Omar S

It’s rare that one song or album title can sum up the essence of an artist, especially one as complex and versatile as Omar S. And there’s no question that the Detroit-bred icon of electronic music contains multitudes: a willingness to challenge house music’s dogmas while celebrating its history, a seeming ambivalence about the commercialisation of his art that doubles as an irresistible sales pitch. But what could be better shorthand for this truly singular nature than the name of his prismatic album from 2011, It Can Be Done, But Only I Can Do It? A former employee of the Ford Motor Company with a lifelong passion for car racing and an independent label on which he presses most of his own music, Omar S has, since his emergence in 2003, grown slightly more ambitious in his arrangements, all while retaining the irreverent edge that makes him the ideal man for the job.