Jon O'bir's Ways & Means
Jon’s life changed back in September 2002 when he won DJ competitions for Passion and M8 magazines, beating 300 other aspiring DJs. Godskitchen soon offered Jon a residency and the prospect of a fledging career as Britain’s next DJ sensation. “This is how trance is meant to be: beautiful bosh that takes you to another place,” said Mixmag in its February 2003 feature.
Appearances on the Essential selection and Fergie’s Radio 1 show as well as a trip to Holland for a guest mix on Armin van Buuren’s popular A State of Trance show propelled his name to a wider audience.
In 2005 Jon made an appearance on the world-famous Essential Mix and in 2006 Radio 1 offered Jon a slot on “The Residency” alongside six other DJs including Eddie Halliwell and Nic Fanciulli in which they presented six of their own sets, broadcast live on the UK’s most popular radio station. He also became involved in Radio 1 events such as “One Big Weekend” in Sunderland and Radio 1’s “10 years in Ibiza” live from Space, Ibiza, showcasing Jon’s talent to a huge audience. After the success of “The Residency,: Jon started his own monthly show — Ways & Means — which continues to grow in popularity with listeners and with various worldwide radio stations airing the show on a regular basis.
What Armin van Buuren said about him: “I’ve been impressed with Jon’s recent production work as Aira Force and his A&R work for Conspiracy. The man is clearly on a mission to push his own unique trance sound. He’s still young and has already established his name with the trance elite. He can only get bigger. Don’t say I haven’t told you so.”
During his residency at Godskitchen, Jon gained respect among DJs and clubbers for his flawless warm-up and energetic peak-time sets. He showed how diverse his resident skills were by warming up for Sasha, Tiesto, Paul van Dyk and many more big name acts. He also kept the dance floor rocking, playing after these A-list DJs. Playing at Air and other huge Godskitchen events, such as Global Gathering, other clubs and other big events soon filled up Jon’s diary, including Homelands, Gatecrasher, Slinky and international venues in the US, Asia and Europe. Jon still plays regular Godskitchen events despite the residency ending in 2006 and with each new month, more and more venues book this skilled artist.
In terms of his own productions, Jon’s first few projects were collaborations alongside Gareth Emery and Airwave. Escapade, Bouncebackability and No Way Back, produced with Gareth Emery, gained plenty of support from top DJs and fans alike. The single Promise I Made produced with Airwave, one of Jon’s favorite artists, was also a well-supported release. With his knowledge gained from collaborations, Jon hit the studio to create his first solo production — “Effectual” — and soon to follow was “Ascendancy.” He also worked on a number of remixes, including the massive “Jose Amnesia – Louder” released on Armin van Buuren’s label, Armada.
Along with being a DJ and producer, Jon is also a label manager of Conspiracy Recordings, created in the summer of 2005 by Jon and Rob Stevenson. The label continues to release high-quality tracks produced by new and established artists, gaining support from all big players on the scene.
Last year was even better for Jon O’Bir, with Paul van Dyk releasing Jon’s album “From Within” on his huge record label Vandit; it saw worldwide release in the summer of 2008. With the rising popularity of his productions, radio show and record label, the future looks very bright for O’Bir, who’s still under 25.
Track listing for “Ways & Means”:
1. Can You Hear Me, 2. Taken, 3. Ascendancy, 4. Sunrise, 5. Tell Me (Jon O’Bir featuring Emi), 6. Sparc (Jon O’Bir featuring Solar Movement), 7. Inflexion, 8. Unforgiven (Jon O’Bir featuring Lizzy Parks), 9. All Time That Matters, 10. Do It All Again (Jon O’Bir featuring Emi), 11. Ways and Means, 12. I Need You, 13. Dreaming, and 14. From Within
Make sure you grab an original copy of “Ways & Means” from local record stores; stop the piracy by supporting original labels, otherwise one day you might not find these types of music anywhere.
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