For The Dreams and Aspirations Issue, i-D collaborated with the fab folk at New Power Studio on an extra-special musical extravaganza…
Pop here to find out much more about the project and read on for our catch-up with Bok Bok, one of the artists who kindly lent his beats for your delectation. Experience the soundboard in all its wonder on newpowerstudio.com.
What was the song that really got you thinking about making music? I was making music at a very young age, but my first proper productions, around 2003, were inspired by songs like Are You That Somebody? by Aaliyah & Timbaland, as well asKeep the Fire Burning by House Crew.
What do you think about the ever expanding, mutating world of electronic music in 2011? I think it’s great and very interesting, but because music is now free and flying around the world at the speed of light, people have access to too much and forget the importance of building their own vocabulary.
Which DJ or producer did you used to stand by the box and gasp in admiration?When I was at the ‘stand by the box and gasp’ age I was still living in my hometown in Massachusetts without many nearby clubs, so there was a lot of bedroom raving. But the DJs that have really blown me away recently have been friends like Total Freedom, Bok Bok and Manara. The first time I heard them DJ I was completely inspired.
Does electronic music struggle to find a visual identity? In general yes, to the average person there is a facelessness to it. I think that there’s a new generation of musicians that are also intense visual artists and these artists and labels create much more of a cohesion of the audio and visual.
What sounds are you excited about now? Do you means sounds or music? In terms of sounds for production I’m doing a lot of digging through my own archive at the moment. I bring back fragments of tracks and mixes I’ve made over the years and reintegrate them into new songs. I like letting melody fragments marinate on my hard drive for a few years before properly using them. Also, I just started a label called Fade to Mind, so in terms of music, the Fade to Mind and Night Slugs universes are the soundtrack on my headphones, that and whatever Teairra Mari is putting out.
Text: Thom Murphy
Experimental Programme Developer: Kevin Howbrook
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