Cover Designer: Kurabu Soda
Words: Joe Harries
He’s never been one to gatekeep—you can have the recipe, but the flavour’s all his. Meet Yanis Koudjo, aka Dr Dubplate: dubplate slinger, vibe architect, and the unofficial headteacher of underground UK dance. He’s a man who does a lot—and what he doesn’t? Best believe he’s given it a go. From cloakroom kid to globe-trotting selector to sensei of UKG, his rise has been fuelled by raw passion, zero shortcuts, and a refusal to play by the rulebook.
At the top of the Doctor’s ever-expanding résumé is five years of ec2a—the cult imprint redefining dubplate culture for a new generation. The label has dropped scene-defining cuts from the likes of Main Phase, Introspekt, and Skeptic, often before most even knew their names.
Born during lockdown, ec2a was built on a foundation of community and a deep trust in the music his peers were making. “My ethos was like, I want all of us to have tunes that even these top-line DJs don’t have,” Yanis explains.
But there was a strategy too. With vinyl pressing stretching to eight months, the Bristol-based tastemaker pivoted to a faster format: dubplates. “The vinyl time frames during Covid were so cooked, but I could do a dubplate in three to four weeks—which means, in theory, I could get 12 out in a year.” That model stuck. “We’ve consistently done at least 100 dubplates over two different artists every month. And it’s just become a bit of a cult thing.”
Fast-forward to 2025: ec2a has been nominated Label of the Year at the DJ Mag Awards, taken over stages at Glastonbury and Boomtown, and launched a clothing line inspired by rave culture—including the tongue-in-cheek Pagan Protector sunglasses, a nod to Yanis’ humour. Reflecting on the label’s five-year milestone, Dr Dubplate admits, “I had to be deluded to think that it was possible. I just feel very grateful that this has become my reality and that I’m able to work with my homies that I met at school. Like, that’s the shit you dream of, isn’t it?”
His enthusiasm for nurturing talent is infectious. “It’s like being a proud parent. Once someone trusts or takes a chance on you, psychologically, what that does is inspiring—it can push you to heights you never knew were possible.”
Much more than a label, ec2a has become a counter-corporate movement that lifts up new talent. “I want to keep working on making future stars go against the grain and say, ‘fuck you’ to big corporate money and show people that you don’t need a big investment to impact culture.”
Recent protégés like Skeptic, Yems, and Silva Bumpa have all been at the helm of the Doctor’s advice and are now leading the charge in UK Garage—proof that ec2a isn’t just shaping records, it’s shaping careers.
Before prescribing dubplates to the masses, Yanis was immersed in the waiting (and cloak) rooms of UK club culture. From age 14, he experienced clubs firsthand—his dad managed the iconic venue Plastic People, which hosted Theo Parrish, Four Tet, Floating Points, Skream & Benga, and the early days of Hessle Audio and Swamp 81. Working the cloakroom and handing out flyers, Yanis got an up-close education in the scene. “I just became more and more of a student of dance music, and I was very blessed to have my dad as the main lecturer,” he recalls.
During this period, Yanis forged a close bond with club founder Ade Fakile. The Doctor fondly remembers when Ade donated a carload of records: “He literally filled up my Corsa—I swear, it started leaning back the way it was so full. I just couldn’t believe it.” Dubbed the ‘Plastic People prodigy,’ Dr Dubplate has carried the ethos of the club into everything he’s done, most notably ec2a.
Inspired by his time at Plastic People, Yanis started throwing parties of his own at just 14. “I remember the first one—we didn’t even have a proper DJ setup. It was just a PA system, playing tunes off iTunes, and taking tenners at the door,” he laughs. “The mix of making money, giving my mates something to do, and playing music that was new and exciting—it was a trifecta. I just became obsessed.”
His formative years were immersed in energy, experimentation, and boldness. Learning from mentors and peers, he shaped his own approach: “I just kept thinking, how can I do what they did in my own way?” That drive eventually led to ec2a, a project carrying his distinctive voice and vision. “It just looked like a golden opportunity to cut through the noise and put quality records out.”
The journey wasn’t without struggles. After dropping out of university and working non-music jobs in his late twenties, Yanis often felt out of place in a scene far removed from what he had learned from his father. “People always thought I was a bit too common for their liking. It was a very middle- and upper-class sort of scene. It almost made me bitter,” he recalls.
By lockdown, Yanis was on the verge of giving up until a pep talk from his mum and encouragement from his girlfriend pushed him to give it one last shot. “For once, it felt like there was a sense of community. People were sharing tunes, collaborating, it just felt a little different and I found my place.”
Passion has always outweighed profit for Yanis. “It’s really in my blood. The money doesn’t excite me. Honestly, I just want to maintain as much of a sustainable music career as possible.” He adds, “I trust that I could give someone the entire recipe, but they could never recreate the sauce in the way I’ve done it, so I don’t get precious about gatekeeping. I’ll just give it away.”
That generosity sums him up: open-handed with the music, unshaken by the hype. Yanis radiates grounded, genuine energy. “I’m just the normal guy… I can be nerdy, I can be stupid, I can be silly. I just don’t give a fuck, really.” But don’t bother talking to him 10–15 minutes before a show: “I just need to get in the zone.” Whether selecting music or mentoring new artists, he approaches it with freedom and honesty: “If I want to express a particular thing, I’ll just express it.”
With a consistently strong slate of releases on ec2a, a fiercely bubbling roster of artists under his wing, an exhaustive list of live shows spanning Asia to Australia, and a cult-like fan base, Dr Dubplate’s reach and impact far exceed many in the scene. Pushing boundaries at every turn, the Doctor proves that authenticity and creativity fuel the underground. His prescription? More dubplates, less ego.
For more information and regular updates on ec2a, visit their website.