Roska Winning Artist
Roska's a producer who’s pushing the newer, UK-twist on the funky house sound through his DJ sets, productions and radio show. The Skinny caught up with him before he makes his Scottish debut at this weekend’s Electric Frog Street Carnival.
Q. You grew up listening to reggae and soul music as these were the styles your parents listened to – I’ve read that your father was a sound man – did he work in a studio or was involved in sound-system set-up? How influential was your musical upbringing in leading you to start a career in music?
A. My dad was just involved in sound systems, he didn’t work inside any studio; it was mainly just parties.
Music has been a heavy part of my life due to the fact that I would listen to everyday while growing up. My uncle was also involved in my dad's soundsystem, so I was also exposed to a lot of it when I was round at his house and his studio.
Q. How did you make the move from being just a listener of music to becoming actively involved in DJing and production?
A. In my teens I started to get an interest in garage but before that it was drum & bass. I began working on my own productions but it was really just a kind of hobby that I didn’t take seriously at all. My cousin was mainly the DJ but I’d mess about on the decks from time to time and as I started to produce house and funky I decided to start take DJing and production more seriously.
Q. What style of productions did you work on at the beginning?
A. I was around my Uncle a lot at that time and as he's old-skool I ended up making a lot of hip-hop early on; then I dabbled in drum & bass, but it wasn’t really anything to shout about.
Later I started making garage…I think I’ve about fifty tracks of this style backed up somewhere but throughout this period I didn’t really consider releasing any my tracks commercially, it was just a hobby.
Q. From what I’ve read, it seems that your style has evolved quite quickly over a short period of time – from garage through grime, hip-hop, house, broken-beat, tribal – why/how do you think things have happened this way? Are you keen to take onboard new sounds and influences as you hear them? How would you best describe the type of productions you are making now in comparison with those you were making when you started out?
A. When I started out, I don’t think any of my productions compared with what anyone else was doing.
My style back then was quite abstract. Whatever I’m feeling at the time I will have an attempt at creating; I’m not forced to follow any rules regarding what I can and can’t do musically, so I just go ahead and see what’s possible.
I’ve started producing some dubstep. I’ve only showed a few heads this new style (for me). As time has gone on you’ve got producers like Scratcha DVA and Shortstuff plus a few others that are making tracks that could stand next to mine quite comfortably which I think is a good thing; I think it’s down to the fact the productions I like are more percussion-orientated.
Q. I’ve recently got switched onto the sound that’s been labelled ‘UK Funky’. To me it seems like a melting pot of garage and house with influences such as grime, soca and broken-beat. Why do you think there’s such a buzz surrounding this type of style at the moment? How do you think it established itself initially and how do you see it developing?
A. It’s doing OK, I think there are tracks for everyone. You’ve got your pop-style for the girls, then you’ve got the whole nursery-rhyming style, then there’s the harder stuff which I make [laughs].
I do believe it’s moved quickly but I suppose that’s what happens with advances in technology. Before you had to burn a CD or get a dub-plate and find the DJs to give tunes to, but now you can just mail over an MP3 direct to someone’s email address.
Q. You have your own label, Kicks & Snares, which you use to release your own work on – how did this came about? Is it important for you to release your own productions yourself, to have that control?
A. RKS is just for me to release my own material on. When you first start out no one wants to know or take a risk on your product in case it doesn’t sell. So, the only way to go about things is to learn the admin side and start your own label, and that’s what I did.
It’s important to release your own productions because you’ve got to ask yourself…‘How else will my sound spread?’
I’m always encouraging other producers who haven’t released anything to do the same, 'cos it’s like there just waiting for a record deal and this might not happen.
Q. You DJ regularly on RINSE FM – how did this come about? For who else/where else do you DJ?
A. I'm only on RINSE, once a week, on a Tuesday at 11am. Originally, I started off doing a few cover slots, stepping in for other DJs when they were away, last year and this carried on into 2009, when the station’s management decided to give me a permanent weekly slot.
Q. How do you see your musical career developing? What are your future plans?
A. I take everyday as it comes with music…it’s a short-lived career; you can be hot today and nothing tomorrow. Future plans? Work hard and take my sound across the world.
Q. How do you see the current ‘urban’ dance music scene developing in future? It seems to have everything kind of mixed together influence-wise…where do you think this will lead?
A. Everything sounds like house at the moment. From pop to house it’s all got the 4x4 drum-pattern. Me? I just concentrate on what I’m doing and don’t really sit around thinking about what others are doing to be honest.
Q. Finally, is this your first time DJing in Scotland? What can we expect to hear from you?
A. First time but hopefully not the last! I'm going to rock the crowd the only way I know how.
Roska plays Electric Frog Street Carnival, 30 August, 2pm - 11pm, Eastvale Place, £23 + b.f. from Tickets Scotland, Rubadub Records and there will be a limited number of tickets available on the day, priced £25.
http://www.electricfrogcarnival.com