Sam O.B. makes his Bastard Jazz debut with two dynamic and immersive songs illustrating themes of time and isolation. Dancefloor ready as singles, ‘This Saturday’ and ‘Opaque Pace’ are crafted for both your headphones and the club.

‘This Saturday’ conjures an after-hours mood with lyrics exploring feelings associated with social nightlife and its dualities of excitement/anxiety and confidence/self-doubt. Propelled by a hypnotic thump, the song is seasoned with swirling synths and scattered hand-claps and additional vocal harmonies by Allison Ponthier. ‘This Saturday’ ultimately invites you both lyrically and rhythmically to step out of your comfort zone and enter a space of real living: “Free those bones.”

‘Opaque Pace’ shifts from studying the kinetic movement of bodies to focus on the soluble movements of time. The track evolves patiently from fluttering woodblocks and undulating congas to a pulsing pad of choir harmonies. Sam’s ghostly vocals enter to hint at the shape-shifting qualities of time. Everything’s rolling nicely when a thunderous explosion of drums and heavy bass blast a hole through the hourglass. Seconds slip away like ever finer granules of sand passing under foot. Just as guitar rhythms congeal a melody, ‘Opaque Pace’ prepares to bow out, as ephemeral as it is uplifting.

Sam O.B. (fka Obey City) is a producer, DJ, label boss and tastemaker who has been making music in his native New York for the last decade. What started as casual experimentation and beat making for rappers and friends has evolved into an unrelenting solo passion, resulting in a steady stream of soul-drenched bedroom music that avoids trends in favor of the enduring. He’s released records with LuckyMe (UK), Astro Nautico (a label he co-founded), and Classic Music Company through his collaborative project, Dave + Sam.