Mosca – Square One (Greena Remix) (MediaFire)

Bok Bok – Jan 2010 Mix (MediaFire)

We caught up with Night Slugs label head and UK bass impresario Bok Bok ahead of his appearance at Chew The Fat! Meets Dirty Canvas at Cable on Friday February 12th. A firm favourite with followers of recent movements in bass music he has made waves with his own club night, radio show, label and productions. With Mosca’s ‘Square One EP’, the first release on Night Slugs, out now (buy it here) and Bok Bok’s own ‘Citizens Dub’ forthcoming on Blunted Robots he’ll certainly be making big movements this year.

For those people who don’t know, could please you give a quick run-down of pretty much what NIGHT SLUGS is? and what your role is?

Me and L-Vis 1990 started Night Slugs back in 2008. We wanted to do a club night that brought together all the kind of stuff we were into – house, grime, garage, US club stuff – but in a way that was both quintessentially UK, with the experimental dubplate ethic of London’s underground, but also banging, fun and effective.

We did a few nights south of the river and eventually moved to the East Village basement where we reside (more or less) bi-monthly to this day. We try to keep each night special so we space them out a bit. Several times a year we do a huge all-night Slugs at Egg in King’s Cross. Myself and L-Vis play back to back at all the nights and invite alongside a cross-section of friends and guest DJs.

This year we launched Night Slugs to showcase the sound we’ve cultivated at the parties. The first release is out now, it’s called ‘Square One EP’ by Mosca. Alongside our official releases we’ll also be putting out a series of limited white labels – the first one of these just dropped as well, it’s a 12″ pressing of L-Vis’ ‘Compass’/'Zahonda’, released digitally on Sound Pellegrino late last year.

How did you meet L-Vis 1990? and Manara? And what is it that has turned the NIGHT SLUGS team into such a creative node?

It’s really just through us having lots of different interests but the same vision of the vibe we like to build as DJs.

There are sounds and rhythms coming out of the NIGHT SLUGS family that we perhaps haven’t heard or thought about before; are you pioneers?

Haha that’s not for me to say! We’re building on an old foundation of house and garage. I don’t really believe in the dichotomy that club music is either deep and experimental or upfront and banging. We’re trying to do both of these things, and I think that hopefully that mentality sets us apart.

DJ EZ is at the top of the bill for the album launch; he is a bit like a piece of London furniture, do you think people like EZ are becoming more relevant as Grime, Garage and related genres begin to make their way into the ‘underground mainstream’?

EZ is a garage god! I’m blessed to have him at our dance, I can’t wait. He’s the only DJ billed for the label launch party that isn’t in the crew, everyone else will be releasing music with us in 2010. We booked EZ to headline because he’s a big influence on the music we love today, him and his peers created the context for what we do now. And he’s a sick DJ, period. I can only hope that the people who follow our stuff but might not be familiar with EZ go and check him out, and generally check out some of the older stuff.

With ever dangerous leaps into the pools of genre defying music, which are you favourite expressions to define what you do? Ridiculous or sincere…

What we’re doing is sort of a bastard music. Nowadays I just like to say ‘house’ and ‘garage’ for simplicity. It all comes back to house music really – it’s a genre that has maintained the same name across its many permeations and it’s the least reductive way I can describe what we’re involved in.

At Chew The Fat Vs. Dirty Canvas @ Cable you are plaing back to back with Oneman. I’ve heard that this is one of your favourite things to do; how come?

Definitely, back 2 back is one of the funnest ways to DJ. You take turns playing a few records each, it keeps the selection spontaneous and you have to be really creative and think on your feet. I love playing with Oneman because his selection is overly deep and his blends are next level. It’s a good challenge, not to mention vibes guaranteed.

Back to NIGHT SLUGS; what made you decide to branch out and start the label?

Since the start of Night Slugs we’ve focused on bringing through new tracks and producers. It came to a point where the stuff coming in that was inspiring us most was coming from some of our good friends. L-Vis and I decided it was time to give the sound of the night a more stable home and start documenting what we were making/playing. A label was the obvious next move because we could curate it in the same way as we do with our DJ sets.

Do you think that in a music industry plagued with piracy, a constant demand for freebies, and where everyone and his mate is a DJ/producer; that there is still a need for labels? or even, an opportunity to make money from music at all?

The point of a label for me is to focus in on a sound, make a selection and share it with the world. Our label is there to rep what we’re doing and make it accessible, make it into a product. It’s also about a collective mentality. I think money can still be made from it too, you just have to be smart about what you’re doing.

Your mixes are pretty frequent, and are often furiously energetic, and seem to have a resounding amount of… soul…in them. Do you think that this is important in dance music? With so many producers, and so many tracks making their way into the ears of people all over the place, do you think its important to hang onto something emotive in music? To remember where it came from?

Yeah totally important! It’s all about the mood and the vibe. There’s no reason music for the clubs can’t be emotional as well, or it can’t be ‘real music’. Dexplicit once put it better than me: ‘it’s all about the mix of the sweet and the sour’.

Where do your musical roots lie?

I first started DJing grime instrumentals in 2004 I think? Grime from that era will always be my bread and butter. Before that it was whatever, probably the same combination of hip hop and punk that many of us grew up with!

What was the first single you ever bought?

I wasn’t really buying music til later on. First single was Mr Oizo’s ‘Flat Beat’ which I’m kind of proud of, obviously I was feeling the bass early on!

What’s your favourite colour?

Watermelon

What’s your favourite high hat (for the geeks)?

808? Depends on if it’s raining.

DJ, Radio presenter, producer, graphic designer… jack of all trades? master of none? orrrrrr…all round creative maestro?

lol par! I’m no radio presenter, but I’m definitely on my grind with the other 3! I’m keeping my head down, I’ll let the good people be the judge of this one.

- Dickon Stone