Influences: Woody Cook On Five Records That Shaped His Sound
Woody Cook’s approach to DJing has always been difficult to pin to a single genre. From UK garage and dub to Latin rhythms and drum and bass, his sets draw on an eclectic musical upbringing and a fascination with the way different sounds can connect with a crowd.
That openness has carried him from festival appearances at Glastonbury and Snowbombing to sets at Hï Ibiza and Ministry of Sound. It also sits at the heart of ‘Afters’, his latest collaboration with UK garage pioneer Zed Bias, released through Cook’s Truth Tribe label. Born from their back-to-back performances at Glastonbury and the roving Lab 54 whilst in Brighton, the track brings together skippy two-step rhythms, weighty sub-bass and reggae influences, with contributions from Jonny Dutch and Bristol-based vocalist Aloka.
Cook’s relationship with Zed Bias stretches back several years, with the producer becoming both a mentor and a creative collaborator. Their new single builds on that connection, bringing Cook’s broad musical tastes together with the unmistakable garage foundations that have defined Bias’s career.
For this edition of Influences, Woody looks back at five records that have shaped his musical outlook. From the dub experiments that pushed him towards production to the festival records he grew up hearing in his father Fatboy Slim’s sets, his choices reveal the experiences behind his approach to making and playing music.
Gorillaz & Space Monkeyz – Bañana Baby
“Banana Baby is a pretty unknown song from the Gorillaz. A dubplate of ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’, this track shaped the mind of my 18-year-old self. The sub-bass and melodica spoke to me, drawing me through the haze into a land of dub.
This track fired me up inside. I needed to know how on earth I could make music that made people feel the way I was feeling. So I started producing again, determined to spread this sound!”
Bellini – Samba De Janeiro
“Growing up, my dad was a small-town local DJ from Brighton (known as Fatboy Slim). I have seen hundreds of his sets, and throughout, my favourite song was always ‘Samba De Janeiro’. I would request him to play it every set.
His version has two fake-out drops before the final drop. I asked him why the fake-out drops, and he replied, ‘DJing is like sex, if you tease them first, you leave them begging for it!’
The bongos and festival attitude have seeped into much of the music I’ve made and my love for Latin and sambass.”
The Doors – The End
“Jim Morrison is a crazed beatnik shaman who takes his audience on an epic vision quest. I’ve always wanted to tell stories and take people places. Growing up studying film and writing songs, storytelling is always essential to everything I’ve ever done.
First hearing the track in Apocalypse Now, I have always been transfixed by its cryptic nature and its lack of care for BPM and the length of the track. Live versions would sometimes last 25 minutes!
As a DJ, you tell this story. A great DJ could coax you into listening to hours of the same track.”
Badger & Vengaboys – We Like To Party! (The Badger Bus)
“I met Badger when I was around 22. He was relatively unknown, and I watched this song start as a bootleg, gain traction across the country, even seeing it live at Glastonbury to THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
Watching my friend use his formula, strategy and banging beats to catapult his way onto the global stage and 240 million streams was mind-blowing.
I often use his tracks as pacing guides when producing. How fast should the drop come in? Where should the breakdown fall?
Badger wrote an undeniable handbook in how to find your sound and ride it to the stars.”
Calibre & High Contrast – Mr Majestic
“I went to Hospitality in the Sun (Tisno, Croatia) in 2019. I loved drum and bass at the time and was so excited to go. I remember, six days in, one song stood out to me... ‘Mr Majestic’.
How on earth was this song released in 2004? This song predicted where DnB would go years later!
The feeling you get when listening to it reminded me of some great war that never happened, nostalgia for some mysterious time that never existed.
The production is so clean and yet has so much analogue warmth. I want my music to sound like this.”
Woody Cook’s selections reveal how much of his musical identity has developed through experiences outside the studio. From discovering the emotional weight of dub as a teenager to watching his father control festival crowds, each record has contributed something different to his understanding of music.
There are lessons in storytelling, arrangement and production throughout, but also a recurring interest in records that create a lasting emotional response. That combination of musical curiosity and dancefloor instinct comes through in ‘Afters’, where Cook and Zed Bias bring their respective influences together without losing the character of either artist.
