A specialist in experimental voice DB Boyko has performed with a variety of Vancouver musicians including recent guest engagements with the legendary NOW Orchestra. She is the co-founder of several improvising ensembles including Hextremities (1980's), the all women VIEW Ensemble (1990's) and more currently the Crossing Borders Ensemble. Her newest project, Idiolalla is a vocal tour-de-force with fellow vocalist Christine Duncan and drummer/spin doctor Jean Martin. DB's discography as feature soloist includes Danielle Poger's Bruiducœur, prières des infidèles for Ambiance Magnetique (2005), Songlines recording of contemporary gamelan music New Nectar (2003). She is featured on several compilation CD's including SCHWITTCD (ORF-2002), Susan Frykberg's Astonishing Sense (Earsay - 1998), and Kenneth Newby's Sirens (City of Tribes - 1997).
Her influences and studies in Javanese gamelan court music, dance, puppet theatre, and butoh have led her to participate in a wide spectrum of multidisciplined works with Mortal Coil, Snake in the Grass Theatre, Special Delivery Moving Theatre, Serge Bennethan, and Karen Jaimison dance companies. A specialist in traditional vocal repertoire for gamelan orchestra DB has sung and composed new works for Vancouver Gamelan Madu Sari.
Her larger compositional works have included song cycle, Amphibious Tales (1992) which toured Canada and US including the Montreal voice festival - la Voix se fait entendre. Her score for the Arts Club Theatre production of Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing was nominated for a Jesse award (1995) which instigated a collaboration with first nations playwright Marie Clements for Urban Tattoo (1998). From 2000 - 2002 she provided musical direction and composed for the millennial production of the SongBird Oratorio - an ecological tribute to Vancouver bird songs.
DB has also devoted much of her energy to producing the work of other artists as curator/director for the Music Program of the Vancouver artist-run-centre the Western Front.
