aaamusic | On 05, Jan 2011

London-based remixer, producer, DJ, bassist and singer OLUGBENGA is a man of many musical talents. Between bouts of touring the world as a member of Metronomy, he’s established a fearsome reputation as a DJ, playing out weaving, high-speed selection of his edits, mash-ups, remixes and original tracks at club nights and events around the globe.

His second mixtape, entitled “The G Is Silent Vol. 2” is available here:

The G Is Silent [VOLUME TWO] by OLUGBENGA

Born in Lagos to a Nigerian father and Kenyan mother, OLUGBENGA now resides in London’s East End after a childhood split between Nigeria and the Netherlands. His first taste of international attention came as one of the vocalists in dubstep/folk outfit Various Production whose 2006 album for XL Recordings (then home to Dizzee Rascal and Basement Jaxx) was one of the first dubstep releases to sell in five figures. He performed shows with Various Production all over the UK and Europe, often to crowds of thousands.
Eighteen months ago OLUGBENGA was drafted into electronic pop/indie band Metronomy as a bassist/vocalist and was quickly asked to become a permanent member of the group. With support from Because Music in France and Warner Music worldwide, the band have played to rapturous audiences in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. Metronomy was featured prominently in the BBC‘s coverage of the Glastonbury and Reading Festivals as well as being invited by the panel of the Mercury Music Prize to perform a special session that was recently broadcast on Channel 4. OLUGBENGA has participated in recording sessions for a new album due in early 2011.

OLUGBENGA is also beginning to make a name for himself as a DJ and remixer. Working purely on a laptop (and not turntables) and drawing influences from contemporary Nigerian music, left-field electronica, gospel and rock, OLUGBENGA‘s approach to the cut-and-paste (or mash-up) technique popularised by DJs like Girl Talk yields truly singular results. It has brought him to the attention of BBC Radio 1 who featured one of his mixes on the Huw Stephens show. He has also received support from influential music websites like Drowned In Sound. In a recent article for that site, he had this to say:
“There was a time when young people in West Africa thought anything from the US or UK was intrinsically better and it was kind of corny being into ‘our’ music. A lot of people are smarter now. They’re taking what they think of as the best parts from everything and creating a hybrid that is both regional and intelligible to an international audience. What they make is not ‘world music’ but it certainly isn’t Western music either. It’s Ghanaian music. It’s Nigerian music. It’s Angolan music. Perhaps you could say it’s just music.”

Now receiving hundreds of visitors each week on his blog and Soundcloud page OLUGBENGA is currently taking offers for DJ shows all over the world, including his first West African shows. A mixtape of original material and official remixes will follow in December 2010.