Opening for Keys N Krates on their Midnite Mass tour, Stööki Sound performs for the first time in St. Louis (their first time ever to touch St. Louis soil!)
The UK-based duo of Jelacee and DJ Lukey has developed a sound that infuses hip-hop, grime and EDM. In the past year they’ve toured worldwide, touring with Dillon Francis in the UK and selling out 100 percent of their shows in Australia. Stööki is a lifestyle brand combing the elements of sound, vision and play. Stööki Sound, the music branch of the brand, has found increasing success by staying true to their love of UK grime. Check out this interview with one half of the DJ duo.
Photo by Jennica Abrams
How did you guys [Jelacee and DJ Lukey] meet?
Jelacee: We met in 2012 through one of my cousins at her birthday party. We got on together, we met again in April and started making music in September.
How did your style and sound evolve?
I came from a dubstep background—I did rap music. Luke was already one of the DJs in the circuit in London for the underground rap scene, like old school trap music. We stumbled on the sound and we realized there was a whole scene for it in the states. We don’t classify as trap artists; we’re more like trap-esque.
What do you mean by Stööki being a “movement”?
Eventually we want Stööki to be a lifestyle branding where we have sound, vision and play. Sound is one that took off really quickly. We’ve been in the music scene three years—we’re still babies in the scene. We’re trying to make it an experience so you come out and it’s more like going to see an act as opposed to just a DJ. At the start there was fashion, jewelry and clothes; [we'll] incorporate that stuff later on.
What is the most memorable place you’ve performed?
New Year’s this year in San Diego, that was about 4,000 people.
Your style is growing in popularity faster than anything else right now. Is it hard to keep up with mainstream music?
Yeah, especially with SoundCloud, there’s always someone new and someone who comes in and changes the whole game. One thing that I’ve started realizing, as I’ve grown up more, if you want to be around for a while, you have to do you. Keep up with the trends to a certain degree but not live them.
How is the tour with Keys N Krates going so far?
It’s been really good; this is our first time on a tour bus. It just changes the game. People have been really enjoying our opening set, saying ‘you guys are amazing, where can I find your stuff?’ [Keys N Krates] are some of the greatest guys I’ve ever met. I will miss this tour when it’s over. It’s been a great life experience.
What is Stööki Sound’s message?
Never doubt yourself and just always try to be you, no matter what happens around you
What can we look forward to in the future with Stööki Sound?
We’re working on a new EP at the moment and we’re taking our time with it because we would rather put something out that’s quality, that people can enjoy, rather than just making a bunch of [stuff] that we think will get a million plays. Now we’re in kind of a creative space where we are comfortable with ourselves and our music and we want to grow.