Skiddle Mix 027 - ASOK (Scenery)

Dance music tends to open itself up for reinvention better than other genres, partially down to the anonymity it offers. You can switch form sub-genre to sub-genre with relative ease, slipping between a wide palette of grooves and sounds in order to find new inspiration and direction. It's this constant collision which makes dance music's most important two characteristics, mutation and reinvention, so easily achieved.

Skiddle Mix 027 - ASOK (Scenery) by Skiddle on Mixcloud

ASOK is a perfect example of that trajectory. Originally starting out as a drum and bass DJ and producer, he would then go onto produce disco edits under the name Cosmic Boogie, his Boogie Originals imprint becoming one of the key labels on the edit scene. He then began making house music under his birth name Stu Robinson, before realising his ASOK past could help him create a rougher and readier house groove.

Now fully in ASOK mode, his fledgling label Scenery is in Manchester Saturday 12th October at the Soup Kitchen with label-mates Deep Space Orchestra joining  him. Ahead of the show we asked him for a mix and he dually obliged (stream it above), so we let him explain the method behind it below:

Your Scenery Records party is coming up. What can we expect from it?

It's a label night run by a couple of regular parties in Manchester, Etc... and Thick as Thieves. It's in a brilliant venue; The Soup Kitchen always goes off - well every time I've been there it does. Its how venues should be, downstairs, paint coming off the wall, great soundsystem, no idiots.

Musically I think it will be a little of everything. I know I play loads of different stuff when I DJ, and you would be hard pushed to nail Deep Space Orchestra down. Bantam Lions live is also fantastic - so id say expect every genre of dance music to have its moment. Apart from trance. And Hot Creations. 

How has the record label been faring so far, and what is coming up on there?

The record label is going well - it's early days were only three releases in, but so far so good. A friend of mine now runs the label with me (Lee - Circular Rhythms) and he's helping to bring a new energy and direction as well. Coming up next is an absolute beast of an EP, but I would be doing no favours to anyone by spoiling the surprise. Safe to say it is coming from one of the artists the label has already used with some international remixers.

In the future I hope to keep releasing stuff from some of the people we have already put out on the label, like Deep Space Orchestra, Cottam, and more, but also bring new people and bigger names into the fold as the label grows. The local stuff is really important though - we are based in Liverpool and i think the releases so far justify that.

You’ve done a mix for us; thanks! Tell us about it.

It's a mix of all the stuff i like at the moment. Scruffy, dirty, analogue house and techno, with occasional snippets of melody and a few surprises. There's a few of my own tracks on there as well which are coming out in the next few months, and a couple of Scenery bits. I don't know if its a club mix because i didn't make it in a club, its just a loads of music in the right vibe for me and the place i exist right now.

Is this reflective of your style as a DJ and what you would play at?

Its reflective of my style sure - my mixing is just as scruffy as the sound i like. Would I play like this in a club? Who knows. If I dropped this stuff and people were enjoying it and dancing to it then yeah of course i would. If they weren't dancing though id change direction and try something else. I've got so much music in so many different guises I rarely know which way things are going to go. Its the best part.

What else have you been listening to recently? 

I'm listening to lot of my old dark drum and bass again. Lots of scary sci-fi noises with amazing basslines and absolutely incredible drum patterns. Its a big influence. The Asok project comes from my drum and bass past, so I'm literally going back round to that sound, taking influence from it but making and playing new things with it. I'ts what I always wanted to do I guess.  Saying that, I do put disco albums on all the time as well. if its got a killer bassline, I'm in. Simple as that.

What remixes and productions have you had out recently?

My first ever full EP as Asok is about to drop on a brilliant dutch label called MOS - the same label as the likes of Marc D Cantu, Innerspace Halflife, Aroy Dee, Legowelt, all people who I absolutely love. So to have an EP coming out on that label is...well...a good thing. I'm working on loads more tracks and with a few labels and some other remixes at the moment. So over the next 6 months id hope to have two or three more ep's out including some stuff on Scenery.

And finally, dream situation time... you can go back to any period in clubland history, and play at any club. Who would you have playing alongside you and what tune would you drop that would define the evening?

It's a tough question that. I'd probably be at the Metalheadz Sunday session at the blue note, and just after Doc Scott had finished playing, I would play this.

That might be nice.

Like this? Check our article rounding up what is coming up at the Soup Kitchen.

And 

Tickets are no longer available for this event