Northern Ireland native Robbie Doherty is making significant strides in the house music scene in his early twenties. Drawing inspiration from 90’s house and disco music, Robbie skillfully blends these influences with a deep house overlay in his productions and DJ sets.
Photo credit: Robbie Doherty
Best known for his silver-certified track ‘Pour The Milk,’ Robbie’s talent and versatile production have made him a key member of Prunk’s PIV crew. His 2021 ‘Moving Rhythms’ EP and a remix for Jamback were notable releases. He also dropped a 3-track EP on Hot Since 82’s Knee Deep In Sound.
Robbie is quickly gaining fame on the DJ circuit with headline slots across the U.K., a following in Holland with performances in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, a set at Tomorrowland in Belgium, and a tour in Australia.
With his music maturing as he nears his mid-twenties, 2024 looks to be an exciting year for this young artist. His latest release, the ‘Work It’ EP on Max Dean’s neXup recz, has received strong support from friends, ravers, and DJs.
EG had the chance to chat with Robbie Doherty to learn more about his latest release, his experiences playing at renowned venues, and his future projects. Join us as we delve deeper into the journey of this rising star in the house music scene.
EG: Hi, Robbie! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. Where are you at right now? How have you been?
Robbie Doherty: Hi folks, the pleasure is mine! I’ve been very well, thanks. I’m at home for a few days resting up before the weekend and making some new music.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your latest EP, ‘Work It’! You must be excited to be able to share this one with everyone. What has the initial reception been like so far? Do you remember the first time you tested these cuts live?
Robbie Doherty: I’m absolutely blown away by how the ‘Work It’ EP has been received! The support from friends, ravers, and some DJs I look up to has been more than I ever could’ve imagined. The first time I played the track was during my extended set earlier this year in Joshua Brooks – MCR and to my disbelief, some of the crowd were already chanting “work it, work it” when I dropped the track for the first time!
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Work It’? Is there a concept or trigger driving this EP?
Robbie Doherty: The initial idea behind ‘Work It’ was to create a standout moment in a club without losing any energy on the dancefloor. The repetitive vocal works really well for this. Together, that and the bouncy bassline were really enough to keep things moving! Similarly to ‘Work It,’ ‘In Your Mind’ was all about creating a dancefloor moment. However, this track for me is a little more quirky, and breaking the melodic parts of the track into a little narrated story was a slightly more unconventional way of doing so.
EG: What was the recording process for ‘Work It’ like? Did you set out with a clear destination in mind? Do you have some sort of “blueprint” you tend to follow to organize yourself better, or does every track require a different approach?
Robbie Doherty: To be honest, ‘Work It’ almost became another unfinished project on my hard drive! I had been working on it one afternoon and began doubting if it was even worth finishing. I put a little clip of the work (it) in progress on my Instagram story and decided to try again on fresh ears the next morning. When I woke up I had a lot of people who had replied really digging the track and a fair few DJs asking if I’d finished the idea! So with the motivation behind me to get it ready for the weekend, I went from an 8-bar long little idea to the finished track that day!
“‘Work It’ almost became another unfinished project on my hard drive!”
EG: You just played b2b at Cova Santa, right? What was that experience like?
Robbie Doherty: Cova Santa has to be one of my favorite places to play. Not only a beautiful venue with a great crowd but also in one of my favorite places on earth, Ibiza! I played b2b with my good mate Jamback and we had a lot of compliments on the performance after which we are both very proud. Back again at Cova Santa a few more times this summer, so keep an eye out and come say hi if you’re on the island!
EG: We also saw you stopped by Bali a few weeks ago. Was this your first time in Indonesia? What is the clubbing culture like there in your eyes?
Robbie Doherty: This was my first time in Indonesia. Bali is a really beautiful island. I spent some time there with my girlfriend before and after my show in Savaya, which is a world-class club and a stunning location for a party. One of my other favorites was a beach club called La Brisa where we went for some drinks and the sunset one evening. The clubbing culture is great. Somewhere to go every night of the week if you want to, and there seems to be a lot of big artists playing in Bali too! However, I decided to go to a little underground club for a smaller event with some mates who knew some local Indonesian DJs playing one night and they were absolutely class!
EG: By the way, how do you feel about these gigantic LED screens that seem to have taken over festivals and big-name acts? Do you think these “immersive” experiences bring us closer or farther away from the music? What’s your take on this?
Robbie Doherty: It’s not something I’ve ever thought about. If anything, I would be more inclined to go to a festival based on the music/lineup and then have a pleasant surprise if I discover the production is really cool! Audio and visual experiences go hand in hand and have been done for a long time so I feel it’s only natural that promoters and DJs will want to find new interesting ways of engaging their audiences. There’s always been new exciting developments in the production at events and unless this affects how an artist plays then I don’t see it as a problem! Ps. Those LED screens get really hot haha!
EG: And how do you feel about the recent implementation of AI in the creative side of music? Have you explored any form of AI recently on ‘Work It’ or recent recordings? What’s your relationship with that like?
Robbie Doherty: AI can be useful if you don’t rely on it too much. There is some AI in the B-side of the EP where I used some software to change my own voice to sing the little verse in the middle of the track! I don’t think you would enjoy my singing just yet!
“There’s always been new exciting developments in the production at events and unless this affects how an artist plays then I don’t see it as a problem!”
EG: Finally, can you provide some insights into what’s next for Robbie Doherty? What can we expect from you in the coming months? Where can your fans catch you next?
Robbie Doherty: This has been my busiest summer yet so I will be playing in some exciting new places, best to keep an eye on my Instagram for updates on shows if you want to join. Otherwise, I’m trying to make as much new music as possible and have some exciting new stuff in the pipeline for the second half of the year.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Robbie! See you on the dancefloor!
Robbie Doherty: Thanks folks, see ya on the floor!
Robbie Doherty’s ‘Work It’ EP is now available on neXup recz. Stream and download here.
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