Emerging from the shadows of the techno and house scene, London raised, Berlin-bound John Osborn cooks up this week’s i-DJ.
Public House has something of a diamond booking up their sleeve for February. After a breakthrough year, John Osborn will be bringing the heat to London for the first time ever. Raised in the capital but currently residing in Berlin, John has been DJ-ing for the best part of 15 years and recently launched his new label TANSTAAFL together with partner Julian ‘DJ October’ Smith. The label is the first ever Bristol & Berlin based imprint, uniting the wealth of underground music talent in both cities and specialising in limited runs of marbled vinyl from their fellow artists and remixes by some of the most legendary underground names. Couple this with the Public House gang – known for their raucous east end nights and parties in derelict courtyards and Clapton coffee shops – and you’ve got the formula for a night to remember.
i-D online had a chat with John to discover where he’s been hiding all his time and his plans for the year ahead. Don’t forget to check his exclusive mix, which he describes as “slow, hard, deep with a bit of klunk.”
How do you feel about playing in the UK for the first time? What’s been keeping you away? Well I have played in Bristol already but not in London, which is my home town. I feel of course excited to play, as I always am to play in a new city but being my home town that I left nearly 13 years ago makes it extra special. I am also slightly curious or intrigued – the London techno & house scene is a familiar stranger to me these days.
What inspires and influences your music making? Quite simply: everything and anything. Things and sounds that give me that special vibe, that energy to actually make something happen and create.
What new talent have you clocked recently? Are there any up-and-coming producers, artists and DJ’s you are particularly excited about right now? Of course my TANSTAAFL partner October, but it is hard to call him up and coming as he’s already done so much. Actually I find it hard to answer this question as most people I know are established and the others I just don’t know about – it may sound awful but I have a pretty focused vision on what I do and what is happening around me pretty much passes me by. I do my thing and I really enjoy it and if you like it also that makes it even better as it pushes me to keep going.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of music? There is no outside of music really – I am a designer by day to earn a few extra bread rolls, but I don’t consider myself to be the best designer in the world. Music is where my skill lays – it took me a long time to admit this to myself. I had to undo my preconditioned mind and get a better perspective on who I am and what I’m good at. I am much happier now!
What have you got planned for 2012? Twenty Twelve is looking like a big year already. New releases from myself on TANSTAAFL and on JackOff, plus other artists on both labels to take care of. A TANSTAAFL Tour in the USA that will start with a special Bunker NYC limited party – me and October all night long. Plus a whole bunch of other really nice looking gigs, and a very special gig doing a b2b set with a very well-known skilled DJ at a very well know club in Berlin – can’t say too much about that one right now!
Catch John Osborn in London this weekend, more here.
Text: Laura Hinson
