Dr Psycho Was One Of The Best Around

Seani B pays tribute to Dr Psycho who passed away last week at the age of 44. One of the leading pioneers of the UK scene, he was someone who embodied the spirit of BrukOut!

LAST WEEK all of the UK music industry was shaken by the passing of one of my closest brothers, Brian Bogle aka the amazing Dr Psycho. Dr Psycho was one of the original
members of the Rampage Sound. When you talk of raving in the 1990s, you have to include Rampage.

I remember frequenting Roseberry’s in Dalston every Friday for one of the many Rampage residencies. One thing you could always rely on at a Rampage event were lots of women and some quality entertainment. I went there for both, but being a DJ during that time I was intrigued by the skills of the Rampage crew. They all had that swagger, but Dr Psycho was slighty different, more untamed than the other members.

One clear memory was Dr Psycho getting booed for changing the selection at a critical time. The crowd was not appreciative of this at all. He stuck on a soft Aaliyah track and the boos were scary. However instead of shying away he encouraged them to boo even more. Those boos quickly turned into a deafening appreciation of his skills when he slammed on a hip hop banger.

This was Dr Psycho 100 per cent. He was just never scared, and was confident in his ability as a DJ and entertainer, which allowed him to take risks and push the boundaries. He was one of the first Hip Hop & RnB DJs to incorporate Soca into his set without even a second thought. He was one of the first DJs and probably the only DJ from a West Indian background to break into and be treated as an equal in the Asian market.

You wanted to hear him pronounce a few Punjabi names whilst he was broadcasting on Asian FX! He stood toe-to-toe with some of the best Garage & Jungle MCs whilst also being able to play the music.

I don’t even want to tell you of the arguments we had about him being a dancehall selector. Nonetheless, he was easily one of the very best all round entertainers, if not the best. Myself and Psycho became friends in the early 2000s. It was at a Soca vs Bashment event in East London.

SHOWMAN: Dr Psycho knew how to get a crowd going

I think he came there looking to take a few stripes from me that night, as my reputation had been growing as one of the heavy hitters from BBC 1Xtra. To this day we would argue who got the better of who that night. Let’s call it an honorable draw…

From that day myself & Psycho became long lost DJ brothers. He understood what made me tick and I understood him fully. We could perform together and not have to look at each other for cue, we just knew what the other would do. That Bluetooth connection.

We could talk for hours breaking down an event in miniscule pieces. Which DJ played the best, why did he play that record, the soundsystem was poor, we could go on for hours like two old women!

But this was only one side to the Doctor. He had this “never to be defeated” attitude, which was not just for himself. His words of encouragement are what will always stay with me. He was the kind of person who saw the bigger picture. After his passing, reading some of the Facebook comments made me realise that I was one of many he gave advice and encouragement to.

After leaving Rampage Sound, Psycho continued his assault of the clubs with his “Surgery” Brand. Whilst others were concerned at packing their record cases, Psycho was concerned about his Doctor’s outfit and stethoscope. He travelled the entire UK with this brand , also becoming a firm favourite in the summer holiday spots like Ayia Napa & Ibiza with his straw hat not too far behind.

The love of music didn’t stop in the clubs. Have a conversation with UK Garage producer and longtime friend Sticky and he can give you a few stories about Psycho. I’m sure he would make mention of the Good Doctor linking him with another fallen solider Tubby T to record the garage anthem “Tales from the Hood”. He even turned his hand to being an artist for the club smash “More Weed” which was also produced by Sticky.

R.I.P: Dr Psycho

As mentioned earlier he had graced the airways on stations like Asian FX, BBC London, Bang FM and his final station, Mi Soul. The vibrancy and energy he brought to these stations with his concepts, ideas and masterful delivery always elevated the offering of the network to it’s listeners.

I can go on forever writing stories about this superhero of the clubs, with no cape. All you have to do is go online and read some of testimonies of DJ colleagues like myself to get more insight into how Psycho touched many lives.

However I think the most touching thing I read was in a private message from a young lady I don’t even know, it read “Hello…I hope you don’t mind me sending you a message but I just want to say how sorry I am for the loss of your friend Brian. It’s strange because I didn’t know him, I had only met him once at Southport Weekender, but I remember him making me laugh so hard! He just had an amazing presence”

The last line sums it up all for me, I will miss his presence! His lisp, his boasyness, his laughter, his performances, his snoring on trips back home, his loudness, his craziness…..Imma miss ya Psycho!

Rest in peace bro, but knowing you your planning a party in heaven.