Sonar Sessions 2009

Bullion

One-Handed, London

It's not often that a young artist is happy or even keen to let people know how un-'cool' he is but that is precisely how Bullion willingly describes himself. Raised on 'over-the-top Gangsta Rap' he also confesses to having been a young fan of some distinctly shady Pop Music - boy-band-five to be precise! His first experience of making music was when he and a friend made a Rap tape ('it was terrible') before graduating to making 'rubbish chill-out' on a Playstation. Hardly your standard producer head's education then! But perhaps this is how Bullion developed his ability to combine catchy, instantly gratifying hooks with a cutting edge 'beat-generation' production aesthetic. If you heard his underground hit "Get Familar" or his much lauded 'Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee' selection (which in the interests of not being hip he seems to be trying to shake off) then you'll know what we mean. This live set from Sonar in Barcelona will yield some clues as to how he managed, against all odds, to become quite such an inadvertently cool producer.