OCULATE UK - DIGITAL COVER 002- SEPTEMBER 2024
TUESDAY 27TH AUGUST 2024
WORDS BY MATT SHARP
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIZZIE LENTHALL
After the passing of his father, UK rapper and label owner Fliptrix felt compelled to create. Processing his grief, he found refuge in his home studio, and inspiration struck in the unlikely form of a dragonfly. After all, "How often does a dragonfly fly down and land on your hand? ". With his dad formerly being in a band called ‘Dragonfly’, when Fliptrix had a number of unlikely interactions with the insect in the time following his passing, he knew that the universe was at work. The spark this ignited gathered momentum, and a collection of Leaf Dog and Illinformed produced tracks later, we arrive at Fliptrix’s tenth album, ‘Dragonfly’.
Donning merch that bears the logo of his father's band, now edited slightly to form the cover of his new album, our conversation with Fliptrix takes place amongst the trees of a central London park, in the shadow of the London Eye. Considering his role as CEO of the always-active High Focus Records, as well as being in the midst of his own album campaign, the easy-going tranquillity of Fliptrix’s demeanour is somewhat unexpected. Through the course of our questions, the reasons for this become apparent, and the calmness he exudes becomes infectious.
This album tells a story, and hearing the tales that led to its formation from Fliptrix himself was an honour. We caught up with the charismatic artist shortly before the release of ‘Dragonfly’, to discuss his father, the current state of UK Rap, psychedelics, social media & more.
OCULATE UK - DIGITAL COVER 001 - AUGUST 2024
THURSDAY 1ST AUGUST 2024
WORDS BY MATT SHARP
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN HUTCHINSON
“I think explaining that cultural history of ours is important”, says Ben Cross, sat next to business partner and childhood friend David Dabieh, in their sunny South London headquarters. When two school friends wanted to have a party for their sixteenth birthday’s, they faced an obstacle. Both Ben’s strict Polish-Jewish mother and David’s strict Ghanaian mother were vehemently opposed to the idea. The solution the two boys landed on was to throw a rave, of dubious legality, in their native south-east London. When expecting a couple of hundred guests, they were met with over fifteen-hundred, and the swift arrival of the police shortly after. This coming together of folks in a place that, at that time, didn’t see many events of this nature, sparked an idea and a passion that continues to drive David and Ben to this day.
As the pair sit for our questions, they exhibit a chemistry and ease with one another to be expected from two friends who have spent the last 15 years in business together. When answering one question, they settled for a game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' to see who should answer first, with Dabieh claiming he always wins, and then doing so, although that was contested by Ben. It’s funny to imagine the charismatic pair frequently using this as a method for settling business decisions. However, given Dabieh explaining "Every decision is bespoke", when selecting line-ups for the Cloud X festival, this is surely unlikely. Whatever their techniques, it is important to give them the deserved credit, as they’ve navigated an industry that hasn’t always been welcoming, to form a collective that has upheld the same admirable principles at every turn.
The pair recently welcomed Oculate UK into their Brixton studio for our inaugural digital cover feature. Using our platform to highlight a duo that have spent years platforming those who deserve it most, feels particularly apt, and we are grateful for the chance to do so.
In the midst of their planning of this year’s festival, we sat down with Ben Cross and David Dabieh of Cloud X to discuss the business of live music events, the UK government, South London and their future plans, perhaps surmised when Dabieh explained; "One thing about Cloud X is that we didn't have this big plan, we just kept trying to be free".
OCULATE UK - MUSIC - IN THE SPOTLIGHT
THURSDAY 14TH MARCH 2024
WORDS BY MATT SHARP
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIAM TYLER
London-based singer, songwriter and producer Reuben Aziz is making waves as a rising star in the music scene.
His sound exists in the realm of UK R&B, where his serene vocals and relatable lyrical content has been connecting with fans from around the world. He rose to prominence after his single ‘find u’, began receiving huge support on TikTok. Since then, he’s followed up with ‘Running’, ‘come thruuu’ and ‘Healing’, proving he can continue delivering fantastic music.
‘Healing’, the latest offering from Reuben, is the third of a relationship-focused trilogy. In this track he dissects the post-relationship emotions of someone learning, loving and eventually, letting-go.
Particularly impressive is the 20-year-old being able to take full credit for the vocals and production of ‘Healing’. In speaking with Reuben, it was clear he is dedicated to his craft. He gives the impression of being wise beyond his years, with a finely-tuned focus on all the things he wishes to achieve.
We sat down with Reuben in his London home studio, and discussed how he develops his sound, the state of the music industry, his debut project & much more.