It’s always good to hear a producer hit their stride and start putting out stuff that sounds genuinely off the wall.
Sir OJ first cropped up on my radar back in 2008 when he dropped his State Beattape, along with Dutch compadres Hayzee and FS Green. While there are standout beats on here, it didn’t set my world on fire; at the time, I was drowning in a sea of Flying Lotus et al. You can still pick up the tapes via Moovmnt.
Sir OJ dropped off said radar after a couple of years, only to triumphantly reappear with last year’s Directions (New York New York). It came out of nowhere, a storming house-influenced number with a melodic breakdown reminiscent of Solid Groove’s Dwele-vocal-sampling This Is Sick. Directions was a big track for me, most of the MIMS family and team Slow&Low, featuring in our winter mix.
His latest offering is Gonna Pop, a similarly potent joint with looped Wiley vocal – a little repetitive but really catchy – and filthy, jarring synths. It’s good to hear Sir OJ taking this style further, slotting in alongside Kaytranada, Pomo and Bondax in the after-hours playlist. Fingers crossed 2014 sees a full release and a UK date or two from this guy.
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