Rob Stow

After checking out the clubs in and around London in the nineties and gaining an appreciation for techno in all of its mutated forms Rob Stow exchanged his guitar for a pair of turntables in 1995. With his fast ‘Millsian mixing style, Rob Stow was playing out at Analogue City, Eurobeat 2000 @ Turnmills, DNA @ The Sheffield Arches as well as United Systems free parties. Rob Stow attained his first residency for monthly techno night: Rampant. At Rampant Rob played alongside the likes of; DJ Rush, Frankie Bones, Daz Sound, Steve Stoll, Terry Mitchell, DJ Misjah and the Liberator DJs, giving him a chance to develop his mixing skills and his understanding of the different flavours of Techno music.

In 1997 Rob Stow conceived of Gravitiation record label in order to explore his own brand of funky minimal techno. Gravitation No.1 and No.2 produced solely by Rob Stow ventured into the funky realms of Techno. In 1999 Rob Stow teamed up with Jerome Hill (manager of Trackheadz in Camden, London) to form Groove Asylum, whose first outing was on Gravitiation No.3, bringing an Electro/Freak Beat influence to the label. On Gravitation No.4 Jafar, another regular at Rampant, now spinning his skills on the House music scene, made his first appearance on the label with jackin’ Gravedigger.

After Gravitation No.4 Rob Stow and the rest of the Gravitation crew released tunes on DAVE the Drummer’s Hydraulix label, Hydro 05, mixed minimal funky beats with the hard warehouse sound that typifies the Hydraulix label. Techno and funky minimal beats. After the success of Hydro 05 Rob Stow was invited back and produced two more EPs, Hydro 07 and 10 producing two more amalgamations of had warehouse techno tinged with deep funky grooves.

Rob Stow has been working with Jerome on his new Don’t imprint, again blending the jackin’ with the freak and a sprinkling of electro. Don’t 001 did the rounds on Radio 1, being spun by John Peel and Judge Jules. Don’t 002 was equally well received on the other side of the atlantic, being spun by Chicago jocks DJ Bam Bam of Contaminated Records, who licensed the record for his latest DJ mix CD. Groove Asylum have been riffing up the clubs in London with their groovy freaked-out, scratched up live sets. Groove Asylum have played Live since 1998 at Shtonka, Trancentral, Journey Inside, The Phuture, Defcon 1, Ugly Funk, Free Energy, and the ‘We Want You’ parties at the Brixton Academy.

Rob Stow continues his House projects with Alex Elliot under the guise of Bobby Strobe and Jafar. In February 2002 they signed tracks to Soulful Solutions a new label from Amato Distribution and won the Lynx white label competition, gaining a release on Plastic Fantastic. Since 2000 Rob Stow has also released material on the Techno labels: Vice, Dark House Music, Uber, Maximum/Minimum. Working on these labels has given Rob the opportunity to develop his now tight studio techniques and funked up style of techno.

Rob Stow is presently resident at Jaxx Discos events in Caceres, Spain and playing on the London club and party circuits as well as regular appearances in Belgrade and Subotica in Yugoslavia.