Off-Switch Audio: The record label putting underground sounds on the map

Off-Switch Audio have been putting out various danceable but left field releases on and off since 2017.

The physical and digital record label put a variety of underground sounds at the forefront of their label and are currently working with a range of artists, including Barom, Nuboid, Fellony, FKA.SAKA and Ohm Collider.

With a focus on bass and dubstep in the music they release, Off-Switch Audio is always looking for a variety to go alongside their distinctive discography.

“We originally started off just releasing an off-shoot of UK Bass/Dubstep I guess,” Sam ULG, producer, DJ and founder of Off-Switch Audio, tells Bristol24/7.

“I feel like we’re getting more and more flexible as far as genre goes. I wouldn’t exactly say we have a distinct sound as a label, but everything we put out still somehow fits and makes sense on our discography.”

There’s a hunger for this type of music, particularly in Bristol, which has seen the rise in many different genres over the past few years.

With this hunger comes the demand and Off-Switch Audio has felt the squeeze of other labels and artists pushing for space in an industry that is exclusionary and restricted to the few, rather than the many.

“Back before the pandemic we co-ran a couple of A/V club nights with a visual artist called Ori. The response was wicked because I think the vibe was a bit different to the other stuff happening at the time,” Sam reminisces.

“I’m not quite sure how we fit into the scene now though – there’s a lot of other crews doing the same kind of stuff but bigger and better. I guess it’s tricky to tell if there’s an appetite for what we’re doing without seeing how people respond in real life.”

Bristol music scene is saturated with fresh DJs, producers and artists all vying to release new music and get themselves heard.

With so many artists to chose from, what does the record label look for when deciding to work with an artist?

“Mostly just good music,” Sam tells us. “It’s nice to establish a long term creative relationship with people too though. It really helps me to do the music justice when I can properly understand the ideas and vision behind a project.”

With so much talent out there, it can be overwhelming when trying to keep up to date with the freshest new tracks.

When recommending which artists we should be listening to, a long stream of artists pours out but even Sam worries he’s missed people off.

“First people that spring to mind are Medis, Bagul, 2Quid, Loutan, Zonae & Druid. There’s too many to mention though, so apologies to all the people I’ve missed out there.

“It’s worth checking out radio shows on 1020 and Noods as they’ve always been big on pushing fresh talent.”

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Bristol is often compared with London in terms of the culture that pours out of the city, a melting pot of creativy that enriches both cities however Sam points out several differences between the two.

“Bristol feels a lot more chilled out and less hierarchical than other cities like London, which I think leaves more room for experimentation,” Sam explains.

You can listen to all of Off-Switch Audio’s released at https://www.audiotarky.com/$/labels/off-switch-audio/

Main photo: courtesy of Off-Switch Audio

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