Lotek

Having first been introduced to the world of music through the usual sibling recommendations, it was not long before Lotek gravitated towards hip hop, thanks in part to his brother’s copy of Run DMC’s Tougher Than Leather. At the age of 16, he took on the role of Tape Op (a glorified teaboy, in his own words), at Rollover Studios in West London before rising through the ranks to become an engineer. This led to him working with some big names, including Seal and Leftfield. After Rollover, Lotek managed a studio for Sound of Money Records, an independent label which, at the time, was home to artists such as Roots Manuva, Blak Twang and Fallacy. It was the former of these artists who would lead Lotek to his first notable production credits, thanks to his work on Roots Manuva’s much acclaimed debut, Brand New Second Hand. His relationship with Manuva would continue, as Lotek added his own shine to four more albums from the pioneering UK artist. Further notable credits followed, with Lotek producing and co-writing for Speech Debelle’s award-winning album, Speech Therapy. He has also worked with Diplo, Hilltop Hoods, and of course his own multi-genre group, Lotek Hi-Fi. His 2011 solo album, International Rudeboy, was further testament to his all-round studio prowess, with Lotek handling full writing, production and recording duties. It was also a good insight into his all-encompassing style, which he describes as “Hip Hop made by a reggae fan, or reggae made by a hip hop fan.”