Belleruche

Belleruche are a London-based group active from 2005 to 2013. The line-up centres on Kathrin deBoer, Ricky Fabulous and DJ Modest, with Ricky Carr also listed among the members. They work in soul and reggae, and are also associated with trip-hop, nu jazz, electronic and funk.

Formation and style

The group forms in North London in 2005, playing in small bars and pubs before developing a wider following. They record for the Brighton label Tru Thoughts after first issuing a run of three very limited 7-inch records on their own Hippoflex Recording Industries label. Those hand-numbered singles, with screen-printed sleeves, sell out in independent record shops in the UK and build them a cult audience in the UK and Europe, helped by the band hand-distributing the records at gigs.

Belleruche describe their sound as “Turntable Soul Music”. Their influences include vintage blues records, punk girl drummers, obscure 1960s cover bands and experimental West Coast turntablists.

Releases

In 2007 the band sign to Tru Thoughts and release their debut album Turntable Soul Music. The album is written while the trio travel and tour, with songs developed in train carriages, minicabs and pub back rooms before being reworked in live performance. It becomes the fastest-selling debut album in the label’s history.

Their second album, The Express, appears in 2008. In 2010 they release 270 Stories, which includes the singles “Clockwatching”, “Fuzz Face” and “3 Amp Fuse”.

Live work

The group’s live set uses only turntable, sampler, guitar and microphone, a stripped-back setup that becomes a key part of their identity. They perform at venues and events including Montreux Jazz Festival, the Dance Arena at Glastonbury, and clubs across Europe, Australia and Asia. Early on, they also hold a Sunday residency at the Salmon and Compass in Angel, London.

Members and individual backgrounds

Kathrin deBoer

DeBoer’s background is presented as unusual and travel-heavy, with references to being raised on a pirate boat in the South Pacific and later making her way to London. Her vocal style is linked to the influence of Billie Holiday and Spanky Wilson.

Ricky Fabulous

Fabulous is associated with early heavy rock interests and later exposure to jazz and guitar styles such as Grant Green and Django Reinhardt. His background includes work for a Maltese gangster and a later escape south on a freight car with a false identity and an old guitar.

DJ Modest

Modest’s background is rooted in hip-hop, soundsystems and improvised equipment. He builds turntables and mixers from scavenged electronic parts and two-stroke engines, runs unlawful hip-hop parties in woodland settings, and uses Shure M44-7 turntables to produce altered Blue Note-style solos and broken drums.