It’s always challenging writing about DJs or artists that you don’t know a whole heap about. It’s interesting because you can research them and their music, but it’s sometimes difficult to get an accurate insight into what makes them tick. This is the situation I found myself in recently when asked to do an interview with King Roc. So, rather than crap on to you about how ‘good’ King Roc is (when I’m not really in a position to say so!), here’s a few facts and observations I picked up from research, and the interview itself. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions!

King Roc (aka Martin Dawson) is an electro house DJ and producer from the UK. He has a strong musical background, originally starting with bands over 10 years ago. Known for his production skills as much as his DJing, he has produced original tracks such as “Pressure/How Big Is It”, and has done top shelf remixes such as Dylan Rhymes ‘Salty’ and New Order ‘True Faith’. He gives the strong impression as a focussed and inspired DJ/producer, who is very conscious of the quality of his productions and remixes, as well as his DJ sets. Adding all the above elements together, you end up with a serious player that is prepared to unleash some fantastic electro house sets across Australian dance floors in the coming month. ITM chats to King Roc about his forthcoming debut Australian tour.

ITM: What have you been up to in the past 6 months or so – production, touring, or a bit of both?

KR: There has been a little bit of everything on the cards recently. I have been DJing a lot, which has been great fun, as it has taken me to some new places that I would not have been to otherwise, like St. Petersburg, Shanghai and Tel Aviv. Plus I played at Amnesia in Ibiza this summer which was a great experience. In terms of the studio I have been mainly working on remixes, one of which was Future Sound Of London. I grew up listening to that stuff so to remix it is a real pleasure. I have also just released a limited edition picture disk which I am really proud of because I did everything from the music to the artwork, which really made me feel like I was getting right into the artistic freedom of it all.

ITM: What clubs are you a regular at in the UK?

KR: I don’t have a residency at the moment so I am playing all over. In the past I have had a couple and they are good fun but now I prefer to go to new places as it’s part of the whole experience, especially because there are so many cool people out there involved in the scene.

ITM: You did a remix of “True Faith” for New Order this year. How did that come about?

KR: Yeah that was a cool remix to do. I had done a remix for Tim Binns, who runs the label, as well as an original EP (Better Ways on iO Music), and I guess they were happy with my work. When I got the email I presumed it was a new track as they had released some new stuff quite recently. When I got the parts through there was no title on the CD so I was going through everything thinking ‘hey this sounds kinda familiar’. Then I got to the vocal parts and the penny dropped that it was actually one of their biggest tracks. Then I started to get a bit nervous but it all turned out good.

ITM: What would be some of the main influences that have helped shape your sound?

KR: Older stuff would be things like the Prodigy and The Chemical Bros. but recently there have been some great artists releasing music that totally inspires me. Guys like Oliver Huntemann, John Dahlback, Pig & Dan, Williams, Trentemoller, and my good friend Tom Neville, just to name a few.

ITM: The electro house scene has grown in leaps and bounds of late. Is it more difficult to promote your profile now amongst such a large number of DJs and artists?

KR: To be honest I don’t think about it at all. I just worry about the things I can control like whether the music I am writing is as good as I can possibly make it and to make sure I am a proud of each piece I do. Also to make sure that I give it 100% when I play out as that’s what represents me to the people who have maybe not heard the music I write. For me these days the stuff I play is more techno than house anyway, so it’s all good.

ITM: You used to be in a band called Blindside with your mate Ben Medcalf (aka breaks heavyweight the Rogue Element) some years ago. What kind of sounds came from that project?

KR: Haha, yeah Ben is one of my best mates and I am really pleased that he is doing so well. Blindside was my first proper band we played in when we were at college. At the time we were all still learning so much, but for me it was all about bands like Rage Against The Machine, the Chili Peppers, Nirvana and Korn. Definitely pretty heavy stuff. We did pretty well at that level but not all of the members were 100%. It’s funny though because all the guys in that band who did take it seriously are still doing music full time today, and I think that’s awesome.

ITM: Do you’re DJ sets incorporate elements such as Ableton Live, or do you mainly focus on vinyl and CDs?

KR: I haven’t gone down the Ableton route yet and am still on vinyl and CDs, although mainly CDs when I travel outside of the UK as it is just so much easier to travel with. My next project is to start work on an album and after I have finished the next couple of remixes that will be my main focus. Once I have a god body of original work I will definitely look at incorporating Ableton into my sets to give me more freedom about how I play.

ITM: You haven’t been out to play in Australia before, have you?

KR: No, this my first trip out there, and I am really looking forward to it. Especially as I have a number of friends who live over there so it will be a great chance for me to catch up with them as well. Several of my mates who DJ have played there and said how good the parties are, so I am really looking forward to checking it all out!

ITM: What can Australian audiences expect from your upcoming tour?

KR: Hopefully some of the best underground electronic music Europe has to offer, including some fresh mixes of my own just for good measure.

King Roc tours Australia over the coming weeks, don’t miss out!

Oct 27 – Ministry of Sound Annual, Perth
Oct 28 – Laundry, Sydney
Nov 3 – Syrup, Hobart
Nov 4 – Family, Brisbane
Nov 6 – Queensbridge, Melbourne