One of our firm favourites at WWD is Dublin based producer Gavin Kenny or perhaps we should introduce him under his new alias Bulah. The Irishman has consistently impressed with his inch perfect sets and delectable productions over the past few years and he’s recently taken a distinct change in direction toward the darker realms of techno which peaked our interest. We caught up with him to get the full story and of course sample one of his upfront mixes as an exclusive!
1) Gavin, great to have you back in the WWD hotseat! A new moniker for 2016, what can you tell us about Bulah?
Thank you, its good to be back. Yes a new moniker has been created recently. I felt the time was right for a new project to go along with the new sounds I have been working on and collecting over the last while. The actual name Bulah was inspired from the word Nebula. I always had a fascination with space so it has meaning to me.
2) It’s certainly a step towards the darker side of the tech world, what prompted the change for you?
Well my taste has developed quite a lot over the last while, so Im just going with the change. I think that spending some months in Berlin had some impact on that change. I find that techno resonates with me more now then it ever has. When I listen to some of the sonic architecture that certain producers can create I can’t help but be in awe sometimes, so thats what inspired me to experiment and see what I’m capable of myself, and I guess that Bulah is a place where I can express this side of me.
3) What kind of challenges does an artist face when they begin to adapt a different style?
A challenge that I faced at the start was to work out some new production techniques and get out of my old habits. It took some time to get into a flow of upping the tempo and trying to create grooves a little heavier, loopier and darker than usual. Apart from that, I don’t think that I have faced many challenges so far.
4) You were kind enough to provide us with 60 minutes of relentless techno…give us a little bit of info on the mix itself, have you squeezed any of your own productions in there?
Thank you. I chose the tracks in this mix to build tension throughout the whole set, to let the tempo and groove’s build organically as the mix goes on. I could have made it more relentless, but I wanted this particular mix to be accessible to people that might have listened to me as Gavin Francis and may be interested to hear what my new project sounds like. I recorded the mix in my studio at home, where I do most of my work. It was recorded in one take on a cold January morning, using 2 x 1210’s and 2 CDJ’s. Unfortunately there is not any of my new productions in the mix.
5) 2016 is a year full of promise, have you set some goals for your Bulah project?
I do have some personal goals set for the next couple of months. I’m actually relocating to live in Berlin in March for the foreseeable future, so I plan to finish an EP that I’m working on before I head over and then hopefully continue the inspirational journey that Berlin has taken me on so far.
6) We’ve caught a few of your delectable sets over the years, where will you be popping up next?
This is really just the beginning of my journey with Bulah, so there are no gigs lined up at the moment but you can keep an eye on Bulah’s Soundcloud and Facebook pages for any upcoming gig announcements. Thanks WWD!
Follow Bulah on Facebook // Soundcloud