William Kouam Djoko - Hard Loving [Thirtyonetwenty003, 2008]

William Djoko’s entire persuasion emits pure charisma. While his DJ Sets are drenched in both groove-laden house and rugged, motor-city techno (sprinkled with his famed frisky footwork of course) his productions don the same eclectic charm: flirting between playful, cut for the club and trippy, mischievous percussions. It’s a unique approach to his artistry that is by far the pinnacle of his success thus far. Labels like Rush Hour, Voyage Direct and Tuskegee have all had their own sonic slice, with NYC based label Strictly Rhythm releasing the ever tantalising ‘OMG’ and Desolat donning ‘Out of Reach’, William’s collab with label boss and good friend Loco Dice – the record was released on Dice’s LP ‘Love Letters’ earlier this year. The futuristic sound can also be heard on William’s latest release ‘Whiplash’, a funk-inflected dance weapon that debuts as the very first record on William’s brand new imprint DJOKO Records.