FOLD Invites Becky Stroke (HTBX) + Interview
How did you fall in love with electronic music?
Growing up in Belgium was pretty boring, but Belgians have a strong appreciation for electronic and forward-thinking music. From the age of 14 I started going out in search of some thrills, and there my lifelong crush on hard dance music began, via le Gabber and Drum & Bass.
How has the techno scene changed since you first became a part of it?
All I can remember pre-2014 is being groped and shoved around on dancefloors at anonymous warehouse parties with a minimal-ish techno soundtrack. It was always a traumatic experience in one way or another. It couldn’t be more in contrast to the events which are now (or were, pre-COVID 19) on every weekend. The music is heavier, the people are much more diverse, and mostly free from the predators, so overall it’s a lot more fun.
Tell us about your party HTBX London.
It started with, and is still dedicated to, a closely tied community of like-minded people, who have a very fussy but voracious taste for techno. The party is an excuse for us to congregate once a month, dance until we drop, (wearing very few clothes) and catch up amongst old friends as well as new connections.
What projects are you focusing on in 2020?
I’m trying not to make plans that could be impeded by the unfolding apocalypse. I plan to finish some tracks I’ve been working on and would love to release ASAP. If this situation doesn’t subside soon, I'll explore some new side hustles.
What is so special about FOLD?
It’s a bada$$ nightclub with incredible sound, visuals, atmosphere, all of my favourite artists have already played there at least once in its short existence, but it’s the exceptional team behind it that makes FOLD irreplicable. I couldn’t have more admiration for what they do, and the way they do it. Their strong values have shaped it into the first club where many people feel comfortable for the first time in for years, if ever. The crowd is enthusiastic but respectful, the line-ups are exquisite and refreshingly inclusive.
What has been your favourite set at FOLD and why?
My favourite sets to play and dance to have almost all been at the glorious UNFOLDs on a Sunday afternoon.
Last November, two topless guys in balaclavas (later identified as Mercury 200) played their Britney Spears remix and the crowd was possessed! One to remember for sure. Last but not least, Voicedrone B2B James Newmarch closing sets always deliver. I miss those.
Once the pandemic is over, what is the track you’re most looking forward to playing at the first party back?
‘Kropp uten Grenser’ (‘Body without Borders’) remixed by DJ Ibon will be played until everyone is sick of it, I snuck it into my mix for today too, around minute 14.