Rooted in community, collaboration and experimentation, the album moves fluidly through broken rhythms, lush harmonies and soulful textures. Energetic album opener “Undefeated”, features West London producer and musician Goldbar; the broken beat stepper is about staying grounded and moving with purpose, while still clocking the wonders around us. Goldbar laid down the beat with Phoebe (who co-wrote the topline alongside Oliver), delivering a vocal line that cuts right through.
Other previously released singles include the soulful call to liberation and self-belief, “Run Like The River”, featuring long-time collaborator and CoOp Presents affiliate TREV. Solo effort “Reach Out”, which showcases Oliver’s skills as a producer, and the percussive and heartfelt “Friends” featuring KAYA FYAH, nods to their shared African heritage.
On album focus track “Boss” featuring respected torchbearer, Roots Manuva, Oliver reconnects with one of his heroes. “I’d wanted to make a track for Roots for years,” he shares. Built on a broken beat backbone, the track serves as a reminder to stay true to yourself. “Vibez” featuring KAYA FYAH - originally conceived as an interlude - brings a dreamy, floaty energy to the album. “It’s about keeping that internal light bright” Oliver notes. “We Are Love” featuring Megatronic, is a future-disco inspired call to the dancefloor, while “Wait and See” sees Oliver reflect on building a relationship rooted in love and strong foundations.“The City” features trumpeter Jay Phelps, Timmy boom bap on drums and Sam Leak on keys, bringing a live, jam-session feel to the project. “It’s Alright” also features the vocals of DJ, producer and songwriter Megatronic, as well as a sublime flute line from Tito - blending jazzy bebop with gospel undertones, the track captures the uncontrollable rush of love at first sight.
Title track, “Between The Lines”, nods to Oliver’s indie band roots, pairing a down-tempo feel with broken beat edges. “It’s a reminder not to take things at face value,” he says. “I wanted space to let the message breathe.” Closing track “Trance End” featuring David Mrakpor (of Blue Lab Beats) on vibraphone, pushes into psychedelic, trance-like, jazz territories, with tuba and live drums rounding off the album in hypnotic style. “It’s about snapping out of a trance, but the track itself has that trance-like quality”, Oliver explains.
A former member of Roots Manuva’s Banana Klan, Oliver’s live CV includes appearances at Glastonbury, Tate Modern, Boiler Room and sessions for Rinse FM and Worldwide FM. He’s collaborated with a wide array of artists including Bel Cobain, Marcel Vogel, Quiet Dawn, Jimpster, Jay Phelps and Natasha Diggs. His releases on CoOp Presents and beyond have earned widespread support from Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, Kerri Chandler, Honey Dijon, Tony Humphries, Jazzie B, Seth Troxler, Kid Fonque and Rainer Trüby. Editorial praise has come from outlets like Bolting Bits and Music Is My Sanctuary, cementing his place as a standout in the evolving bruk and soul landscape.
Stylistically, Oliver resists neat definitions. His tracks move fluidly between moods and genres, broken rhythms, hip-hop sensibility, house textures and jazzy chords often coexisting in one piece. But no matter the format, there's a distinct signature that ties it all together. “MATICA (Dance Regular) said recently there’s a definite ‘Ollie groove’ that runs through all my music,” he says. “And I think that’s true.”
With ‘Between The Lines’, Oliver Night stakes his claim as one of the most versatile and forward-thinking voices in the bruk and soul landscape - a record built on community, instinct and the joy of making music that moves.
Tracklist:
1. Undefeated (feat. Goldbar)
2. It's Alright (feat. Megatronic)
3. Boss (feat. Roots Manuva)
4. Vibez (feat. Kaya Fyah)
5. Run Like The River (feat. TREV)
6. We Are Love (feat. Megatronic)
7. Reach Out
8. Friends (feat. KAYA FYAH)
9. Wait & See
10. The City (feat. Jay Phelps)
11. Between The Lines
12. Trance End (feat. David Mrakpor)
