Londoner Offshore cuts quite an elusive figure against his Big Dada compatriots. Alongside the likes of Roots Manuva and Wiley headlining the bill and youngsters like Dels gaining the majority of attention, he’s happily doing what he does best. With 2 EPs already released to the label, one on Numbers, one on the inventive Disboot imprint and the now sadly defunct Stuff Records, Offshore is definitely in good company to say the least. If anything it’s one of the most impressive list of labels an artist can wish to have. His robust take on Hip-Hop bursts and brims with ideas which sit well alongside his contemporaries such as Hud Mo and Mwëslee and recounts some of the same feelings within his productions.

One of the recent highlights of the growing list of remixes is the Wiley’s “Yonge Street”. There is no way to outshine Wiley, his voice just presents itself as the dominant force immediately on whatever track, whichever feature he appears on. So that ability to veer away from the spotlight is no easy task, yet Offshore excels like only a few others, including Wiley’s own productions and that of MJ Cole on the unforgettable “In from the Drop”. The piano functions as the most important features on “Yonge Street”, complementing the tone and delivery of Wiley’s bars, whilst the percussion accentuates all the finery of the acapella.

Wiley – Yonge Street (Offshore remix) by Offffshore

Most recently he released the Pacer EP on the aforementioned Big Dada, an amalgamation of the sounds he has been pushing throughout his tenure behind the mixing desk, as well as a continuation of quality seen throughout his back catalogue. It provided to be an interesting record filled with conflicting emotions and soundscapes, from the big beats crafted perfectly for the club  ( “Pacer” / “East Coast Capital Connect” ) to a “Pearls & Butlers” with its pop sensibilities and sharp emotional undertones, to a grime tinged ending “Pepper” / “Mintlaw” display the ability in which Offshore is able to infuse conflicting feelings and styles throughout a record while keeping it tightly tied together. Something that could be said hasn’t been done in his previous EPs to the same exent, yet it’s obvious that the progression is there and with a album on the horizon it fills us with great hope for what it holds.

Offshore – Pacer EP (preview) by Offffshore

UTG by Offffshore