Rocco Universal ‘Kerobokan EP’

Analogue funk aged to imperfection

It took me a while to finish this one. I tend to go around in circles when producing regardless of the conditions, but during the making of this EP, I had a demanding job, started a family, moved continents, and barely had a studio set up for much of the time.

Eventually, I hired a damp little shed from my friend Simon, not far from Seminyak in Bali. There, I set up my synths and did my best to block out the street noise pouring through the chipboard walls. It’s a rough-and-ready collection, certainly not perfectly produced. But where that lack of precision may have bugged me in the past, I think the explosion of AI, among other one-click production tools, has actually encouraged me to lean into the flaws. All the synths are analogue, all the vocals were recorded pretty raw, and the mastering was done via Studer tape for an extra layer of grit.

Stylistically, it’s quite varied — bit of cosmic disco, bit of electro-funk, and a curveball dose of psychedelic chug for the title track. I want to thank Scott Hess and Joey F for playing guitar on a couple of the cuts, and a big hug to Denny Novikar Nasution for the amazing artwork. He had the studio space next to my temporary shed, and I loved getting to know him while I was there.

The limited pressing of 100 records is out in late September. I hope some of you dig it.

Rocco Universal