BSU student aspires to move up in the music scene

02/12/2014

By Matt Melia

Comment Staff

Junior Brendan Simpson, aka B-No, shows off his NuMark double turntable while practicing a setlist at home. Matt Melia - Photo, — Junior Brendan Simpson, aka B-No, shows off his NuMark double turntable while practicing a setlist at home. Matt Melia – Photo,

As electronic music continues to gain massive attention in society, seemingly taking over the airwaves, television commercials, and the majority of pop-culture, many musicians must roll with the tide and adjust to the constant progression of modern music.

That is exactly what Bridgewater State University (BSU) junior Brendan Simpson, also known as B-No, has done with his interpretation of the electronic dance music (EDM) scene.

Simpson didn’t become a disc jockey (DJ) until he was influenced by hip-hop and electronic music in high school.

Discovering an appreciation for a wide variety of music genres, Simpson discussed how DJing made sense as the next step in his musical journey.

“I wanted to start DJing because I have always enjoyed playing music for people, whether it be new music or old,” Simpson said. “I thought I was good at playing the right song, so I decided to buy a cheap mixdeck and give it a try, and I’ve been going strong ever since.”

When he isn’t at work or in class, Simpson is most likely in his room, with his turntables and laptop, working on a new song or crafting setlists that appeal to college crowds.

In the past year, Simpson has played at bars in Providence, college parties, and even at a few events at BSU. This week, Simpson even played at a show at The Middle East in Cambridge, Mass. on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Simpson said he draws his inspiration and influence from all sorts of genres.

“I feel like jazz and soul music had a huge influence on my progression as a musician,” Simpson said. “I think to progress musically, you have to look back at the genres that started it all. My dad also influenced me by playing music from all genres and decades.”

In the past few months, Simpson has taken a break from creating hip-hop beats and has been focusing on making trap songs filled with high energy.

“I moved onto trap music because I feel as though it’s the combination of many different musical styles, and has a lot of potential as a genre,” Simpson said. “It’s also very danceable and people seem interested in the new sounds coming from the trap genre.”

Senior Pat Devine, a friend of Simpson and avid fan of electronic music, described how Simpson has a unique take on the EDM scene, and has an opportunity to really thrive in the up-and-coming genre of trap.

“I think its pretty cool what he’s doing, it’s a little different from what’s going on in the music scene,” Devine said. “Most people are focusing on dance and pop electronic, while B-No is focusing more on the hip-hop aspect of it, which is a newer and really unique style of electronic music.”

As his experience playing live continuously grows, Simpson looks to the future in hopes of moving up in the music community.

“I’ve played parties and local bars, but I hope to be moving on to a bigger stage soon,” Simpson said. “All I know is that I have to stay focused if I want to make a name for myself in the music scene.”

Matt Melia is a Comment staff writer. Email him at m1melia@student.bridgew.edu.

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