Sharp FM 019: Oscar Nñ for DOSS

To coincide with the release of the DOSS collection, we asked one of NYC’s mixing masters, Oscar Nñ, to put together a special mix, and he did not disappoint. The music here is pure club bliss, showcasing Oscar’s trademark flair for pulling together infectious dance rhythms with unexpected samples that is altogether accessible yet often unexpected. Marc Rouault pulled from a host of influences in designing the DOSS family, but rave flyers and hi-fi brand logos figured prominently, making this new typeface release a perfect choice for the cover and tracklist graphics. 

“This mix is dedicated to those sexy drums that you hear in club music,” says Oscar. “I was inspired by the different drum patterns and instruments that make us dance.” As a globe-trotting DJ and co-founder and resident DJ of Brooklyn-based art collective Papi Juice, Oscar has become a figurehead of sorts in the NYC nightlife scene and dance community, well-loved for dynamic sets that get the sort of enthusiastic local response and following that few DJs can claim.

We were also pleased that Oscar decided to do something unexpected with this mix. “At 160-140 bpm, this is one of the hardest mixes I’ve recorded but also one of the most free and unexpected. As you keep listening to the mix, you’ll hear a lot of different club genres from the Americas, including footwork, euro trance, dembow, and Brazilian funk.”  It’s the sort of creative risk that Sharp FM mixes have become known for, and we’re excited to offer this sort of platform.

For the cover and tracklist, we dove into the DOSS toolbox. As a collection of display fonts that are loosely connected by their exaggerated geometric forms and thoroughly brazen design logic, we’re hoping these graphics convey what’s possible in the world of DOSS. Different DOSS letterforms are placed side-by-side within the same words to convey their interconnected qualities, amplifying their visual appeal. 

The typography and graphic design is a nod to The Designers Republic. The Sheffield duo were the cool reference for anyone following UK design in the ‘90s. Their work was iconoclastic and stood out against the strictures of modernist design, exploding enthusiastically with a dizzying kaleidoscope of color, texture, and shape. This inspired a generation of young designers and progressed the visual language of UK club culture.  Not only does this complement the kinetic club sound of Oscar’s mix—it also makes perfect sense to retrofit the aesthetics of DR using the fonts of DOSS. 

1. DJ Rashad - Drums Please (Feat. DJ Manny) x Loris x Wildkatz - From The River To The Sea
2. OSSX - Still Unslapped
3. Solange - Stay Flo (Morwell remix)
3. Maria Manuela - Santuario
4. Wavezim - Sentada
5. JAIJIU -TU GOSTA NÃO GOSTA TONS (DJ DG DA CHM X GILA)
6. JOAO LAGRIMA DE OURO - PIQUEZINHO TREM BALA
7. Abssys - Mosquito
8. Mxgro - Aquatic Dembow
9. Neeiv - Classy 101
10. DJ Fucci - Super Peso
11. SicStyle - Hangover Ridden
12. Daystar - Clave
13. Parzubanil - Calentura (Hardgroove Mix)
14. Nuevo Prohibido - Escandalo
15. Jaymie Silk - Ghetto Carnival
16. Denyl Brook - What Goes
17. DJ Cosworth - Bodyrox
18. Dj Babatr - Angel Linares
19. Imaabs - Alien Posse
20. Merca Bae - Sampa
21. Ben + Ovid - Square Marden
22. Kaval - Hermit Crab
23. Leonce - 2 Amyl Nitrate
24. OSSX - !!!
25. Bassbear! - Mandala Effect
26. DJ Dylan - Calypso of Club
27. Bored Lord - Freya’s Song
28. MM - QBT16 (URTE Loveparade Refix)