NEXT DANCE RADIO

Mike Marquez:

All right, what it is and how you are, it’s your boy Mike Marquez here on Next Dance Radio and I have the privilege of talking to Oshie.

My brother, it has been a privilege to get to know you and get to hear you and your passion for dance music. And I’m sure there are a lot of people out there that do not know about Oshie. But we’re going to clarify why you are here talking to Mike Marquez by the end of this, they are going to know who you are, because you have been doing such dope things. First, when people think of dance music, they think of New York, Miami, LA, Chicago, Ibiza, and all these other places. Tell the fine folks where you are from.

Oshie:

I’m from Tennessee. We’re holding it down for the big TN. We got a music scene that’s really popping off there right now.

Mike Marquez:

Now, how is electronic dance going in Tennessee?

Oshie:

It’s growing and growing, you know, it’s in its younger stages, it doesn’t have as much heritage as maybe some of the other places, but we’re nurturing it like a little baby, we’re swaddling, we’re rocking her by, rocking her by to the best beats, you know, a little lullaby.

Mike Marquez:

The scene out there is growing and you’re growing it like a little baby, but you seem to be one of the parents because you were one of the ones that’s really trying to cultivate that electronic dancing there. And what has been the response to what you’ve been doing?

Oshie:

That’s a great question. I’d say the response in general is, people have wanted and needed that sound for a long time. You know, we have a lot of people who are attending and traveling to places to get, to experience this music so when they see it their community, response is just phenomenal. They’re out there in droves, they bring their friends, they bring their mother, they bring their cousin, they bring their brother. We just have a good time, for real. The love is real. They really show a lot of love in Tennessee.

Mike Marquez:

One of the things that caught my attention was that you have DJ mixes that are out there, like most DJs do, right, I have my own as well, but you have a mix that I caught of you on YouTube and you’re DJing outside. Again, that’s something that I have done as well, infamously or famously, whichever way you want to put it, but you have gone above and beyond because you were DJing on a farm. But not only were you on a farm, but you had also animals surrounding you, like little animals surrounding you. And you were there stoic and unfazed as these sheep are just walking by you and you’re just slamming down some new disco tracks, brother. Explain to me how that came about.

Oshie:

That’s a great question. Mixes obviously are passion of mine. I love recording my mixes live and outdoors. I try to do something like a striking scene, something beautiful, mountains, waterfall, whatever it might be. But the animals, the farm that you’re talking about, is actually my farm. I own and operate that farm.

Mike Marquez:

Hold on, hold on, hold on. Say that again. Your farm?

Oshie:

Yeah, that’s my farm. I own a farm in Tennessee. I have a goat farm, vegetable farm, and all those animals are mine. I take care of those animals every day.

Mike Marquez:

So, your nine to five job is? What is it? I don’t want to be disrespectful. Is it a goat herder, a farmer? What is it?

Oshie:

I don’t know what the correct term is. I don’t know if I’m a shepherd or a goat herder, but I’m just out here vibing with the goats. The goats are my biggest fans. So, I test all my new music on my goats.

Mike Marquez:

You really own like you’re there; that’s your farm and then you’re just out there vibing playing this music and you decided to record a set-in front of the animals and just let it go.

Oshie:

Yes, sir. I play music for them often, I decided to record it with them, and they were getting down in the back. They were enjoying themselves. They’re playing around a little bit. Little baby goats are jumping around and vibing. It’s my favorite crowd to play for. I love playing clubs and you get live out there, but if I had the choice to play for goats or a million people, I might just pick the goats.

Mike Marquez:

You know what? Some of the clubs that I’ve played for, I kind of want to play for Goldstone.

Oshie:

Yeah, you know what man, you know what I mean. The goats don’t request songs.

Mike Marquez:

I know what you mean but. Yeah, do not request a song. Be a goat. Be one of Osh’s goats. But seriously, let’s segue to clubs. So, how did all this DJing come about? Because obviously from the mix that I heard and the mix that people are going to hear as well, we know you have chops. You know your electronic music, your dance music, I mean, you went from nu-disco to a kind of house, a little bit of vocal housing. Where did you get all of this from? Where did it begin?

Oshie:

That’s a great question. I’ve always had a passion for music, but my dad had a lot of vinyl records growing up and I would just raid his record crates and spend a lot of time downstairs in the basement just going through records and going to resale shops, getting records, going through disco, going through world sounds, jazz, blues, rock and roll, all of it, reggae. And that’s kind of where I was inspired by a lot of the sounds. And now as a DJ, I’m trying to bring all those elements that I’ve experienced my entire life to a sound that is mine, you know what I’m saying? So that’s why I don’t necessarily stick to one genre. It kind of has an overall feeling, but I try to bring all those elements that I was inspired by as a young guy going through my dad’s records and just enjoying myself and try to bring that into life now.

Mike Marquez:

No, mean, listen, I’m from the same cloth, my dad DJed and I was privileged enough to grow up when house music was starting to come up. So, I got to hear everything as if it was coming up. And not only that, I got to hear what my dad loved from before. So, I got to hear from you, you know, like 60s R &B, 70s disco and all that stuff. So that played an influence on me. I understand what you’re saying. It has an influence on you. Now, one of the advantages that I had was that I was in New York City, so I had access, I had a lot more access than I think most people would, also, I had access to equipment and knowledge on how to use the equipment. Did you have anyone that influenced you, or not influenced you, but kind of guided you in that path on, okay, this is a turntable, or this is a CDJ, or a controller, et cetera?

Oshie:

Yeah, that’s an important question. I had friends that DJ’d and got to spend a little bit of time on some CDJs and stuff, but I’d say my biggest mentor in the game so far has been the one and only Tony Dubb. He’s taught me a lot of what I know from scratch and showed me how to break down the deck itself and what it’s capable of. And I like to think I kind of took what he had to tell me and teach me. And I’ve just been working at my craft and learning what it all means to me. You know, it’s all, we all got the same boards that we’re working on and the same buttons and knobs that we’re turning. But, you know, how do I express myself? How do I show Oshi with the same equipment? It’s like a guitar, you know, we all have strings. Got whatever it might be. But I’m trying to express myself through that. Yeah, that said Tony Dubb is the is the is the man that taught me what I know now. Shout out to Tony, where Tony’s in Tennessee with me as Yeah, yeah, we live close to that near same similar area.

Mike Marquez:

Wow. So, shout out to Tony Dubb for being that kind of mentor for you, and that’s one of the things that I think is amazing about the DJ community and we always want to mentor. We might cut each other’s throats to go and get a gig in the club, but if someone wants a DJ, we’ll sit there and take the time and help them to go and learn that. So, shout out to Tony Dubb. But you made a great point because you talked about how…you we all have the same buttons, the same knobs and but it’s how you use them to effectively go and tell your story or show your passion to the crowd. So, what is your favorite style of music that you can go and you can give to the people as a representation of you? Because there are many branches under this dance music world. What are some of the branches or the branch that defines you?

Oshie:

I wouldn’t say I have one branch. I believe that music’s too good to just play one genre. But I’m very influential, or not influential, but very inspired by anything with a very percussive rhythm. So that’s going to be disco, funk, Latin, world sounds, jazz, soul house. All those things are going to be what I’m passionate about. As a percussionist growing up, I’m looking for those rhythms that, you know, are not just a four on the floor. It’s something that’s got life to it. It needs to be swaying, not always going on the downbeat, you’re not always going on what you expect, it’s something that’s different that’s what inspires me for sure. You got to get something that’s got that little funk to it, you know?

Mike Marquez:

No, I love that. And I am a person that kind of dabbles around a different genre. I mean, I’m a house head. So, everything for me is house music, but it’s not just one type of house music. It could be tech, could be soulful, it could be Afro, it could be Latin. There are different types of flavors to this. And even sometimes, you know, it could be EDM, could be trance, could be techno. So, I appreciate someone that’s knowledgeable enough to go around all the different flavors, but still try to pull out their signature sound, that funk, that swing. The art, in my opinion, of a DJ is to go and find what moves you in different types of music and pass that off to the crowd. That’s kudos to you for that. And ladies and gentlemen, I’m telling you, because I’ve heard this man play and it is an amazing thing.

What tracks right now are really moving you? It could be new, old, whatever. What is moving you? ⁓

Oshie:

I couldn’t say just like one or two tracks, but just There’s a couple sounds coming out of the UK right now that I’m really inspired by a lot of progressive You know that kind of vibe ethereal, that theory of vibe that also brings in those elements of something special. Yeah, I don’t know if I can name one track. You’re catching me on a blank right now. I don’t know. I’m one of those that, you know, that’s the way it makes me feel. And I like it. And I know, I’m always thinking about the way I feel, not just what I think I should play, but what that track makes me feel. My inspiration has always come from being on the dance floor. You know, I’m not just a DJ behind the decks. I’m usually, if I’m not DJing, I’m on the dance floor, in the middle of the dance floor. I love being surrounded by people and my love for music is born on the dance floor so I’m always trying to think about that you know what am I feeling, so any track that really makes you feel something it elevates your vibration it isn’t just let’s fist bump and go hard you know I want people to be consumed by the environment that I’m creating as I’m as I’m turning records

Mike Marquez:

I love this and I’m going to say that most of the DJs that I know are dancers are excellent curators. They are people that know how to move the floor the correct way because they themselves want to be moved in a certain type of way. So, they picture themselves in the dancer’s hat as they’re in the DJ hat. So, I could respect and appreciate that you as a dancer want to continue that and do the same thing. So now.

Oshie:

100 %

Mike Marquez:

This is my question for you, given that you’re from Tennessee, and I’m sure you’re killing out there. Tennessee is pretty, it’s a big, big place, but are you really concerned about just staying in Tennessee or are you open to going further? Have you gone further? What are the next steps for Oshie outside of Tennessee?

Oshie:

Another great question. You’re full of great questions right now. I love Tennessee. That’s my community. I always want to nurture that, nurture my people, my friends, and people that have elevated me. I want to elevate them as well. I want to share what I have with everybody, whether it be Miami, New York, Chicago, Detroit, LA, wherever it might be. I’m there. If people want to hear good music and dance and get down with me, I’ll be that person for them. If you’re ready to get groovy, I’m here for you.

Mike Marquez:

So, I’m in New York, Or I’m in, know, fill in the blank, Miami, you LA, whatever, and I’m like, you know what? I want to take a flyer on this guy, Oshi. He sounds like he’s cool. I want to bring him to my party. How can they reach out to you? Like, what are the socials? What’s the info for Oshi?

Oshie:

All my handles are itsoshibaby. That’s going to be at I-T-S period O-S-H-E B-A-B-Y. So ⁓ that’s going to be Instagram, YouTube, any platform is going to be itsoshibaby. That’s going to be the best way. Instagram, I’m probably the heaviest media out there right now. So, if you want to get hold of me or see what I’m about, check out my Instagram, itsoshibaby.

Mike Marquez:

It’s Oshi baby. My brother, it’s a pleasure, we appreciate you and all you do!

Oshie:

Thank you, Mike. I appreciate you. Much love.