Now I know I've been quoted as saying it many times before but I am sticking to my guns that the dance scene definitely needs more rock'n'roll characters - I'm talking DJs and Producers who aren't afraid to rock a crowd then get stuck right in and join in the party! One such man who I've been lucky enough to share many an adventure with is Rob Stanley, sometimes also known as RobXXX - I caught up with him ahead of his WiLDCHiLD debut to find out a little bit more about his varied and certainly lively background in the industry!!

Rob – Firstly can you explain a bit about this whole Robxxx thing – were you once a pornstar?
No not at all, and I’ve never waved my bits to try and get a gig, honest! A few years ago I was on and around the Vauxhall afterparty scene, and at the same time working for The Times as my day job, working with some of the UK’s top solicitors. I was a little concerned about using my real name, in case it ever cropped up on a flyer or in a magazine. I also used to sign my texts to my other half rob (x x x) – i.e. kiss kiss kiss… One day I walked into Twist, and was greeted with “oh look its rob triple x”… The name stuck, how many Rob’s do you know compared with robxxx’s? (I now use my real name, its not that scary!)

Rob - you've been on the scene for a good few years now, playing numerous events across the UK and the capital. Tell the lovely people of DSI about just some of the highlights of your career so far......
In fact events across the World… I’ve played so many special parties its hard to pick a few out as being special. The first time I played on a major sound system at Club Nato was pretty amazing, at that time it was the biggest club system in Europe, and I was amazed at how much noise I was responsible for. However the time I knew I could do it was when we were packing out Brodie’s Canary Wharf three nights a week. We became such a “cool” bar that Ted Baker, HMV, and all the local beauty salons were falling over themselves to sponsor us. It was so packed you couldn’t get to the DJ stand, so did a “text your shout out to the DJ”… It worked so well people would text me from Ibiza asking me to give them a shout in Amnesia!

You've been involved in the industry in a number of capacities - DJ, Bar Manager, Promoter, owner of a sound hire company. Would you say there's an advantage to having experienced every side of the coin?
I could go into boring bits about the benefits of “horizontal integration”, but having experienced lots of different angles, it means you can understand a little where other people (venue owners, promoters, etc) are coming from. When I was running Brodie’s it also meant getting kit was no problem, I had a wicked venue on Canary Wharf that we could use on a Saturday night, and could fit it out with awesome lights and sound for next to nothing.

Naturally you must be delighted to be making your WiLDCHiLD debut - just how did it come about?
I’d always wanted a club logo as a tattoo – it had to be one from a night I loved, without it being obviously a club logo (see above!), so I plumped for a WiLDCHiLD cherub. It caught Little Gem’s attention, and the next thing I knew there was an afterparty back at mine, and I started promoting for Reece & Gem. Finally after much badgering and loads of CDs across the spectrum of music that I play Reece put me on the lineup.

What can we expect from you on the night? Give us a bit of an insight into a Rob Stanley set. I like to play music that makes people dance, so expect some big repetitive basslines, with a high hat, a melody, maybe even some vocals in there too, and lots of hands in the air stomping action. I’ve been chatting to Reds (the guy I’m back to back with at the main party) – and depending on when we’re on we’ll adjust our set accordingly… Let’s face it we’re gonna ‘av it! As for our back to back at the official WiLDCHiLD afterparty at Deep Blue, “Hostile” is not even going to begin to describe it! Raaaaa

Rob, you're well known for being a proper clubland mischief maker like my bad self - any particularly good examples of prize rapscallionism you can tell us about without fear of the law?!?!
I don’t know to what you refer! I’m a good quaker boy, go to the meeting house every Sunday, and its only when you’re around that the alcohol consumption goes into the next century and the blue lights start flashing! When we play our back to back you’d better not get me arrested again!

You've started making a splash into production now - your "Fukdabass" bootleg of Tom Neville vs DK8 has been doing the rounds and causing a real stir, so what's next for you tunes wise?Fukdabass is actually the second bootleg I gave a Rob Rub the first being the elusive “Don’t you want my pumpin” – (which will get an airing at the WiLDCHiLD afterparty!) Much as I’d like to keep on banging out cheeky bootlegs, I recently discovered a stash of old tunes that would sound awesome with a lighltly soiled electro-touch up. And without giving too much away think early rave days, back before house was funky, deep, hard, etc…

Big thanks to Rob for this interview - be sure to catch his set in the FunkDeluxe arena at WiLDCHiLD's 4th Birthday Shenanigans at the awesome SEOne on Saturday the 28th of October, and then our Hard Dance B2B at AfterWiLD in the complex's Deep Blue Arches!! More info: www.WiLDCHiLD.tv