View source for Bo En

{{Short description|English musician and video game producer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Bo En
| image             =
| native_name       =
| native_name_lang  =
| birth_name        = Calum Thomas Bowen
| alias             =
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1991|02|26}}
| birth_place       =
| origin            = [[London]], UK
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[Electronic music|electronic]]|[[J-pop]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|composer|record producer}}
| instrument        = [[Piano]]
| years_active      = 2013–present
| label             = {{hlist|[[Maltine Records]]}}
| associated_acts   = {{hlist|[[Kero Kero Bonito]]}}
| website           = {{URL|https://bo-en.info/}}
| module            =
| module2           =
| module3           =
}}
'''Calum Thomas Bowen''' (born 26 February 1991), also known professionally as '''Bo En''' (stylized as '''bo en'''), is an English musician and video game producer based in [[London]].<ref name="The Japan Times">{{cite news |last1=St. Michel |first1=Patrick |title=Britain's bo en finds a musical family in Tokyo's electronic scene|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/04/09/music/britains-bo-en-finds-musical-family-tokyos-electronic-scene/ |accessdate=13 February 2020 |work=The Japan Times |date=9 April 2015 |archive-date=27 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227194045/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/04/09/music/britains-bo-en-finds-musical-family-tokyos-electronic-scene/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Career==
Bowen released his debut album titled ''pale machine'' in 2013.<ref name="rising">{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Mike |title=bo en |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9534-bo-en/ |accessdate=12 February 2020 |work=Pitchfork |date=3 November 2014 |archive-date=13 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413023817/https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9534-bo-en/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Pale Machine - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_msuOlM_uI0e11UonqAJZ5swr25RblOh4M&si=gKeSi8M91HKAPvDN |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> In 2014, he released a physical CD titled 'pale machine [EXPANSION PACK]', adding 4 new tracks composed by Bowen and 6 remixes of songs from pale machine.<ref>https://www.bo-en.info/ep {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Pale Machine Expansion Pack Singles - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kffy3Pp8h7vqnD4PqdovwIjkzDc3y8SWg&si=kLFxGjBbrgyf7Sae |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> Bowen's 2014 remix of "My Party" by [[Kero Kero Bonito]] was featured on their ''Bonito Recycling'' EP.<ref name="diy">{{cite news |last1=Lismore |first1=Kate |title=Kero Kero Bonito, Trading MP3s for Sick Beats |url=https://diymag.com/2015/02/13/kero-kero-bonito-trading-mp3s-for-sick-beats |accessdate=13 February 2020 |work=DIY |date=13 February 2015 |archive-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213090627/https://diymag.com/2015/02/13/kero-kero-bonito-trading-mp3s-for-sick-beats |url-status=live }}</ref> Over the course of the following years he wrote three singles, "''By the Phone"'',<ref name=":2">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbqTGUGkYt8 |title=bo en - by the phone |date=2015-09-14 |last=bo en |access-date=2024-06-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> "''sometimes"'' <ref name=":3">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53vw9miqxAk |title=bo en - sometimes |date=2016-11-01 |last=bo en |access-date=2024-06-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and "''love in a song"''.<ref name=":4">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1vs_q_DO6s |title=bo en - love in a song |date=2018-02-14 |last=bo en |access-date=2024-06-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> In 2021, Bowen released a satirical remix of "''love in a song''", titled "''love in a song - DJ HEARTBREAK ANNIHILATION MIX".'' In February 2023, Bowen announced that he is writing new songs together with [[Babymorocco]]. It is currently unknown how many songs they are producing, however three of them appear to be called "''Love Wont Find U"'', "''When We Were Young"'' and "''idk_if_i_feel_enough"''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bowen |first=Calum |date=Dec 21, 2022 |title=I hope u like these songs when they're done. me & @bbmorocco__ going very hard on each and every one of them. |url=https://twitter.com/boenyeah/status/1605693372978434048?s=20 |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref>
Bowen released a follow up to his debut entitled ''Pale Machine 2'' which contained re-imaginings of songs off his pale machine record as well as original songs featuring a variety of other artists.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Pale Machine 2 |url=http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mN5z__Y1Vx-lDj8Xde_2LYpx7P3cJVU2s |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref> Two songs originally released in the pale machine expansion pack, "''I'll Fall''" and "''Money Won't Pay''", were included as tracks 9 and 10 on this release.
===Video game composing===
Under his real name '''Calum Bowen''' (stylized as '''calum bowen''') he wrote the soundtrack to ''Up Up Ubie'' and ''Super Ubie Land''. He then continued to write songs for smaller games such as ''Marble Time'', ''Thief Story'' and ''Winnose''. Bowen later composed the soundtrack for the 2014 game ''[[Lovely Planet]],'' followed by ''Lovely Planet Arcade'' and ''[[Lovely Planet 2: April Skies]]''.<ref name="rising"/> He also composed the soundtrack for ''[[Pikuniku]]'' which was released in 2019, along with three songs for ''[[Omori (video game)|Omori]]'', released in late 2020.<ref name="wshu">{{cite news |last1=Remington |first1=Kate |title=Calum Bowen's Funny, Lighthearted Soundtrack For 'Pikuniku' |url=https://www.wshu.org/post/calum-bowens-funny-lighthearted-soundtrack-pikuniku#stream/0 |accessdate=13 February 2020 |work=WSHU |date=7 February 2019 |archive-date=28 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428185130/https://www.wshu.org/post/calum-bowens-funny-lighthearted-soundtrack-pikuniku#stream/0 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="gem">{{cite news |last1=Romano |first1=Sal |title=Pikuniku launches January 24, 2019 |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2018/12/pikuniku-launches-january-24-2019 |accessdate=13 February 2020 |work=Gematsu |date=26 December 2018 |archive-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213083616/https://www.gematsu.com/2018/12/pikuniku-launches-january-24-2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> One of the three songs composed for [[Omori (video game)|''Omori'']] was a pitched-up (and shortened in-game) version of "''My Time''", a song which was initially included in his debut album ''Pale Machine'', in 2013. The Omori soundtrack was expanded in 2022, with the addition of two new songs featured in the console version of the game, which were also composed by Bowen. Bowen composed the music for ''Voyage'', which was released in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Graham |title=Voyage is a hand-painted cinematic adventure |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/voyage-is-a-hand-painted-cinematic-adventure |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |access-date=11 July 2021 |language=en |date=20 February 2021}}</ref> In addition, he produced the soundtrack for Netflix's ''[[Poinpy]]'', a free mobile game released in 2022.
==Discography==
===Studio albums===
*''pale machine'' (2013, [[Maltine Records|Maltine]]) <ref name=":0" />
* ''pale machine'' [EXPANSION PACK] (2014, [[Maltine Records|Maltine]]) <ref name=":1" />
*''pale machine 10 year anniversary re-master'' (2023, [[Maltine Records|Maltine]])
*''Pale Machine 2'' (2023) <ref name=":5" />
=== Extended plays ===
* ぼくらのいろとりどり (2016, ft. あきお)
===Singles===
*''By the Phone'' (2015) <ref name=":2" />
*''sometimes'' (2016) <ref name=":3" />
*''love in a song'' (2018) <ref name=":4" />
===Animation Soundtracks===
*Beetle + Bean (2021) <ref>{{Cite web |title=@boenyeah |url=https://twitter.com/boenyeah/status/1673136019120562176?s=46&t=TRxRtaIhOLWIiFIBshLS-A |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref>
===Video game soundtracks===
*MOSHIMOSHI (2013) <ref>https://www.freeindiegam.es/2013/05/moshimoshi-armel-gibson-calum-bowen/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VRELTXgslg&t=91s | title=MOSHIMOSHI &#124; High Quality &#124; Calum Bowen | website=[[YouTube]] | date=17 November 2014 }}</ref>
*''Marble Time'' (2013)
*Up Up Ubi
*Super Ubie Land (2013)
*Thief Story
*Winnose (2014)
*''[[Lovely Planet]]'' (2014)
*''Lovely Planet Arcade'' (2016)
*Pakka Pets (2016)
*''[[Snipperclips]]'' (2017)
*[[YIIK: A Postmodern RPG|YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG]] (2019)
*''[[Pikuniku]]'' (2019)
*''[[Lovely Planet 2: April Skies]]'' (2019)
*''Crossy Road Castle'' (2020)
*''[[Omori (video game)|Omori]]''  (2020)
*''Voyage'' (2021)
*''[[Poinpy]]'' (2022)
*[[Ooblets]] (2022)
===Video game sound design===
*Valdis Story: Abyssal City (2013)
*Dragon: A Game About a Dragon (2015)
*Lovely Planet: Arcade (2016)
*''[[Pikuniku]]'' (2019)
*''[[Tangle Tower]]'' (2019)
===Remixes===
*Candy Flavored Lips (bo en イパネマREMIX) (2013) <ref>{{cite web | url=https://soundcloud.com/bo-en/candy-flavored-lips-bo-en | title=Candy Flavored Lips (Bo en イパネマREMIX) }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://markredito.bandcamp.com/track/candy-flavored-lips-bo-en-remix | title=Candy Flavored Lips (Bo en イパネマREMIX), by Mark Redito }}</ref>
*My Party (Kero Kero Bonito) (2014) <ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6fQdOvhzco |title=Kero Kero Bonito - My Party (bo en Remix) |date=2015-04-07 |last=Kero Kero Bonito |access-date=2024-06-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
*Veranda (Bo En Megacrazymix) (2018)
*NRG (Babymorocco) (2023)
*finger frame ft. 鈴木真海子 (PAS TASTA) (2023)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1991 births]]
[[Category:21st-century English composers]]
[[Category:21st-century English male musicians]]
[[Category:Composers from London]]
[[Category:English male composers]]
[[Category:English record producers]]
[[Category:English video game composers]]
[[Category:Living people]]