Born in Lille but raised in South London, Oliver Godji brings unpredictability, rasped melody and an outsider spirit to the familiar textures of hip hop, R&B, drill and dancehall. As proved by “Party Here”, though—his 2017 hymn to self-actualisation–he is much more than mere conduit. Whether riding a low-tempo bounce with grime royalty (“Bet” featuring Skepta and Michael Phantom) or reinterpreting club-ready trap (“Stand Down” from debut tape SPACEMAN), Octavian bends genre to his will and crafts something lyrically complex, formally restless and exhilaratingly new.