Omar S

Omar S has had the same DJ headphones for 15 years, through which every track he's ever produced has played. He grew up in Detroit listening to Motown music and Chicago house mixtapes, and the sincere respect for music emanating from his tunes is palpable. They shine at the balance of house and techno. If DJ music is based on the link, the mix, the layering of sonic ideas into a whole waveform, the new Detroit-titled Fabric mix by Omar S embodies this idea clearly within the micro-fabric of the set's tracks, all created by the DJ himself. "Psychotic Synthesis," a track Omar produced in minutes, features genius synth work and a play on pitch reminiscent of a complex scientific equation. With the mastery of a true musician, the soulful, earnest vocals of "The Maker" fall a perfect inch of a second behind the beat and "U" expresses respect and admiration in the fable-telling way of a '90s era anthem. Sonic ideas here are dope, using arrangement of clarity-driven, arcade-inspired sounds mixed with synth rhythms and connective drum beats. As a young child, Omar S wrote FXHE (the name of his record label) all over the walls of the laundry chute. This record confirms his musical fate was written long ago.