If you haven’t heard of Stööki Sound, then they should be first on your playlist this semester. Originally from London, DJ Lukey and Jelacee of Stööki Sound have curated their unique style by using elements from UK bass, hip-hop, and trap. Stööki has collaborated with DJs such as Mr. Carmack and TroyBoi, and is currently touring around the world. They recently came out with a new EP, entitled Ösiris, which features grime music, a genre similar to UK garage and hip-hop, as well as the duo’s novel sound.
Stööki came to San Diego in December, to open for Baauer on his Aa tour. They played at Bassmnt, a venue known by locals for consistently hosting great electronic acts. Bassmnt is appropriately named, because you have to walk down a flight of stairs to enter the club, which has a cool underground warehouse feel to it. The venue contains a concert area and a bar.
The energy that Stööki Sound brought was incredible. Right away, they played hard hitting songs that got the crowd pumped. For songs like “My G’s,” Jelacee would stand on top of a table and rap while Lukey was mixing. The duo played music from both popular and underground artists. The most memorable moment, however, was how the crowd reacted when Stööki dropped their song “UPPERS,” and then proceeded with the remix of “UPPERS” by QUIX.
The Interview
We had a chance to talk to Jelacee and Lukey about their vision and direction after their performance. But, first, we asked for advice worth passing on to students (like us) who are looking at career paths in music.
They responded, “Jump on your college radio station, get your name out there, and from there you can build. With the Internet, it’s easier to reach a wider audience. I’d advise new producers to not copy someone else’s sound. A lot of new producers think that if they copy something that’s been done, they’ll get big as well. It’s a game of patience. It looks like someone’s blown up overnight, well [some] will say it took 5 years to blow up overnight. Just be patient. Work on your music. Work on your style. Work on your production and the rest will follow.”
When we asked Stööki what drove them to find their distinct sound, they explained, “London is known for curating and creating new sounds and not following what everyone else is doing. We had that in us from the start. We’ve always wanted to create something we can call our own, a movement. That’s why we called it the Stööki Movement.” The greater movement, simply called Stööki, is defined, by their website, as “a movement that transcends through Sound, Vision and Play. As a collective, we Design, Produce and Curate.”
Stööki just released a new label, Ö.N.E Worldwide. When asked to describe the label, they said, “The label was more of a home base for us. Eventually once we have the resources, we want to help other talented people grow naturally and more organically. Stööki Sound is looking to keep growing the movement, get more people on board and have people say ‘oh you guys are different’.” Lukey added, “This is the first year of doing new things like establishing a new label, a platform, a new EP. It’s all about setting up for next year.”
Overall, Stööki Sound put on an amazing show. We would definitely see them again if they came back to San Diego, and you should too.
Featured photo provided by Stööki Sound