On the forefront of the UKG resurgence wave, Bakey blends breakbeats, dnb and bassline to create a dark, gritty sound. Not compromising on production, Bakey fills dancefloors, fusing high energy and melodic highs with his signature raw, deep bass.
Bakey started a 4 week residency at London’s dynamic Phonox on 4th April, and you can catch him playing there alongside a stacked support line up on 11th, 18th and 25th April.
We caught up with the Leeds-born DJ to find out more about the release of his EP ‘Backrooms’, his Phonox residency, and more…
Let’s start with your 4 Fridays at Phonox residency – how has it been so far playing at one of London’s most iconic venues?
Ah it’s been unreal. Have always held Phonox in high regard. Great system, space and lovely staff! The first couple weeks of the residency have been very enjoyable.
Each of your Phonox events has some incredible support – what was your process for selecting fellow artists to craft the vibe of each event?
Wanted to include a mixture of people. Some that I’ve looked up to for ages, as well as some fresh new talent that I want people to tap into. In terms of sounds, I wanted to allow each night to showcase a different pocket of the scene. Theres just too much good music out there.
How do the three tracks in your EP ‘Backrooms’ mesh together as a project? Or do you consider them more standalone pieces?
So for the EP, I wanted to to go down more of a clubbier route with the tracks ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Under Control’. Felt that it was a good chance to go down that route after putting out ‘Wouldn’t Believe’ which I felt was less clubby. The third and final track ‘Don’t Stop’ came about a while back with my mate Felix (Felixcw) and just thought it was a good contender to complete the project.
The EP’s title, ‘Backrooms’, hints towards your clean, gritty, signature sound – what inspires you to create tracks with this particular identity?
I guess it’s just come from spending a lot of time in clubs growing up. Was always massively into the minimal side of Drum & Bass, and I feel like this has influenced my sound quite a lot. Hearing those tunes on a good system really pushed me to experiment with those dark and gritty sounds.
Did you come across any unexpected challenges whilst crafting the three tracks for ‘Backrooms’?
Not particularly, most of the process of writing these tracks was pretty smooth. I guess sometimes when writing with other people you can hit hurdles, as you both have contrasting ideas. Saying that though, me and Felix were very much on the same page with ‘Don’t Stop’.
How has the history and roots of UKG, sound system culture and pirate radio influenced your sound?
I’ve always taken huge inspiration from the raw energy of pirate radio and that whole era of dance music from the late ‘90s to the early 2000s. Pirate radio played such a massive role in pushing genres that still influence us today, and I think it’s important to remember and pay homage.
I came to know you through your 2021 track ‘Limit’ – how would you say your sound has grown since then?
I feel like I’ve definitely tried to be more experimental since then. I really wanna make sure I don’t get stuck making the same things. I really wanna keep the sound moving and evolving.
Boiler Room, Outlook, WHP residency, Glastonbury – you’re on top of the game right now. What’s the next step for you?
I guess my main focus at the moment is doing the finishing touches to my album. Can’t wait to put that out as I’ve been sitting on the tracks for a good 2 years at least.
Can you name an artist you think should be on everyone’s radar right now?
Josi Devil, Lutsu, Millicent, Fold, Coido to name a bunch hahah – Theres obviously so many incredible artists out there so hard to pin down. But these 5 are definitely making some really interesting forward-thinking dance music.