It’s been a busy few weeks for UK Funky / bass music don, Roska. We caught up with him for a chat ahead of his free ‘All Night Long’ event in Dalston later this month…
I guess the theme of this interview will be change.. We have been following you since the days of UK Funky, there has been a huge shift in musical tastes and styles in the London / the UK but you have remained consistent, stuck to your sound and continued to stay relevant – some would say avoiding change has been part of your success. Would you agree?
Its a tough one as Ive definitely kept elements but its made to fit in with the current climate. A lot of my old music was very adaptable and accessible to other genres. I’ve tried to keep to that format as much as possible.
It’s been a busy few weeks for you so lets start with the question on everyone’s lips, why are you leaving Rinse FM?
I’ve been with and on Rinse since 2008 and I just feel its time to chill for a sec and look towards some other ventures.
I may jump back on radio in the near future but at the moment I just want to stick to playing in clubs.
Have you also left the Rinse Record label?
Yes, I left back in January to do more releases on RKS and similar labels.
Rinse has clearly been a huge part of your career to date, what are some of the highlights?
Playing at FWD>> was one of them as so many iconic figures have played there, also the Rinse nights and just having the freedom to create what I want musically.
Having been so involved with Rinse / Radio for so many years now, what advice would you offer to someone trying to break into the industry?
Have something different to offer.
Anyone can make a track, why not have something to go with it. Be original. Also have a clear idea of where you want to be weather its in 1 month, 1 year or 5 years.
Following MA1’s Fact mix and The UK Funky Boiler Room Session we heard whispers of of a UK Funky revival, as someone who was so involved in the scene the first time round what do you think about this?
I think if it’s reviving hopefully there will be some consistent music thats accessible also if it is happening hopefully it wont be forced. It definitely felt that way earlier this year when everyone was talking about it being ‘the thing’ this year.
Speaking of UK Funky.. You have been sharing some classics on Facebook to get us excited about your big solo show at The Alibi in London in a couple of weeks time. Tell us a bit about the event, why is now the time for a solo show & what can people who come expect?
I’ve always wanted to do an all-nighter and i’ve found a club that would accommodate it for me. I was planning on doing this earlier on this year as well but now I’m leaving Rinse I thought it would be an ideal time. Not many people are playing Funky if any and at this moment in time it would be nice to have an event where it can be played.
We also know you as the founder of RKS, whats happening with that – anything big in the pipeline you can tell us about?
Over the last few year I’ve been focussing on smaller artists that might not have a name for themselves at this point. Also putting out a lot of Jamie George’s projects too. This year I’ve been doing the same thing but making space for my own projects too.
Find out more about the FREE Roska All Night Long Event on Facbeook by clicking here..
