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 once i learned to dj i was obsessed. in my final year of uni i lived with three producers and was in awe of what they could do with just a laptop and some speakers. during lockdown i started teaching myself, and things have snowballed from there.

what started your journey in music?

growing up, i spent so much time in manchester clubs like sankeys, antwerp and hidden, and just fell in love with the whole culture. for a while i thought it was out of reach, until i realised pretty much anyone can pick up djing and get involved. i actually fell into the scene through photography, but my heart was always in the music — i just wasn’t sure how to take that next step until i finally did.

3 tracks that never leave your usb?

• stef davidse – burnin (anotr remix)
• francesco poggi – strange man (kreature remix)
• dande & jamback – sensimilia

biggest goal as a producer right now?

my main focus is ticking off more of my dream labels. i’ve been lucky to release on a few already, but this year i want to close things out with some massive ones. right now i’m locked in and targeting labels like revival, moan and cuttin headz.

name 3 up and coming artists everyone should check out?

• souler (es)
• gio lucca
• adez

piece of advice for new producers?

consistency is everything. even if it feels like you’re not making progress, putting in a couple of hours every day over six months will take you so much further than being hyper-focused for a week and then not touching your daw for weeks. it’s all about building workflow and skills early.

your top 3 djs?

• kerri chandler
• syreeta
• anotr

biggest challenge in your career so far?

staying motivated during the slow periods. it’s easy to stay driven when you’ve got gigs lined up or releases locked in, but when things are quiet it feels like the pressure ramps up. i can end up being too hard on myself, and that’s something i’m still learning to balance.

what’s coming up/next for you?

i’ve got a release on ball park records dropping 14th march — it’s a 3-tracker i’m really proud of, following on from my nexup release. i’ve also got another ouroneo party announcement coming soon. the last one was mad, so i can’t wait to push on with growing the brand.

most memorable show?

my first international gig at toffler with the anderdox boys. playing to a completely new crowd for the first time was wild, and that energy is something i’ve been chasing ever since. it set the bar for me as a dj and still motivates me every time i play.

a club owner or promoter that’s pushing the scene forward?

ambers is doing something really special for the scene in manchester. the city’s lost a lot of its staple institutions over the years, so it’s refreshing to have a space that’s fully focused on the music and the clubbing experience again. if you haven’t been yet, you should.

if you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

probably something in fashion — either photography or design. i studied it at uni and got really into analogue photography and consumer psychology. it’s definitely something i can see myself going back to later down the line.