Born in the early 80’s in a small town in the Netherlands, Dutch Producer Bone 40 caught the hip-hop-virus at the age of 10 through artists like Public Enemy, NWA and LL Cool J.
From then on, his deepest, biggest desire was to own a sampler and 2 turntables…..But all he got was the old, antiquated piano in the living room to work out his ideas plus his father’s tape-decks to loop with (“yeah, sorry for that, dad”). His search for the roots of hip hop led to the discovery of several soul, funk, jazz and reggae (dub) artists, and in combination with the keys, to a balance between dark beats and melodious tunes.
In this interview spotlight, we speak with Bone 40 aka Joshua Boon, producer, artist and owner of Fuel Box Music. We chat about influences, the new project, navigating the digital music world and more.
Q&A along with links and a stream of Groovin‘ below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I am originally from a small town in the Netherlands, but live in Amsterdam now. The style of music I create is a mixture of Hip-Hop, Soul, Psychedelica/Dub & Jazz.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
Hip-hop was my first love at age 10, and really the start for me in wanting to create music. Unfortunately, I did not have the money for turntables, drum computers or an MPC, the old piano in the living room was the only thing I had. So I used to mess with that.
When the G-Funk virus spread, I didn’t really dig it at first. But in ‘95 I got more into it, and started to play on this old keyboard I had. Through both G-Funk and the original samples of East Coast music I became aware of the older artists that influenced Hip-Hop. P-Funk, Soul, Funk, Dub, Blues and Jazz. My style is still a free floating mixture of all those genres. Mostly I try to balance between something that is catchy and still a bit Leftfield, underground, something (hopefully) original to it.
Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?
That’s a hard question to answer. I must say, the names that really changed the way I view music are Dr. Dre, Madlib, Premier, RZA, J Dilla, Bill Withers, Lee Perry, Stevie Wonder and now Flying Lotus.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
In fact, I did. My last release, the Soul-album by Fuel Box (I) was all about trying to produce a perfect song, but with a raw, somewhat experimental edge. In the end I hoped the song still would be catchy. The Groovin’ Ep is more free and an ode to the Jazzy instrumental records of the late 60s and early 70s. A lot of instrumental songs, and probably less radio friendly. I think there could be more people who’d like to hear this sound (again) though.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
Well, technology sure has helped me to reach out all the way to Tennessee from Amsterdam 🙂 Also, it’s more affordable to record everything at home than it was 20 years ago. People can complain about downloads, but we also have to admit that there is more good quality music out by different artists than in the days record labels only could really push the music, so a lot more competition. I am of course not saying that the music styles of today are better than they were in the past, that’s up to personal taste.
How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?
I really, really loved to collect albums. That one record you searched for years, suddenly in that one local store near you. The beautiful covers. But I also love the easiness and overall access that the streaming services provide. If I’d had to choose I would choose for the option unlimited music, thus streaming. It’s all about the music in the end.
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
The whole Groovin’ EP can be downloaded for free (or pay what you want) on <http://bone40.bandcamp.com>. If you want to get more updates on my music, please follow
- <https://www.facebook.com/fuelboxmusic/>
- <https://twitter.com/joshasbone40>
- For more info about Susanne Alt (sax) follow <https://www.facebook.com/susannealtofficial>
Anything else before we sign off?
Thanks so much “Middle Tennessee Music” & Joshua for giving me the opportunity to say a few words and bring attention to my music. Much appreciated!
Kind regards/Vriendelijke groeten,
Joshua Boon, Producer (as Bone 40/Fuel Box) – Owner label Fuelboxmusic.com
