Moses Boyd

Biography

Moses Boyd, born on April 30, 1991, in Catford, South London, to parents of Dominican and Jamaican descent, began his musical journey as a teenager at Sedgehill School, where he received drum instruction from Bobby Worth. His early exposure to jazz came through the Tomorrow's Warriors program, and he later graduated with a Bachelor of Music in jazz drums from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2016. Starting drums at age 13, Boyd drew inspiration from diverse sources like Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and Dizzee Rascal's Boy in Da Corner, blending jazz with grime, electronica, afrobeats, soca, reggae, and drum and bass to create a genre-defying sound rooted in the African diaspora and London city life.[1][2][4]

Boyd rose to prominence in the mid-2010s as a key figure in the London jazz revival, forming the duo Binker & Moses with saxophonist Binker Golding in 2014, releasing acclaimed albums like Dem Ones (2015), which won a MOBO Award for Best Jazz Act, and Feeding the Machine (2022). He leads the band Moses Boyd Exodus (also known as The Exodus), featuring Theon Cross on tuba, Artie Zaitz on guitar, Binker Golding on saxophone, and Nathaniel Cross on trombone, with mixtapes and solo releases on his Exodus Records label. His debut solo album Dark Matter (2020) earned a Mercury Prize nomination, and he has collaborated widely with artists like Beyoncé, Little Simz, Sons of Kemet, Zara McFarlane, Four Tet, Floating Points, and Sampha.[1][2][3][4][5][7]

As a bandleader, composer, record producer, DJ, and BBC Radio 1Xtra resident, Boyd has pushed jazz into club culture, performing at venues like Fabric and Corsica Studios, and influencing new generations by making the genre accessible to diverse audiences. His work explores themes of the African diaspora and urban life, earning praise as a progenitor of the modern London jazz scene from outlets like The Guardian.[1][2][5]

Fun Facts

• Boyd uses Yamaha PHX drums, having admired Yamaha kits since childhood, for both live performances and studio work.[3]
• His breakout track 'Rye Lane Shuffle' was championed by Four Tet and Floating Points, becoming a staple at club nights like Deviation and Café Oto, bridging jazz and dancefloors.[5]
• Boyd hosted a BBC Radio 1Xtra residency and filled in for Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 6 Music, extending his influence beyond performance.[3][4]
• He scored the AMC thriller Ragdoll (produced by Sid Gentle Films of Killing Eve) and worked with brands like Dunhill, Range Rover, and Krug, expanding into film and advertising.[4]

Associated Acts

• Moses Boyd Exodus - drums (drum set), eponymous, original

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Bobby Worth - School drum teacher (Early drum training at Sedgehill School) [teenage years]
• Tomorrow's Warriors program - Jazz education program (Skill development during conservatoire years) [pre-2016]
• Gilles Peterson - Jazz DJ and personality influencing club culture integration (BBC Radio 6 Music fill-ins) [2010s onward]

Key Collaborators

• Binker Golding - Duo partner in Binker & Moses and bandmate in Exodus (Albums like Dem Ones (2015), Journey To The Mountain Of Forever (2017), Feeding the Machine (2022)) [2014-present]
• Theon Cross - Tubist in Moses Boyd Exodus (Mixtapes and solo releases) [mid-2010s-present]
• Artie Zaitz - Guitarist in Moses Boyd Exodus (Band recordings) [mid-2010s-present]
• Nathaniel Cross - Trombonist in Moses Boyd Exodus (Band recordings) [mid-2010s-present]
• Zara McFarlane - Band member in her ensemble (Various recordings) [2010s]
• Little Simz - Collaborator on tracks (Unspecified recordings) [2010s]
• Four Tet - Mixing and DJ support (Rye Lane Shuffle) [mid-2010s]
• Floating Points - Mixing and DJ support (Rye Lane Shuffle) [mid-2010s]
• Sons of Kemet - Drummer on album (Mercury-nominated album) [2010s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #beats, #electronic, #grime