DJ Oliver Osborne’s Top 5 Most Influential Tracks You Should Check Out

PUBLISHED May 7th, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED July 1st, 2020 08:11 pm

Better known for his searing house and techno sets, DJ and entrepreneur Oliver Osborne wasn’t always listening to that kind of music. The man, who has organized and played at big nightlife parties like After Dark (Kilo Lounge) and Freq’ender Festival, also recently founded Eyes To The Front Artist Management Agency. He talks us through his 5 most influential tracks.

Come As You Are – Nirvana (1991)

An unusual choice (given what I usually play), but it was the start of me producing music, rather than just listening to it. Instruments have always surrounded me at home – my father has been a musician his whole life – but I never felt compelled to play until I heard this. I didn’t really understand the cultural significance of the music at the time, but the feel of that track made me feel like listening wasn’t enough, like I had to be inside the music. So I picked up a guitar that day and never looked back.

Mutual Slump – DJ Shadow (1996)

DJ Shadow

I walked into a record store in my hometown and a sound I’d never heard before hit me so hard I went straight up to the counter, asked what was playing and bought the album on the spot. A moody, percussive track with no lyrics, it basically taught me that music doesn’t have to be emotionally polarized. That music could be spooky, cinematic, and uncertain. Moreover, after digesting this track along with the rest of the album, I couldn’t help but learn how to play the drums, and all of my first productions had chopped up live drums samples in them.

Four Women – Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek (2000)

This track in particular, but the whole album really, showed me how powerful hip-hop can be. Talib Kweli is a phenomenal storyteller, and covered issues I hadn’t heard in Hip-Hop before – ‘ain’t nothing better than watching your son put his first sentences together’. This album opened me up so some much within the Hip-Hop genre that I would have missed otherwise, especially production techniques.

Tundra – Squarepusher (1996)

Squarepusher

I went to see Squarepusher alone (the only friend who had heard of him bailed on me at the last minute) at a sweaty underground club called Moles when I was about 16. Those super fast break-beats have the most incredible energy. It was a huge rush, and I danced for over 4 hours without a drop of alcohol. To be honest, the whole time I was partying to jungle, drum and bass. I was basically chasing this initial hit. There is so much from Squarepusher that has been inspirational, but this takes it.

Rej – Ame (2005)

I heard this at a party called Retox at Sosho in East London on a Sunday night. This track made me realise that music didn’t have to be super fast and have a full, intensity to the sound to have energy. I became more conscious of the space in the music, and it made me look for more subtlety in what I was listening to and playing. It also came with the awareness that there was so much more to had from the music scene than what I was experiencing in the drum & bass scene. The house and techno parties were more inviting, the atmosphere was more open, and people dressed better. Discovering this track and the East London scene back then was the turning point that leads me to where I am now, both professionally and personally.

Top Image: Oliver Osborne and Nirvana