Get To Know: Omari
Who are you?
I'm a 26 year old producer from Manchester, I've always been into music and played a few instruments as a kid but ended up learning to DJ and became obsessed. I ended up living with 3 producers in my final year of uni and was in awe of what they could do with a computer and some speakers so started doing it in lockdown and things snowballed from there.
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What started your journey in music?
I think spending so much in clubs in here in Manchester when I was growing up, places like Sankeys, Antwerp & Hidden and just falling in love with it all. I always thought it was somewhat out of reach until I realised pretty much anyone can start DJing. I fell into the music scene through doing photography but my passion was always the music I just wasn't sure how to take the next step.
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3 tracks that never leave your usb?
- Stef Davidse - Burnin (Anotr Remix)
- Francesco Poggi - Strange Man (Kreature Remix)
- Dande & Jamback - Sensimilia
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Biggest goal as a producer right now?
My biggest goal is to try and tick off some more dream labels of mine. I've been lucky to have released on few already but I wanna close out the year with some massive releases so I've been locked in trying to target labels like Revival, Moan & Cuttin Headz.
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Name 3 up and coming artists everyone should check out?
- Souler (ES)
- Gio Lucca
- ADEZ
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Piece of advice for new producers?
As frustrating as it might be at the start just make sure you're consistent with the time you put in, even when it feels like you're not making any progress. Doing it consistently for a few hours a day over a 6 month period is way better than being bang on it for a week or two and then not touching a DAW for weeks. It's all about building them skills & workflow early.
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Your top 3 DJs?
- Kerri Chandler
- Syreeta
- Anotr
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Biggest challenge in your career so far?
Staying motivated during the slow periods is definitely something I struggle with. Its always easy to put work in when you know you've got releases planned and gigs coming up cause it feels like there's less pressure but if you've got a bit of a gap you feel like you've got to do so much more and I end up being way too hard on myself.
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Whats coming up/next for you?
I've got a release coming out on Ball Park Record on 14th March which I'm super excited about. It's a 3 tracks that I'm really proud of that follows on the sound from my NeXup release. I've also got another Ouroneo Party announcing soon that I can't wait for, the last one was crazy and I'm excited to push on with developing the brand.
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Most memorable show?
I've had a few amazing shows that I've been super lucky to play but I'd have to say the most memorable was probably my first international gig in Toffler a few years ago with the Anderdox boys. It was such a wild experience playing to a different crowd for the first time and bringing that energy to a room is something I try and recreate every time I touch a set of decks. I think having that memory as a baseline to try helps me to try and DJ better every chance I get.
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A club owner or promoter that’s pushing the scene forward?
I think what Ambers is doing really cool for the scene here in Manchester. Over the years we've lost so many staple institutions that helped push Manchester to being one of the best clubbing cities in the UK so it feels super refreshing to now have somewhere thats really focussing on the music and club experience. If you haven't had a chance to check it out I definitely would.
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If you weren't making music, what would you be doing?
It would have to be something within fashion, either photography or design. I studied it at uni and loved it. I got super into analogue photography and consumer psychology so would have to be something along those lines. It's definitely something I can see myself coming back to later on in my career.
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