Joy Orbison - still slipping vol. 1 (LP)
From the label:
Joy Orbison - the artist name of Peter O'Grady - presents his first ever long form project. The fourteen track mixtape titled still slipping vol. 1 is the latest creative milestone from an artist who has been shaping and redefining the electronic music landscape since his teens. Over a decade into a career that has seen him constantly defying categorization, Joy Orbison is more in-demand and relevant than ever.
Highly anticipated would be an understatement - so influential are his releases to date, it's difficult to believe he's never released a full length project. The name of the mixtape may already be familiar - an evolution from 2019's acclaimed Slipping EP and also the name of a Joy Orbison curated radio station ("Still Slipping: Los Santos") within Grand Theft Auto's immersive world - but in terms of scope and ambition, still slipping vol.1 is without doubt O'Grady's boldest and most expansive project yet.
still slipping vol.1 is the next evolution in his journey. Fans of Joy Orbison's DJ sets and radio shows will already be aware of his diverse tastes and inspirations, represented here through a roll call of delicately curated, mainly UK, collaborators that include Herron, James Massiah, Bathe, Léa Sen, Goya Gumbani and Tyson. Just as important are the voices Joy Orbison's family - mum, dad, sister Sarah, uncle Frankie, uncle Keith (recently departed), auntie Helen and cousins Lola, Mia and Leighann, who was the first person to introduce O’Grady to drum and bass and garage as a kid and stars on the mixtape’s cover art. They appear throughout the record via a series of voice notes, his only contact with his family during this year of worldwide lockdown and an intimate, vicarious glimpse into the personal world of an artist who has generally side-stepped the public gaze.
The result is Joy Orbison's best music to date and a powerful distillation of his musical career so far. Recorded in his Walworth Window studio in south east London, this is serious, future-facing sound system music cut through with a sense of warmth and playfulness much needed for these times.