joy orbison: selectors 004

The Dekmantel Selectors compilation series is set to continue with a highly-anticipated edition curated by Joy Orbison. First announced in 2015 when the Selectors project was unveiled, the fourth compilation in the series finds the singular UK talent curating a sort of tribute to his home country and its rich musical history. Like many of us, Joy Orbison (aka Peter O'Grady) is a product of his environment. Based in London, he's keenly aware of the UK's unique musical landscape and the role it's played in shaping his own artistic vision. Growing up, the sounds of garage, jungle, and dubstep all made an impression on him, but O'Grady knows that the roots of this music go back much further. "Soundsystem culture is a thread that runs through almost everything here," he says. "It's had a huge effect on me, sometimes without me even knowing it." In keeping with previous Selectors compilations, O'Grady's contribution to the series is not a mix CD, but a collection of hand-picked tracks from his own archives. Touching on everything from shuffling garage and loopy techno to booming jungle and a number of distinctly British hybrids, it's a diverse collection to be sure, but O'Grady prefers to focus on what ties these tracks together. "We're a lot more focused on BPM and genre these days," he says, "but I can honestly say that didn't really cross my mind while I was compiling this. In my mind, all these tracks have a lot in common." "What I do is a direct result of this music and I'm indebted to the sociological factors that brought it to life," explains O'Grady. "The UK at its best is a celebration of diverse cultures intertwining and creating beautiful results. Hopefully this collection of music can document a piece of that. Now more than ever, it seems important to acknowledge and celebrate this." Features James Massiah, Toyin Agbetu, Rosaline Joy, R Solution, Beatrice Dillon, Bitstream, Oblivion, L.E. Bass, Stylistic, Santos Rodriguez, JP Buckle, and Klein.