Joy Orbison

One of the London club scene’s most celebrated figures, Joy Orbison has consistently received acclaim for his forward-thinking productions as well as his hypnotic DJ sets. Blending elements of U.K. garage, techno, house, and breakbeat hardcore, his tracks are highly percussive bangers, equally suspense-filled and euphoric. He broke through with the slow-building post-dubstep single “Hyph Mngo” in 2009, then continued releasing club hits such as “Ellipsis,” “Sicko Cell,” and “Swims” (one of many collaborations with Boddika). More experimental releases such as 2019′s Slipping EP and the 2021 mixtape Still Slipping, Vol. 1 fuse jazz, IDM, ambient, and hip-hop, laced with recordings of his family members.
Born Peter O’Grady, Joy Orbison was introduced to London’s dance music scene by his uncle, jungle pioneer Ray Keith. After learning how to DJ in his early teens and beginning to produce grime instrumentals in his early twenties, he established his club-friendly sound and began releasing material in 2009. His lush, riveting debut single, “Hyph Mngo,” appeared on leading dubstep imprint Hotflush in 2009, and was an immediate breakout hit, earning acclaim from publications such as FACT (who named it the best track of the year) and Pitchfork. Singles “J.Doe” and “BB” appeared on his own Doldrums label, while The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow EP (featuring a remix by Actress) was released by Aus Music. Orbison also released well-received remixes of Four Tet’s “Love Cry” and Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games.”
He returned to Hotflush in 2011 with “Wade In,” and was also responsible for the uncredited club smash “Sicko Cell,” issued by Swamp 81 during the same year. The label also released “Swims,” another huge club track, which was co-produced by Orbison and Boddika. The two producers released several additional collaborations on their own SunkLo label. O’Grady started yet another label, Hinge Finger, with Will Bankhead, releasing Joy Orbison’s “Ellipsis” single, as well as Blawan’s lauded His He She & She EP. Following several more co-productions with Boddika, Orbison resumed issuing solo material in 2017 with the Toss Portal EP and “Off Season” 12″. He also curated Selectors 004, the fourth volume in Dekmantel’s unmixed compilation series.
Orbison collaborated with saxophonist Ben Vince on the Hessle Audio-issued 2018 single “Transition 2.” A more experimental EP titled 81b appeared on Hinge Finger, followed in 2019 by a record of locked grooves and Slipping, an EP featuring guests such as Infinite and Mansur Brown. He also collaborated with Overmono as Joy Overmono, releasing the peak-time club banger “Bromley” on XL. Sweetstuff Pack, a two-track single with rapper cityboymoe, appeared in 2021. Orbison’s Still Slipping, Vol. 1 mixtape appeared on XL, and included guests like TYSON, James Massiah, and Herron, as well as numerous appearances from the producer’s family members. ~ Paul Simpson