeli47 – “Wash & Set”
05. Mall Grab – “Bust”
06. D. Tiffany – “Something About You”
07. Sofia Kourtesis – “WinWin San”
08. D-O – “Chop Elbow”
09. Roska – “Lose Ya Mind”
10. Mall Grab – “Get Impetuous”
11. Bella Boo – “Idrischön”
12. Art Alfie & Måns Glaeser – “Anticlimexi”
13. HAMID – “I’d Like To Be”
14. Lucas Nystrand von Unge – “sans titre”
15. Mr. Tophat – “Ketamine Boogie”
16. Dauwd – “Ikopol”
17. Blundetto – “Slow Dance” (feat. Jahdan Blakkamoore)