Skoden: I've always been into the harder styles of electronic music

We spoke with Skoden about his new EP ‘Louder’, released on Sara Landry’s HEKATE Records, his new label BDYRT, his music style, social media, and his upcoming shows.

It was 2014 when everything changed for Birmingham based DJ, Ryan Robinson aka Skoden. After being introduced to the sound and culture that would later heavily define his career as an artist, the young Robinson poured everything into perfecting his craft and subsequently quickly gained momentum in the UK techno scene.

Skoden launched his own label BDYRT earlier this year, as an outlet for his specific brand of unrestrained hard/industrial techno. With other released on some key techno labels including Go Hard or Go Hardcore, Sacred Court, Cause Records, Broken Strain, Green Fetish Records, NowNow, and HEKATE.

On 23rd May, Skoden released his ‘Louder’ EP via Sarah Landy’s HEKATE Records marking his second release on the label and the follow up to his 2023 EP ‘Break It Down’. “I’m so excited to be back on Hekate for my second EP. These tracks have been a staple in my sets for the last 16 months. They have been my most requested ID’s since early last year and I’m buzzing I can finally share them with everyone and there’s not better home for them than HEKATE” – Skoden

Read about Skoden’s new EP ‘Louder’, his new label BDYRT, his music style, social media, and his upcoming shows.

Hey Ryan, a big return to HEKATE with your upcoming EP ‘Louder’ this month. What is it about HEKATE that you resonate with as a label?

Back in 2023 I released my ‘Arrive together’ EP which got to number 1. This was my first ever number 1 so HEKATE will always have a special place in my heart.

Your sound has always been hard techno, was this a conscious decision to pursue this sound, or has it always been something you have been into?

I’ve always been into the harder style of electronic music, even pre covid when things were a lot slower I was always into the more industrial / harder sounds of that. I really enjoy the sound design that comes with hard industrial techno, making something out of nothing. At the moment I am enjoying experimenting with different sub genres but still very much on the hard side. I like to include a mix of hard techno, rave, industrial and hardcore into my sets. I think this creates a unique listening experience for the ravers.

You gained momentum in your career fast, can you let us into the success of how you achieved this? Is there a magic formula?

I think the key to standing out is making your own music and a lot of it. When I first started out I was sending out promo playlists every couple of months with 6-8 tracks in. I made it hard for DJ’s to ignore me. It’s important to promote yourself as much as you can with whatever content you have, whether it’s DJ’s playing your music, studio clips or clips of you at your gigs, you just need to be active on social media, it’s so easy these days to get your content in-front of 1000’s of people so utilise this as much as you can.

What job did you have before becoming a full time DJ?

I used to work in recruitment, it was ok at first as I wasn’t getting too many gigs so the odd show on a Saturday didn’t really affect me. When I started gaining momentum and playing out more often, I had to use my annual leave to book Fridays or Mondays off and eventually it got too much so I decided to take the leap and move to DJing full time, I haven’t looked back since.

Do you think social media makes it easier or harder now to become a DJ and grow your presence?

Absolutely easier, like I said before it’s so easy to get your music / content out to 1000’s of people. You can network with DJ’s and promoters from the other side of the world at your fingertips. The tools are there to use so make the most of them. It’s a saturated scene but the cake is big enough for everyone to have a slice if you work hard and put the effort in.

One guilty pleasure track that we would never expect you to like?

Whetus – Teenage Dirtbag

Let’s talk about your label BDYRT – what does that stand for?

So BDYRT is just “Body Art” without the vowels. I’m huge into my tattoos and pretty covered. I wanted to have a personal touch relating to me when it came to naming the label. I think it works well!

Can you tell us about a standout play / moment so far for 2025?

I’d probably have to say a standout show for me so far in 2025 would be for Second Speed at Leeds Warehouse. It was quite a local show, but I’d never played at that venue before. The crowd, energy, atmosphere and vibe were just on point that night. All the DJ’s played amazing sets, it was full from open to close. If I could run it back, I would!

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You’ve got some big shows coming up this year, including three dates at the Verknipt Croatia Holiday Festival in June and July. What are your expectations?

I’ve never played in Croatia before so I’m really excited to get over there and play, especially for such a big brand like Verknipt. I’m even more excited as this is my first summer festival outside of the UK! Verknipt Croatia looked amazing last year from what I saw online and everyone was having an amazing time. I’ve spoken to a few DJ’s who was there and they said it was unreal so I’m expecting the same this year, with high energy, good vibes and lots of sun!