Channeling a synth-fed nostalgic and energetic sound, the singer-songwriter is influenced by the likes of Jack Antonoff
Bo Baskoro. Photo: Kristina Dawn
When a mini-documentary on artist Bo Baskoro was out in 2017, the last thing the Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter may have expected was reconnecting with his long-lost father in Indonesia.
While the documentary gave us a true portrait of Baskoro as a determined artist trying to sustain, it turns out that his family in Indonesia came across an ad featuring him (which came about due to his involvement in the mini-documentary for coffee brand Maxwell House) on YouTube. Baskoro went over to Bali to meet his father and extended family. But beyond that, the artist says the documentary also gave him the momentum to start releasing more music. “I started trying to release music seasonally but at the end of 2019 I decided to start releasing more consistently. The pandemic did put a pause on things, but I don’t view it as a negative. It just feels like restarting a video game,” he says.
His latest is Wildfire EP, his third since 2014 but one that he describes as his first “project that’s had a full thematic concept and sonically congruent.” He adds, “This time around I feel like these songs are all in the same vein of theme and sound.” The six-track EP brings together emphatic songs like “Love You Now” and “The Color Blue,” plus synth-pop cuts like “Every Memory” and “Close Enough.” There are more atmospheric, wandering songs like “3:18PM” and Baskoro closes things off with the slick title track, blending his love for Eighties pop, modern electronic and singer-songwriter.
Baskoro says among his major influences is Jack Antonoff. “I feel like he speaks to my attention span, he always includes this sudden ear candy or noises that come out of nowhere and are completely uncalled for and I love it.”
Up next, there are music videos coming up and lyric videos as well. “I’ve got a few shows put together, I’d love to do more of that and some live streams as well. I’m really into Twitch streaming so I love the idea of incorporating that into the strategy,” Baskoro adds.
Listen to ‘Wildfire’ EP below and more platforms here.
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