Novation Spotlight: Ossie Interview

Ossie is a London based artist and DJ, synonymous with forward thinking electronic productions on the UKs most crucial imprints. The past few years have seen him put out releases on labels such as; Hyperdub (Kode 9), Madhouse (Kerri Chandler), Exploited, Wolf Music, Brownswood Recordings and his own in print SuperCali.

2019 has been a busy year so far, with a sting of releases across the summer months (‘Yeah we feel it’ - Madhouse Records, ‘Better days’ - Sense Traxx) that have seen support from the likes of The Black Madonna, Jamie Jones & Laurent Garnier. Annie Mac, Benji B & Danny Howard have also showed regular love across the Radio1 network this summer.

Ossie Interview:

Introduce yourself:

I’m Ossie, born and raised in East London. I grew up listening to and being exposed to all types of music. During my teenage years I went through a phase of RnB, Hip Hop, Garage and Grime, which led to my UK Funky, Deep House and Electronic music obsession in my early 20’s.

When and why did you first start making music?

I started producing at the age of 12. As a child I was always intrigued about how tracks were made. My all time favourite producers are The Neptunes. When I started out I was basically trying to imitate them. It’s good to have accomplished producers to look up to, they come as a reference guide for things like instrumentation, structuring a track and drum patterns.

What/who inspires you?

My main source of inspiration comes from the love of music and the feelings you get when listening. I always get the urge to make music after listening to it and I like the idea of creating that feeling for others when they listen to my music.

Describe your EP – what is the sound you’re going for?

The EP is an influence of many different types of genre. For once I was trying to incorporate those genres in one project. ‘To Make You Smile’ being a percussive tribal track, ‘Hoping and Coping’ is a disco number and I drew garage influences when making ‘Freedom’. That’s something I definitely want to continue doing in future projects.

What products did you use?

To make this EP I used Launchpad, MicroKorg and Maschine with Ableton. I used the Launchpad alot, especially when making ‘Hoping and Coping’. I dragged the main synth sound in the track into Ableton and used the Launchpad to trigger the synth rhythm live. It allows a lot of freedom when making melodies. The freedom the Launchpad gives me is a big thing for me!

Where can people listen to your music?

You can find me on the usual spots…. Spotify, Apple music, Beatport etc etc. Just type in OSSIE and you’ll find my sound!