How UK Funky Pioneer Roska is Still Guiding the Genre 10 Years On

Features

Marko Marincic

21 Aug 2018

Between mentoring younger artists through his RSK label and pushing the envelope in his own productions, Roska is still a central figure in UK Funky

There are a few figures in every field of music that are constantly trying, with absolute sincerity, to push the scene forward. For UK Funky – a genre characterised by bouncing percussion and an insatiable groove – Roska sits firmly in this bracket. With his new album, Perception, out in September, we decided to catch up with the veteran DJ and producer to discuss UK Funky as it stands today.


It takes only a matter of seconds from chatting with the RKS headhoncho for it to become clear 
how down to earth he is and how appreciative he is of the position he now finds himself in:

I'm just trying to bring some new guys through and give new guys a platform as well as  kind of mentor a few artists that are just new to everything. Because when you come into music man, unless you know what you’re doing when it comes to putting out music and trying to being consistent, unless there are people around you, you just don’t know... So I’m just trying to be that guy.


And who better to act as a mentor than a man who’s more than a decade deep in the game?

It only dawned on me literally last year that it’s been 10 years now. Most guys are like super young compared to myself coming through and it's good that I’ve got that knowledge that I can pass on to them and just help them all out... Pass on some of my little gems.


The UK Funky ecosystem is incredibly fertile at the moment and there’s no denying that RKS’s tireless devotion to new releases is a critical part of the resurgence.

Because of this, Roska is in a unique position in that, if a new UK Funky artist enters the fray, he's almost always the first to know. With that in mind, the conversation turns to some of his favourite up & comers and the new breed of producers championing the genre:  

I wouldn’t even say they were up and comers but I’d say they’ve definitely got a future if they continue: DJ Polo and Motu. Murder He Wrote obviously as well. I was there at the early stages of him getting around and stuff like that from 2015. But I was playing some of his early stuff on Rinse before that. It’s good to see him go from someone who puts out irregularly to someone that people know and he’s playing festivals and regularly in the clubs as well and you know his tunes are getting spun everywhere man so… Progress.


Although Roska certainly isn’t solely responsible for these successes, he’s definitely a catalyst. It's inspiring to see; after all, this is how successful movements really come to fruition – through guidance and solid direction. Something, Roska says, that was missing during the first wave of UK Funky.

Everybody was kinda fluking it in a weird way, like we were just doing it, but now there’s a bit more of a purpose.


The genre was rapid in its emergence, electrifying London summers with a vibrant melting pot of House, Grime, Garage and Afrobeats. But, even alongside its commercial successes, there was only ever a relatively small group behind it, one still new to the wider landscape of UK dance music. Although the music was there, the plan was far from fully formed.

To anyone with at least a little knowledge of UK Funky it’s clear that the genre never really “died”, as many like to proclaim. Whilst it fell from the forefront there were still many producers doing their thing and slowly gaining more and more plaudits, but Roska is undoubtedly one of a select few producers in the genre who has risen to a truly elite status.

When my first album came out in 2010 it was kind of the starting point for expanding. When I brought out “Squark” I had people like Diplo playing it, Skream playing it and then all the Funky lot playing it so it was kind of showed how much the sound can spread. I think that helped me to be not just a UK artist but like an artist that is worldwide. I’ve played pretty much most countries.



A prime example of how incredibly infectious Roska’s productions can be is the 2017 smash hit “In My Zone” featuring Serocee on the vocals. It was one of the standout tunes of the summer, whipping dance-floors across the world into a state of frenzy. The track also proved hugely successful over the airwaves:

Yeah man yeah! That had a little stint man. Yasmin Evans put it as her track of the week on 1xtra and it got played every day for literally 6 days man… I couldn’t believe that. Me and Serocee, we talk every day and crack jokes but like we were laughing at that situation cos we were so blasé about that whole track we literally didn’t know what to expect.


Indeed, with Perception Roska is intent on showcasing a broader spectrum of UK Funky, something slightly lacking in today’s world of in-the-face bass and straightforward bangers.

When you look at the origins of UK Funky it stems from House and Broken Beats and Funky House as well. A lot of it was like literally 7 or 8 minute long grooves and, you know, minimal transitions and stuff. It’s kind of veered more closely to the Grime elements that we leaned towards. So it’d be good to see and hear a few more tracks that actually have some more musical elements.

Actually working on a song with a singer and a songwriter and trying to get melodies and work in keys and stuff like that… that’s a challenge you know what I mean? I like doing that stuff man. Doing it on my album is the right time to do it. The right setting to put it in.


It’s a project 3 years in the making, one made all the more special as the release comes on his own label and is crammed with features from the likes of Donae’o, Newnham Generals and more.

The album, like much of Roska’s music, is extremely well rounded. It might come as no surprise that in order to pioneer a new genre, it's imperative to have a working knowledge of the genres around you, and Roska shows off his versatility as producer by drawing on Garage, DnB, Jungle, Dancehall, Grime and early Dubstep 

As our conversation comes to an end, the focus turns to his headline appearance at Patterns on the 24th of August - a joint venture from Foundations and Tropicalé.

I generally mix it up with the old and new stuff man. For me it's like, I always get down and watch what the DJ before is doing musically, and 'cos I’ve got quite a wide selection of funky I can veer from what’s been played already. I’m pretty versatile on the decks, I know what works and what doesn’t so yeah, should be fun.


The night showcases a genre that is exciting, inherently danceable, and, most importantly, owes so much to the man who will be behind the decks.

£3 tickets are available on Dice