Osquello Picks Out His Aural Inspirations

London riser shares debut EP 'Good Morning Simulation'...

Osquello is impossible to pin down.

With only a few tracks to his name the London artist has moved effortlessly between genres, with his approaching veering from gentle singing to all-out rap.

Debut EP 'Good Morning Simulation' is out now on potent independent stable Practise Music, and it affords the 19 year old space to stamp out his identity.

Real name Fabiano Lewis, Osquello's material continually gets under your skin, continually grasps towards something fresh and undefined.

Set to play a headline show at London's Electrowerkz on February 21st, Osquello broke down a few key influences for Clash…

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Moonchild – 'The Truth'

I found this track on SoundCloud only a year or so ago and it’s just been on repeat since then. I’m a sucker for swingy drums and hypnotic melodies and this just has it throughout the whole track.

Constant development of melodies, keeps me interested and engaged. Was definitely influential of my positive energy and advice that I’ve been implementing in my own tracks now too. Lovely track to bug out on shrooms to.

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Jamiroquai – 'Stillness In Time'

Very nostalgic track: my Dad would always put on in the car driving me back to London. Has a sense of hope and belief with the amazing lyrics by Jamiroquai/JayKay, he’s definitely influenced me to keep my chin up and create a sense of awareness we’d do.

Every time I’d leave my girls house after a nice Netflix and chill, I’d pop this on my earphones and dance my ass off in the middle of the street, no lies.

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Sub Luna City – 'Weed And Warfare'

Archy Marshall, Jadasea, Rago Foot and the rest of Sub Luna City played a big importance in my life, teaching me to embrace my British accent when rapping. Growing up in youth clubs around areas like Old Street, I started recording tracks at 13 with a shitty American accent and through a mixture of wise advisors and British rap like Sub Luna, it made me realise it was okay to be myself.

Before that I was heavily influenced by American rappers and felt UK musicians never got anywhere because they sounded shit but Sub Luna were the first UK rappers I heard who sounded better than anyone else in the US. Laid back flows over acid jazz beats, it was the perfect introduction to UK’s rap scene for me.

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Toninho Horta – 'Aquelas Coisas Todas'

Again, another track I’ve recently found but fallen in love due to its constant melodic development. I feel with tracks where you can’t understand the lyrics it allows you to focus on the smaller details and musicality of the track and this definitely has it.

100% the type of track I’d put on at a house party and fuck up the whole drill/grime vibe. Latin jazz has been a great discovery and I do wish to spread it to more people.

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Mac Miller – 'REMember'

Mac Miller wasn’t always my favourite artist but when I heard ‘Watching Movies With The Sound Off' it definitely changed my life forever. The emotion he evoked in his tracks was so honest I’ve never heard it before, supported by the heavy production it just created the most perfect sound.

I used to play this album when I was going through my first heartbreak and it really helped me feel comfortable being an over-sensitive and emotional boy as Mac was. Made me realise I could share my darkest emotions without people calling me a pussy or other shit.

R.I.P. Mac love you forever.

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Kanye West – 'I Wonder'

This one again is very nostalgic, had me always crying on my journeys back to London from Leeds when I was 12 years old and still get emotional listening to it now. The genius behind Kanye’s sampling at that time is what made 'Graduation' one of my favourite albums of all time.

I still listen back to it every time I struggle with sampling inspiration because there was a way he did it so differently from everyone else. The way his aggressive voice sits on the relaxed beat fucking blew my mind away.

The original song Kanye sampled, Labi Siffre's 'My Song', is an amazing track as well. The Kanye version is definitely the type of track I’d want playing at my funeral.

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'Good Morning Simulation' EP is out now on Practise Music.

Photo Credit: Brian Nasty

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