Boka has worked hard over the years to bring us some pretty epic acts and releases, and it seems that the hard work is starting to pay off. Boka first started in 2005 with a pretty darn heavy Distance release, and built its reputation over the years with acts such as MRK1, Emalkay and Marlow.

2009 was a ridiculously busy year for Boka. 16bit pretty much shot to dubstep-based stardom, and the likes of Emalkay, Matt-U and DJ Madd have all received nothing but good press. So what better way to start 2010 than with a belter of a release? The first release is a series of remixes of Chainsaw Calligraphy by 16bit, of which includes reworkings by Jakes, Kanji Kinetic, PropaTingz, alongside the original by 16bit.

Knowledge managed to get a few rare minutes with label boss Jon to discuss their future plans, heavy metal influences and the future of dubstep.

How did 2009 fair for Boka?
Yeah, 2009 was good, bit of a shift for the label really. I felt it was time to diversify a little and incorporate the various sounds that exist within the realms of dubstep right now, this will become more apparent in 2010. We started the year with 16bit's In The Death Car EP, which was easily the biggest release for the label in '09 if not the biggest ever on the label. 16bit have been a bit of a phenomenon  and I'm glad that this EP launched them in the right direction. DJ Madd also had a strong EP out and he's starting to make waves so we should expect big things from him in 2010.

What can we expect from Boka in 2010?
We're kicking things off with the Chainsaw Calligraphy: The Remixes Parts 1 and 2 which features remixes of the hit track from last year's EP from Jakes, PropaTingz and Kanji Kinetic, it's out now on vinyl and digital. After that we've got the The Jack Cates EP from Denmark's JSL which contains three heavyweight tunes, Jack Cates, Skin Out and Badman Riddim. Then in March we'll be releasing two tracks (U / It's Over) that have surfaced from the collaborations between Von D and DJ Madd, both are getting heavy support right now, gonna be some nice artwork and coloured vinyl on that one. Also got releases lined up from Truth, 16bit, DJ Madd, Vista & Presence Known and loads more. Should be a big year.

What were your early influences in music, and what got you into dubstep / bass music?
I was actually into heavy metal and hardcore music when I was younger, total addict for it, your typical metalled, long hair, bad attitude, all that. I used to listen to the Mary Anne Hobbs Rock show. It wasn't till my late teens that I discovered dance music, initially I was introduced to the Detroit techno styles like Jeff Mills and Carl Craig, I still love all that stuff today. In the same way the metal vibe went I just went more extreme and got heavily into Drum & Bass, started DJing and in 2004 got hooked on the bass heavy stuff. It was all about the Joe Nice radio shows at the time, hunting out the track lists and discovering new artists, just that feeling of being a part of something we knew was special. It was actually Whiteboi from Bristol that got me hooked on the sound, he just came over with a stack of CDs and blasted 'em out, he was a proper dubstep salesman at the time...

Anyone who you think we should look out for in 2010?
Addison Groove, Joy Orbison (obviously!), DJ Madd, Vista, Tunnidge and Cyrus will be making waves this year too...

How do you think dubstep and bass music will evolve in the near future?
The boundaries are pretty blurred already and it feels like Radio 1 DJs are crying out for 'this thing called dubstep' so I'm sure it'll continue to grow but a part of me also hopes that there will still be people making authentic dubstep, the deep, spacious and atmospheric beats. The US is starting to bring through a lot of artists associated with dubstep, people like Excision have blown up in 2009. The hip hop influenced beats are pretty exciting too so we should be keeping an eye on the US in 2010.

 

Words: Joe Goldsworthy

 

Download the Boka guest mix...

 

 

Tracklisting

1. Matt-U - Double Blind (Dub)
2. Matt-U - Whyle The Fuck Out (BOKA023)
3. Truth - Hackerz (forthcoming Boka)
4. DJ Madd - Better With You (BOKA020)
5. DJ Madd - Detroit Skank (forthcoming Boka)
6. 16bit - Chainsaw Calligraphy (Jakes Remix) (BOKA024PT1)
7. JSL - Jack Cates (forthcoming Boka)
8. DJ Madd - Better With You (Akira Kiteshi Remix) (BOKA022)
9. Matt-U & Riskotheque - Guillotine Growl (forthcoming Boka)
10. 16bit - In The Death Car (BOKA018)
11. Emalkay - Solid State (forthcoming Storming Productions)
12. Tunnidge - Higher Forces (BOKA019)
13. Von D & DJ Madd - U (forthcoming Boka)
14. 16bit - Chainsaw Calligraphy (PropaTingz Crunk Massacre Remix) (BOKA024PT1)
15. DJ Madd - Flex'd (Ikonika Remix) (forthcoming Boka)

 

• Boka Records

Related Links:

• Boka Readies Boka Dubstep - Rewind Vol.1.
• Matt-U Interview
• Matt U Dubstep Mix
• Tunnidge Illustration Exhibition At LAVA
• Skinnz Guest Mix

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