Contirbutor
Rising out of small-town beginnings and fueled by a deep love for music born from personal challenges, BobDk has carved out a unique space in the Afro House scene. With his debut track Zora breaking into the Beatport Top 100, he’s proving that energy, vision, and persistence can translate from the DJ booth to global recognition. In this interview, he opens up about the inspirations behind his sound, the journey that led to Zora, and where he sees Afro House heading next.
MI4L – What inspired you to start producing music?
BobDk – What made me start making music was a health issue I had at a very young age. Because I couldn’t do many physical activities, I started listening to music, and day by day it became something I truly loved — something that eventually became my other half. The more I played in clubs, the more I realized I wanted to bring my own musical ideas into what I was doing, so I decided to start producing to share my ideas with the world.
MI4L – How did your early environment influence your journey into music?
BobDk – My first steps in Kato Achaia were challenging because it’s a town where people mainly listen to Greek music. From the very beginning, I tried to introduce a different style — house music — with my own touch, to bring something fresh to the audience. This helped me a lot when I later played in Chania, where the audience has a similar taste. Thankfully, in recent years there have been great efforts with international artists, and things have started to change, allowing us to play music we couldn’t before.
MI4L – Which artists or sounds shaped your taste and inspired your productions?
BobDk – It all began with artists like Schiller and Enigma — not necessarily house sounds, but I was fascinated by how many different elements could blend together in one piece. Later, during the EDM era, I was influenced by names like Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Nervo, and David Guetta — because they managed to bring emotion and meaning into a genre that was considered ‘harder,’ and their tracks are still heard today. More recently, I’ve been inspired by Aaron Sevilla, Dim Tayllor, Marasi, and RBØR — influences that led to the creation of Zora.
MI4L – What inspired you to create Zora, and what does the title mean to you?
BobDk – For a while, I felt like I wanted to create a track that was missing from the playlists of DJs who wanted to really get the crowd moving — something that combined Afro House with Balkan elements. The DJs mentioned above inspired me a lot, along with tracks from Bang La Decks. That’s why I decided to name the track Zora, which means ‘dawn’ — the moment when darkness breaks and the first light appears. I believe we all need that light to wake us up, and I wanted this track to carry exactly that energy.
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MI4L – What was the process like bringing Zora to life in the studio?
BobDk – Before the track was released, I was already testing it during my sets and seeing the crowd’s reactions. This gave me even more confidence that the track would do well. When Zora entered the Top 100, I felt relieved that what I had seen on the dancefloor now had a global impact. Of course, my label played a big role in this, and all of it motivates me to create even more music.
MI4L – How did you feel when Zora entered the Beatport Top 100 Afro House chart?
BobDk – When it entered the Top 100, I felt a sense of relief and validation — like what I saw in my DJ sets was now confirmed globally. It was also proof that my label’s efforts helped make this happen, which gave me even more motivation to create more.
MI4L – How did you connect with your label, and what made you decide to sign with them?
BobDk – I had been searching for a quality label with a strong foundation for a long time. I focused purely on quality and noticed they were behind tracks that had huge reach and were already part of my music library. I sent my demo and got a response almost immediately, which impressed me, and just a few days later, I received the contract. When the track was released, I could see they truly believed in it, and they definitely played a huge part in getting it to where it is today — and I’m happy about that.
MI4L – How do you usually approach creating a track — is it about the dancefloor, a feeling, or something else?
BobDk – I’ve been DJing for 18 years, so I naturally think about the dancefloor first. When I create a new track, mashup, or remix, I imagine how it will work for the crowd. The rest comes naturally, thanks to all the experience I’ve gathered over the years performing in clubs and staying connected with the audience.
MI4L – Many DJs/producers today balance studio work with live shows — how do your DJ sets influence your productions, and vice versa?
BobDk – Zora is my first official release, so most of my experience comes from this track. Playing it in my DJ sets and seeing the positive reactions gave me the confidence to move forward with it. DJing was the main reason the track took this direction — I wanted to create something I felt was missing from my music library at that moment. DJ sets bring you closer to the crowd and give you an instinct for what can truly energize them. On the other hand, the production process helps you better understand the music you play, the energy of each track, and improve your flow as a DJ.
MI4L – You’ve played in Greece, Cyprus, Sweden and at major clubs in Chania — is there a particular gig or festival that stands out as a milestone in your career?
BobDk – One of the biggest milestones for me was playing at Guaba Beach Bar in Cyprus — at the time it was ranked #12 in the world by DJ Mag. I had the chance to do the opening set for Juicy M and Fedde Le Grand, which was an amazing experience. Another highlight was sharing the decks with the legendary Kiko Navarro. Over the years, I’ve also collaborated with some of the biggest names in the Greek pop scene, which helped me grow even more as an artist.
MI4L – Mixbooth Sessions and Mixbooth Festival are unique projects you created — what was your vision behind them and how have they shaped your career?
BobDk – The Mixbooth project — both the Sessions and the Festival — was created to connect DJs from different clubs and bars, with the goal of uniting both new and experienced DJs and sharing their musical experiences with the audience in a fresh way. Each year, we include new and unique locations: sometimes in archaeological sites, sometimes in snowy mountains, warehouses, or even the courtyard of a house — always aiming to create a new sense of entertainment. The long-term vision is for Mixbooth to grow, mature, and eventually host internationally recognized artists both from Greece and abroad.
MI4L – With Zora making waves, what can fans expect from you next — do you have any upcoming releases or collaborations planned?
BobDk – I’m already working on some new projects that are very much in the Afro House direction, as well as a series of DJ session sets. There are also some early conversations about collaborations, but it’s still too soon to announce anything. Right now, my focus is completely on Zora and making sure it reaches as many people as possible.
MI4L – Are there any artists or labels you’d love to collaborate with in the future?
BobDk – In terms of labels, I’d love to work with Defected, MoBlack Records, and Spinnin’ in the future — they’re all companies I really admire. As for artists, I’d definitely be interested in collaborating with Marasi, Aaron Sevilla, Kiko Navarro, and RBØR, as they’ve all been a big influence on me.
MI4L – Afro House continues to grow globally — where do you see the genre heading, and what role do you hope to play in its evolution?
BobDk – What I really see is that Afro House has brought back sounds and musical elements from the past, giving them a fresh twist through beautiful remixes — but it has also inspired the creation of entirely new sounds. It has given a big boost to producers and DJs around the world and offers such a wide range of Afro-influenced tracks for us to explore. I’d like to continue in the same direction as Zora, whether guided by intuition or by my musical culture, and contribute to the evolution of the genre by bringing my own unique perspective to it.
MI4L – Finally, what message do you hope to share with the world through your music?
BobDk – Energy is what defines me, and that’s exactly what I want my music to deliver. I want to capture the same feeling I create during a DJ set and share it with the world through tracks like Zora. My goal is for every person at my sets to feel that energy and take it with them — to leave inspired, uplifted, and connected.
Buy a copy of Zora here – https://www.beatport.com/track/zora/21013324?srsltid=AfmBOooEakLkPw8MHY4bmwn0ss_Aoz4g9ARd2VAv_f8hW5AFzpKfxViI