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.
For edition #43 of WOEI FM, we’ve invited KOBORO, our friend from the UK!
Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Leeven AKA Koboro. I’m a UK based DJ & curator/co-founder of Elicit Records.
Can you explain the origin of your DJ name and the story behind it?
Koboro is a traditional drum from my country, Eritrea. Almost all the music from my country uses this drum as the base, so it holds a lot of cultural significance to me.
When did you first come in contact with producing and DJing in general?
I started DJing around 8/9 years ago, but I started messing around with production a few years before that, fiddling around a lot with FL Studio, making Grime primarily. I’ve always been into all kinds of music; a lot of trance (the good kind, not the tacky shit you hear played a lot nowadays lol), and of course I grew up listening to a lot of Dubstep, D&B etc. Later on this evolved more into techno and house stuff and then eventually into the sound you hear today.
When did you realize that music would have such a big impact on your life?
Well, music has always been a huge part of my life, but I feel like it’s only been quite recently that I’ve gained a clear vision and realization of exactly what it is I wanted to gain from it.
Besides DJing, what’s your day-to-day life like?
Food is also another huge part of my life and I started a vlog last year, which is growing steadily and has served as another creative outlet for me.
Obviously, you're not from Rotterdam. Can you tell us a bit about where you're from, and what the city’s like?
I’m London born but also spent a lot of my childhood in my home country of Eritrea.I think the UK as a whole is the Mecca when it comes to music. When you consider all the music that was pioneered there, there's really nowhere else like it and it’s a privilege to have had the opportunity to grow up there.
When did the label start for you and Kessler?
2022 was when we first started working on it, but we didn’t release anything until a year after that.
When it comes to style– Naturally, you wouldn’t want to put yourself and the Elicit Records label in a certain box. But producing style-wise, what are your influences, or where do you draw your ideas from?
Very much multi-genre, In the realm of IDM, UK bass, Jungle, techno, Electro and everything UK. Generally speaking I'd say our music is all pretty forward-thinking and we encourage experimentation, I think that’s what the future of club music is supposed to sound like. It should always be innovative and thinking ahead.
Can you tell me something about your first live gig and how did you prepare for it?
2015 I think, I didn’t even prepare for it tbh. I just had some old CDJ 350s and would mix on those almost every day. Didn’t really know what the hell I was doing back then lmao, i’d argue I still don’t.
What is one of your most highlighted moments from the past years?
Probably most recently at ADE. I’ve always wanted to visit the festival and said I would for years, but to be able to finally experience it and also play twice across the week was incredible. I’m not usually a fan of Amsterdam and always preferred the vibe in Rotterdam, but there's no denying the buzz that you get in Amsterdam during ADE is amazing.
I also finally made it down to Houghton festival this year, I didn’t play there but going as a punter was such a sick experience! Of course Dutch festivals are great too, primarily due to how well organised they are, but In the UK there's a certain vibe that is very hard for anyone else to replicate.
Vinyl or Digital?
I mean if you put a gun to my head I'm gonna have to say digital, due to the sheer convenience of being able to carry everything in my pocket. But undeniably there’s something about the physicality of vinyl that will always make it a more enjoyable experience for me, but the convenience of it isn't the same obviously.
Club nights or Festivals?
Festivals for sure, the way you get immersed in the whole festival experience is something that's very hard to replicate in a club environment.
Is there a certain club/venue you’d still like to perform at?
Fabric and the relatively new one in Germany called Open Ground. Heard the sound is Insane over there!
What are some of your favourite recent releases from the label?
its quite hard to choose, but heres a few:
Is there something on the agenda you’re willing to share with us?
There’s another V/A coming In the new year as well as two EPs, that’s about all I can reveal haha, we got a lot in the pipeline for 2025!
What can we expect from your Operator set?
Big UK vibes for the most part but as usual a bit of this and a bit of that, with a bit of forthcoming Elicit Records material in the mix.
Check out the live set Leeven did for us over at Operator Radio!
Can't get enough of WOEI FM? Check out WOEI FM #42 with Off Beat Records!
