Since opening its doors to the public for the first time in 2007, Woei has left its mark on the international sneaker and streetwear community with several collaborations including Asics, Patta, and Stüssy along the way.
But the interests and passions of the Woei crew reach far beyond just shoes and apparel. Besides providing the streets with the latest from Nike, Adidas, and Co., music has always been at the heart of the store. Considering the highly curated playlists and mixes that can be heard in the store and hosting some of Rotterdam's most notorious parties, the belief that music unites is deeply ingrained in the Woei DNA.
Based on this deep connection, we want to shine a spotlight on some of our favorite local musicians to talk about what sparked their passion for music and hear their take on common dilemmas in the music industry.
For WOEI FM episode #31, we met with Franky Sticks to look into his life combining music with art, long history of collecting records, and his evolving interest in music genres.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Franky Sticks, 32 years young and I’m a visual artist and DJ from Rotterdam. I give DJ classes at Hip Hop Huis Rotterdam and play with The Re:Freshed Orchestra.
How did you come up with your Dj name?
My state name is Frank Stok, but people have always been calling me Sticks, Sticky, Franky or whatever… So my friends & family basically blessed me with this name.
What do you spin, genre-wise?
Lots of different kinds. Grew up with underground Hip-Hop & Jungle/Dub. Then, when I moved to Rotterdam my music taste started to shift a little. I got in touch with club culture, met many different musicians and DJs who then introduced me to Disco, House, Rnb, Dancehall you know all the classic stuff …. It’s been a real journey.
I started to play in a band and they introduced me to all the samples & originals, I also played for breakers at Hip-Hop Huis at one point and only played funk at one point… I’ve pretty much ticked all the boxes.
Currently, I’m back to sounds that are more Electronic, Jungle, Breakbeat, Footwork, UKG, Jersey Club & Ghettohouse. Extremely eclectic, and a lot of energy!
How long have you been spinning?
I started collecting music when I was around 12 years old. I was always inspired by Dj Premier, Optimus, J-Rocc & Dj Spinna so I bought my first turntable at the age of 18 to learn the art of Turntablism/scratching, about 4 years later I started to play in clubs.
What does a typical Franky Sticks day look like?
My days look very different, as I’m not only busy with DJing but with my art as well. One week I’m locked in my studio, the other I’m abroad. I like the variation.
When did you realize that music was going to have a big impact on your life?
At a very young age. I wouldn’t say that my family was very musical growing up, but I mostly grew up watching music video’s on MTV, TMF, and The Box in primary school. After school, I’d go home immediately and rip the audio and burn it on mini-discs. I spent most of my teenage years collecting music and doing graffiti.
How did you come into contact with graffiti?
I simply tried it out. Somebody had printed out blueprints of subway trains and we painted our pieces on those, which looked horrible… But practice makes perfect, so they say. Art and music always stuck with me — turning on tunes and painting has been my thing since then and it’s never left.
"DJs like Optimus, J-Rocc, Spinna, and especially Premier got me into deejaying."
What does Rotterdam, as a city, mean to you?
Feels like home, I think it’s very nice that it’s a small city, not a lot of distractions. The food’s amazing, the people are great. When I was younger I visited a lot with my family, mainly the Lijnbaan, which was full of graffiti at the time. And you can’t forget Lijfstijl & Urban Unit where I got my sneakers from at the time.
What was your first performance?
I just turned 18 and owned like 5 vinyls, I managed to score a gig at The Underground, a small Hip-Hop café in Middelburg. So I made a list of all my favorite tunes, saved up, and bought all my vinyl and a second turntable online. The order got delayed for weeks and was finally delivered 2 hours before the event. It was a very stressful night haha.
My first proper gig in Rotterdam was at Bird, which was a night hosting artists such as Theo Parrish, Lefto, and Ge-Ology.
Shoutout Guido for the opportunity!
Vinyl or Digital?
Preferably both, but lately I like spinning digitally more at club nights.
Festivals or Clubnights?
100% Club Nights.
Has something crazy happened at a gig once?
In 2016 I played a show with my band, The Re:Freshed Orchestra, featuring Ghostface Killah & Killah Priest from Wu-Tang. Ended up playing 3 hours on stage without a rehearsal, that was pretty crazy.
Where do you find inspiration for gigs, and how do you prepare for them?
I listen to a lot of mixtapes and online radio; think of Rinse, NTS, Operator, Radio Radio, and The Lot Radio, to name a few. I also find a lot of cool DJs simply through Instagram, it’s a great thing to see!
To prepare for gigs I practice a lot. I like to create these ‘blocks’ of about 4/5 songs that I throw together and create playlists with. Then I just go back and forth between blocks and certain rhythms.
Are there currently any DJs you look up to?
Deejays like Miles Medina, Jameszoo, and Lefto always remind me that I can play whatever I want.
Do you have any clubs you’d still like to spin at?
Not a specific club, but I would love to play in the States.
Do you have a tune you’d like to share with the readers?
Future Retro - Pugilist
Anything from your planning you’d like to share?
You can find me at WORM on July 29th with Soft Break & Benkult and at Blijdorp Festival on August 12.
Any last words?
What are you still doing here? Go check that Woei FM #31
:)
