George FitzGerald

British DJ/producer George FitzGerald’s emotional, finely tuned tracks mix wide-eyed melodies with house and garage rhythms, as well as an occasional vocal turn by a notable guest such as Tracey Thorn or Panda Bear. First appearing with a series of club singles during the early 2010s, he traded samples for guest vocals with his breakup-themed 2015 debut album Fading Love, which featured Boxed In and Lawrence Hart. The more upbeat 2018 follow-up, All That Must Be, included guest appearances by Tracey Thorn and Bonobo, as well as Lil Silva, who then became FitzGerald’s collaborator in the duo OTHERLiiNE. The space exploration-inspired Stellar Drifting appeared in 2022, featuring Panda Bear and London Grammar.
FitzGerald witnessed the birth of the dubstep scene during the mid-2000s, working at London shop Black Market Records and being a part of the city’s vibrant club scene, but he didn’t begin releasing music of his own until he moved to Berlin in 2010, when Paul Rose (aka Scuba) signed FitzGerald to his influential label Hotflush Recordings. FitzGerald pursued music as a full-time career, releasing moody, melancholic R&B-influenced club tracks, starting with “The Let Down” 12″ on Hotflush in 2010, followed by “Don’t You” (also on Hotflush) and “Fernweh” on his own ManMakeMusic in early 2011. By the end of 2012, FitzGerald had additionally released EPs on Aus Music (Silhouette and Child) and Hypercolour (Needs You), remixed Jessie Ware and Throwing Snow, and completed DJ mixes for Resident Advisor and XLR8R. In 2013, FitzGerald contributed to BBC Radio 1′s Essential Mix series, and signed with Domino sublabel Double Six Recordings, issuing the singles “Magnetic” and “I Can Tell (By the Way You Move)” by the end of the year. FitzGerald’s music began to evolve into a more analog-based techno/house sound, rather than the U.K. garage-influenced style of his previous work. Personal issues, such as a failing relationship and disillusionment with the club scene, delayed the production of his debut full-length, then ultimately inspired it. Fading Love, featuring guest vocals by Boxed In and Lawrence Hart, finally arrived in 2015.
Following a return to London after nearly a decade in Berlin, as well as the birth of his daughter, FitzGerald released his second full-length in 2018. All That Must Be included collaborations with Bonobo, Tracey Thorn, and Lil Silva. FitzGerald and Silva continued developing ideas together, blossoming into the side project OTHERLiiNE. After releasing the singles “Chimes” and “Hates Me” in 2019, a self-titled full-length OTHERLiiNE was issued by Ministry of Sound and Sony Music in 2020. FitzGerald then collaborated with London Grammar on their album Californian Soil, which appeared in 2021. Stellar Drifting, FitzGerald’s third album, was released in 2022, with London Grammar, Panda Bear, and SOAK all making guest appearances. ~ Paul Simpson