Omid 16B has gained acclaim from clubbers and DJs alike over more than a decade with his huge body of work on labels like Eye Q, Deconstruction and Hooj Choons. A truly versatile producer and self-confessed dance music obsessive, he’s also a proud member of the 6-tenticled DJ beast that is the SOS collective, alongside fellow turntable troublemakers Demi and Desyn Masiello.

After a disastrous flood at his basement studio wiped out his almost complete third artist album, the Persian-born London-raised artist hit creative rock bottom, but now he’s well and truly back having made not one, but 2 LPs, forming a 2-part musical opus.

Part 1 was given away free on the cover of DJ Magazine last year after Omid was inspired by Prince doing the same on a national newspaper. Keen to stay ahead of the game in the changing world of music, Omid thought he’d give it a try, and as owner of the Sex on Wax label, he’s entitled to experiment with giving music to his audience in new ways. (Part 1 is also available for download if you missed the freebie).

With the second half of the LP available for the first time this week, the complete scope of its emotional path to completion can be heard in its entirety. We just had to grab a word with this charismatic artist to dig a little deeper into the story behind it all...

 

This double LP is clearly a very personal project. Can you explain a bit about where your head was at during making it, particularly after losing your previous work in that flood?

“I was feeling lost for weeks after my studio was flooded. I didn't know what to do anymore. I'd lost all my samples and files on external hard drives and my G5 had to be repaired and reinstalled. 70 percent of my studio is analogue and luckily that hadn't gone but most of the drives and computers which my album was on had failed and it was a long process with the insurance.
Michele (Sex on Wax label manager) helped me so much through it and has always encouraged me to try again. It was a bit like Rocky 2 when Adrian wakes from a coma and tells Rocky to "DO IT...win!" to win the fight! I spent the next 3 months looking for a new place to buy and move out the basement I was living in.”

Where did you take inspiration from this time around?

Travelling for the past 7 years, week in week out, I got very little time to listen to any kind of music apart from what I was playing out. That was the inspiration, therefore I tried to make something that I could listen to which would remind me of everything I love about dance music and all its genres. That includes music that doesn't necessarily have to be made for the dancefloor. I wanted to put my energies in to making a record which would bring you back down to earth and connect your emotional state with the sounds from the long player. I kept my ears and mind open for a more organic structure for this album. I have to thank Ableton for evolving with my ideas and making it possible to create what's in my head.”

What do you hope the listener will learn/feel when playing the complete 2-part album, particularly if they’ve already become familiar with part 1?

“Variation, a journey, patience, gentle rewards... and most importantly love. The whole album was designed to be an experience rather than a collection of tracks. It’s rather a selection of mood shifts that have been carefully merged together to take you to a dreamlike state. It’s not the kind of album I would imagine people would put on over and over again, but I guess it’s the kind of album, that once you listened to it, you'll hopefully never forget the experience.”

Is this the way you’d always like to make music in future, or was it a one-off challenge to see how deep you could go into the music making process?

“I guess in the future it’s all about being in the present and being flexible enough to adapt to changes due to ideas that may manifest at a faster rate. I have been thinking a lot about making an album where I play all the instruments live; instead of using a sequencer I record them in a natural progression. I started doing this with one of my older tracks 'Escape Driving to Heaven' where I play a six-string guitar. On 'Like 3 Ears and 1 Eye' I’ve played more instruments, like the bass guitar, Setar (a Persian lute) and an old and rusty harmonica. I also started to play the drums again, so soon I can use my own drumming instead of a drum machine.”

Some people were critical that giving the LP away free as a DJmag covermount devalues your music, despite it being a very bold and forward-thinking thing to do. What’s been your experience of this new release method now it’s been and done?

“Traditionalist will always be sceptical about forward thinking ideas, but this is a business as well as an art and if we don’t keep a close eye on controlling the art, the business side will take over and everything will be about commercial success. And I wanted to make sure it is more about love and creativity, rather than popularity and money. I guess this is still a premature idea, but whoever has made the music has the right to do whatever they want with it.”

How’s life in the SOS collective at the moment?

“Very healthy and happy. We just did an amazing gig at Turnmills on Jan 19th and before that we celebrated New Year with a 6 hour set in the main room at Ministry of Sound.”

What can you tell us about the hotly anticipated Balance mix you guys have been working on?

“We are really excited about the comp and are launching the CD at the Miami Winter Music Conference in March, followed by a world tour.”