Bulby York

A member of the Fat Eyes crew who launched a solo career in 2016, Kingston-based producer Colin “Bulby” Youkat is also known as Bulby York. He joined forces with Lynford “Fatta” Marshall to form the dancehall production team Fat Eyes in the early ’90s. Both had experience in the engineer’s chair, working with artists like Sly & Robbie, Black Uhuru, Beenie Man, and Culture. Toward the end of the ’90s, Beres Hammond started using them almost exclusively, and some popular riddims (Renegade, Candle Wax, and Living Colours) started to emerge from the team and their label. Their riddims were highly creative, sometimes taking an old track by the Melodians and updating it, sometimes taking a bit of Beethoven and mixing it with a D'Angelo piano line. By 2002, the two were focusing on production, and after their work on Sean Paul’s track “Punkie” helped sell 1.5 million copies of the album Dutty Rock, they were a hot property. Heartbeat records picked up on it and formed an alliance with the team. 2003 saw Heartbeat release Fat Eyes Presents a Dancehall Twofer: Fat Eyes Deelite and Dancehall Attack, a collection of two older Fat Eyes compilations, alongside a set of totally new tracks, Dancehall Deelite. In 2011, the group participated in the Soul Jazz set Invasion of the Killer Mysteron Sounds, while another set of riddims (Sizzurp, Luv Me Luv Me, and Youths a Live Up) brought the group to 2015 when York split for a solo career. Looking to mimic the EDM albums of David Guetta and Calvin Harris but in a dancehall style, Bulby released the solo LP Epic & Ting in 2016. The album featured guest appearances from Sizzla, Maxi Priest, Bounty Killer, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and many more. In September of 2018, York issued Master Blaster on VP. The set featured 11 rhythm tracks ranging in style from roots and rock steady reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, and Afrobeat. His list of collaborators was long and included Beenie Man, Beres Hammond, Patrice Roberts, and Marcia Griffiths, to name only a few. ~ David Jeffries