Boyo

Operating under the BOYO moniker, multi-instrumentalist Robert Tilden constructs introspective melodies wrapped in indistinct, grainy sonic layers. His first full-length effort, Control, surfaced in 2016 and was soon followed by a steady stream of self-produced tracks, EPs, and albums created while he dealt with unexplained seizures. After receiving a diagnosis and beginning treatment, side effects kept him largely confined at home, leading to further recordings that included the fourth album, Where Have All My Friends Gone?, issued in 2020. The buoyant dance-rock collection Echoes Like Memories emerged in early 2022.

A native of Los Angeles, Tilden recognized his desire to pursue music while still in grade school. He first built a small but loyal audience through Bobby T. and the Slackers, the garage-rock outfit he assembled in West L.A. at age sixteen. Alongside Tilden on vocals and guitar, the central lineup featured bassist Alex Gordin and drummer Ruben Radlauer. The band issued the Peach Fuzz EP in 2013, followed by the Basement Tapes EP, then the full-length cassette Friends on Big Joy Records later that same year. Danger Collective Records released an expanded edition of Peach Fuzz the following year.

Shifting emphasis toward layered production and intimate songwriting, Tilden launched the BOYO project in 2016 with the August arrival of Control. Although guest drummers appeared on several tracks, the album was recorded and primarily performed by Tilden himself. The Machines EP arrived two months afterward, and Golden Days (B-Sides), drawn from the Control sessions, appeared in mid-2017. Around this period Tilden began experiencing unpredictable seizures.

The year 2018 proved especially active for BOYO, opening with the January release of the second full-length, Me, Again. Like its predecessor, the album was recorded by Tilden, with Radlauer and Gabe Stout contributing drums on select tracks. Later that year Tilden joined singer-songwriter Dent May for the collaborative track “Take Me Away,” and the B-sides collection You Left the Lights On followed in July. BOYO’s third album, Dance Alone, was released in November.

Also in 2018, Tilden received a diagnosis of acute epilepsy and commenced medication that triggered severe mood fluctuations. Remaining at home for extended periods and growing more isolated, he concentrated on solitary music-making. BOYO continued releasing material with the February 2019 You & Me EP, the April BOYO EP, the July Waiting Rooms EP, and the concurrent three-track Dose EP. Referencing influences Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse for their balanced attention to songwriting and production, Tilden further refined his approach on the December 2019 You Don't See Me EP.

Early in 2020 Tilden quietly issued a pair of self-released tracks under the Friendly Ghost alias. After signing with Park the Van Records, BOYO returned that June with the full-length Where Have All My Friends Gone?, produced by Tilden and Chad Copelin of BRONCHO and Sufjan Stevens, who also co-mixed the album. Six months later came the lighter-toned Alone Together in Los Angeles. Crafted over just a few weeks with collaborator Hudson Buckley, the 2022 release Echoes Like Memories delivered an upbeat dance-rock sound.