Moses Boyd

Moses Boyd (born 30 April 1991) is a British jazz drummer, composer, record producer, bandleader and radio host. His debut solo studio album Dark Matter was nominated for the 2020 Mercury Prize.

In 2014, Boyd and saxophonist Binker Golding formed the duo Binker & Moses and released three consecutive albums, with accolades including one MOBO Award, two Jazz FM Awards and a Parliamentary Jazz Award. In 2022, Binker & Moses released their fourth album, Feeding the Machine, to critical acclaim.

Boyd's self-titled jazz band Moses Boyd Exodus (also known as the Exodus) released several mixtapes in the mid-2010s and together have recorded most of Boyd's solo releases. The group consists of Theon Cross (tubist), Artie Zaitz (guitarist), Binker Golding (saxophonist) and Nathaniel Cross (trombonist).

Under his own label, Exodus Records, Boyd made his solo debut with the extended play Absolute Zero in 2017, and followed it up with Displaced Diaspora in 2018. He has additionally collaborated with musicians such as Beyoncé, Little Simz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Zara McFarlane, Obongjayar, Ed Motta, Sons of Kemet, Soweto Kinch, Floating Points, Four Tet and Theon Cross.

Early life Boyd was born and raised in the district of Catford in south London, England. He describes himself as a "second-generation West Indian" with Dominican descent from his father and Jamaican descent from his mother. He attended Sedgehill School, which was where he began learning drums. Boyd claims that at one point he was taught drums by Bobby Worth. In 2016, he graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz drums. While at Trinity Laban, he took part of the jazz education programme Tomorrow's Warriors. He also performed a few stints filling in for Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 6 Music in mid 2020.

In March 2026, Boyd was announced by Tomorrow's Warriors as one of the organisation's inaugural patrons, alongside Baroness Amos, Margaret Busby, Guy Chambers, Robert Elms, Nick Hornby, Lizzie Ridding and John Ridding, Michael Watt, Richard Wyatt, Femi Koleoso, Eska.

Artistry and reception

Musical style Boyd is popularly known for blending multiple genres into jazz to create various new sub-genres. and fusion, additionally incorporating elements of grime, electronica, highlife and broken beat. Boyd has described his own music as "an extension of black music, the diaspora" that draws influence from afrobeats, soca, reggae, drum and bass and jungle music. and "a poster boy of the London jazz revival."

Influences Boyd has cited Miles Davis's Kind of Blue (1959) and Dizzee Rascal's Boy in Da Corner (2003) as major influences.

Released: 14 February 2020 Label: Exodus Records Formats: LP, digital download, streaming

Collaborative albums Title Details Peak chart positions UKJazz Released: 31 March 2014 Label: Self-released Compact disc, digital download, streaming — — — Dem Ones Released: 31 May 2015 Label: Gearbox Formats: LP, digital download, streaming — — —A Matter of Instinct Released: 17 June 2016 Label: Self-released Compact disc, digital download, streaming — — — Journey To The Mountain Of Forever Released: 2 June 2017 Label: Gearbox Formats: LP, digital download, streaming 3 42 11 Alive In The East? Released: 22 June 2018 Label: Gearbox Formats: LP, digital download, streaming 15 — 17 Displaced Diaspora Released: 28 September 2018 Label: Exodus Formats: LP, digital download, streaming——— Feeding the Machine Released: 25 February 2022 Label: Gearbox Formats: LP, digital download, streaming———

Extended plays

Absolute Zero (2017)

Mixtapes

Footsteps Of Our Fathers (2015) Time and Space (2016)

Singles As lead artist

Guest appearances

Songwriting, production and performance credits Adapted from Discogs, Tidal, and AllMusic.

Awards and nominations