Q&A: Night Slugs boss Bok Bok talks America

Alex Sushon, also known as Bok Bok, co-founded U.K. electronic music label Night Slugs in 2010 alongside fellow U.K artist L-Vis 1990. The label is known for razor-sharp production and distinctive soundscapes. Night Slugs has released material from Jam City, LA-native Kelela and Sushon himself. The Los Angeles Times sat down with Bok Bok to discuss immigration stories, Korn and upcoming releases from the label.

‘This interview has been edited for clarity and flow.

So you’re considered a London-based artist, did you grow up there?

I’m not really from there, I’m from the Ukraine. But I’ve spent the last 15 years in Camberwell. I moved in ‘91, my mum is Russia and my dad is Ukrainian.

Does that inform anything you do in your music?

I wouldn’t say it does inform it, but I wouldn’t say it doesn’t inform it, if that make sense. I’m more of a Londoner, we got naturalized a long time ago. I don’t feel really British, or whatever that means. I don’t feel Ukrainian either, because I haven’t spent a lot of time there. But I do feel like a Londoner, you don’t need to be any nationality to be part of that. That’s what cool about it.

What did you listen to growing up in South London?

I was adjacent to garage the whole time, there was So Solid Crew members attending my school. Everyone was listening to pirate radio and making tapes but I didn’t take part in it. And I really regret that now. I wasn’t really passionate about it, right up until I was finishing school and it dawned on me — “Oh my God, this is amazing, I could be part of this incredible culture.”

Which artists specifically?

Honestly, when So Solid Crew came out, it was so important, a new voice entirely. But before that I didn’t really listen to anything. I listened to Korn and Deftones. I really liked that band Korn, they were good. By the time I starting clocking onto garage it was almost too late, but not quite too late.

Your music doesn’t sound like conventional U.K. dance music though, do you think you’ve absorbed American culture?

Fully. I always say to my friends here, we understand their culture intrinsically. There’s this translation gap, even when we speak the same language. They don’t really get us, it’s one way. We’ve had them exported to us for years.

When I first came to England, I spoke with an American accent. People would correct me like, “What’s wrong with you?” It was weird and I quickly unlearned it, but looking back it tells you everything you need to know, I was learning about the West through American filters.

How long have you been coming out to the States?

A while. About nine years ago I came with L-Vis 1990, he had a release on Mad Decent, and that gave him an ‘in’ into the U.S. I had barely anything out, a couple of white labels maybe, but no one knew me. In a way I piggybacked on L-Vis 1990’s tour, since he had a release to promote out here. Whereas all that I had was ephemeral on the internet.

Is that why you started your own label?

I feel that there was a need for Night Slugs at the time, I had just met Girl Unit and Jam City, a longtime friend of mine, had just started making music. All these guys had just started making music but they had this crazy, raw talent. It just needed to be facilitated, and I don’t think everything would have happened the same way if everyone was releasing music in different places. I’m all about collectivism, I love the idea of everyone pushing in the same direction.

What is Night Slugs getting up to nowadays?

We’re getting the label back into club mode. I’m working on the third compilation in our series. We’ve scattered a little bit, times change, people move on. It’s quite inevitable that our circumstances have shifted a little bit. But it hasn’t been like this since 2010 or 2011, that I’ve felt this much energy from a project, so I’m really excited about this year and the start of next. There’s a whole swath of releases ready to go.

How’s the current U.S. tour going?

I love coming over, this is my first time this year in the U.S. but if I haven’t been over for a while, I start getting a bit antsy. It’s been good, New York was really fun, we played at Output — it seems to be one of the better clubs in town, definitely one of the better sound systems in town. The staff are nicer there now.

And how’s LA?

I’m always based out here, this is my home in the States. I’ve got my Fade To Mind family out here. LA is really transformed by who you hang out with, I can imagine it could be a miserable place. But for me, all my family is out here.

I’m also out here to write and produce. I feel like LA’s really good for that, there’s many people that are looking to make things happen, very open-minded. I love meeting people who song-write, there’s just a different attitude to it here, a certain openness that you don’t get with other places. There’s a real tradition of producing and making music in LA.

You mentioned Fade To Mind, your American sister label. How did the two labels link up?

Kingdom told me he wanted to start a label and he asked me to make a logo. But I could only make my own. I used to do design work, but now I can’t do work for clients, I can only do shit for me. I’ve destroyed that part of my brain that’s able to bend to other’s needs.

And you’re also a huge fan of Teklife?

I met DJ Spinn’s mum! When I play Chicago I usually get stuck in downtown and Teklife members will grab dinner with us and come out to the show. But recently, I got to go to DJ Spinn’s area and hang out.

What are your plans for the future?

Not to sound overly ambitious, we’re thinking about songs that can be club tracks, and club tracks that can be songs. The possibilities are endless for radio, we’re hearing the craziest instrumentals. Even look at the beat for “Work” by Rihanna, it’s such a weird beat. The possibilities are so open, I’m certainly trying to work in the realms of vocal stuff, that’s kind of why I’m here. But I don’t like to talk, I just like to see.