Oscar Farrell: The Sound of the City After Dark

Daria Slikker
2 minutes ago
4 min read

At just twenty-five, London-based producer, DJ, and music director Oscar Farrell has quietly become an intriguing new name in the capital’s electronic scene. Signed to dh2, Farrell’s music sits somewhere between introspection and movement, rich with textures of late-night London, filled with the pulse of its dance floors and the quiet calm of the bus ride home.

Since the release of his debut EP ‘I’ve Already Called’ in April 2025, Farrell has built a world that feels both intimate and cinematic. Across five tracks, he explores 2-step rhythms, airy basslines, and glitchy vocal fragments that reveal an instinctive grasp of club culture’s emotional side. His breakout collaboration with Sampha, ‘Dream Therapy,’ now sitting at over 230,000 streams on Spotify, introduced that sensibility to a wider audience and paired his detailed production with Sampha’s unmistakable voice.

This October, Farrell returned with ‘Orbits (Scoopic Dub),’ a track he describes as ‘something for the night buses home, late-night walks, and that comforting feeling of autumn starting.’ Built partly from field recordings captured on a 16mm camera during the ‘Dream Therapy’ video shoot, it rounds off his summer of experimentation and hints at the subtle storytelling that defines his work.

We caught up with Oscar to talk about his journey into electronic music, the worlds he’s building with sound, and how London, in all its grey beauty, continues to shape the way he listens, creates, and connects.

Let’s start at the beginning – how did you first get into producing and DJing, and what drew you to electronic music as a form of expression?

I was really lucky – my school offered music tech, and I was that geeky teenager hanging around with a bunch of sixth formers who showed me the ropes. We’d all cram into this little cupboard trying to make dubstep. It wasn’t until university, when I was playing in bands and doing a lot of jazz, that I really got into electronic music. Suddenly, I was on my own, and producing felt like a natural way to keep creating. Then I started going to clubs, discovering all these different types of dance music, and became slightly obsessed.

Your debut EP ‘I’ve Already Called’ feels like a vivid introduction to your sound in how you blend ambient textures, 2-step, and warm basslines. What did you want listeners to take away from that project?

Kind of that, really – that it’s all in the same soundscape, just exploring different feelings. Those were some of the first tracks I was encouraged to finish. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but it was a turning point where things started to feel honest. I’d found something that represented me. I was lucky to have a few really sweet friends around who said, ‘These are the ones.’

You’ve described your latest single ‘Orbits (Scoopic Dub)’ as something for ‘late night buses home’ and ‘late night walks.’ Can you tell us more about the atmosphere you were trying to capture with that track?

It was that moment when summer’s ending and everyone’s retreating back into their winter nests. You look around London and it’s grey and concrete again. I kind of love that. I get quite seasonal, so when the night starts drawing in, I get excited to hide away a bit and live in my own head again.

The story behind ‘Orbits’ – using field recordings from a 16mm camera while filming the ‘Dream Therapy’ video – is a beautiful detail. How do visual and tactical elements influence your creative process?

Quite a lot, actually. I didn’t realise how deep I’d get into that side of things until I started working with my friend Pablo Gallegos. We’ve gone down the rabbit hole of trying to build a world that mirrors the music, one that isn’t full of obvious cultural references but still feels lived-in. Working with people like Dom, whose 16mm camera those field recordings came from and who’s so musical in his own right, are inspiring to be around.

You’ve worked closely with artists like Sampha and George Daniel who are both known for blending electronic and emotional worlds. What have those collaborations taught you about your own sound or approach to production?

They’re both incredible musicians, and I love them dearly. It’s been amazing making music with people who mean so much to me. George and I are on such a similar wavelength so working together is so relaxed. I also spent so much of the past two years touring with Sampha, which was just an incredible experience.

Your music has this introspective, almost cinematic quality. Would you see yourself composing for film?

Absolutely, I’d love to. Hopefully soon.

What kind of film do you envision yourself writing for?

Something abstract – where I don’t have to think about melody, structure, or catchiness. Just sound for the sake of feeling.

Do you see storytelling as part of your role as a producer and musical director?

Definitely. Most of these tracks come from little moments that happen, and then I blow them out of proportion in my own head. The songs are just ways to get those feelings out – reflection, frustration, honesty – even if the lyrics are abstract. It’s all the classic stuff: love, hate, hope that it’ll all be alright in the end…hopefully.

How would you say London, its nightlife, its rhythm, and people feed into your music?

I love club music and the club scene, but I’ve never really made club tracks that function in that way. I’m okay with that. It’s like being at the club but standing in the corner: watching, not fully in it. I once heard someone say that DJing is the introvert’s way of being at the centre of the party, and I think that’s true.

With ‘Orbits (Scoopic Dub)’ rounding off what’s been a big year for you, where do you see your sound evolving next? Are there new directions or collaborations you’re excited to explore?

Honestly, I think it’ll go all over the place. I’m not great at making the same thing twice. Everything being a jam feels like the best way to make something real. I just want to keep working with the people around me – they’re great. But yeah. I’d love to collaborate with someone like Björk one day. I go back to her albums constantly.