Oliver Malcolm intends to burn the music industry down. The Sweedish-born, British-bred producer turned singer makes this abundantly clear on his debut single “Switched Up,” as Oliver’s soulful falsetto explodes over ominous guitar strums and an expertly crafted trap-percussion groove. The music video mirrors this fiery entrance: Oliver convulses with a passion to a payphone within a frozen forest reminiscent of Fargo or Twin Peaks, the sun sneaking behind the clouds in a matter of seconds leaving Oliver triumphantly dancing atop a pickup truck. Oliver Malcolm has jumped from behind the production boards and made his intentions abundantly clear: he’s here to be a superstar.
Photos Courtesy of Oliver Malcolm Instagram
When Oliver was 16 he moved to Los Angeles with his parents. Under the producer pseudonym Big Kidd, the teenage-producer blazed a path for himself into the producing world, achieving production credits for rap-legends MF DOOM and Joey Bada$$ before turning 18. While this kind of early success and career-path is a dream for many musicians, Oliver Malcolm’s experience behind the iron gates of music’s most influential artists and producers left the young artist disturbed with the monotonous, factory-like process that creates the world’s biggest hits. Forced to move back to London, Oliver set out to create a unique sound to affect the mainstream music, much like England’s punk bands in decades past.
Oliver Malcolm’s “Kevin’s” captivating baseline and distorted vocals bleed internet-punk energy and bounce reminiscent of The Gorillaz in their mid-2000’s peak. The music video pays homage to The Gorillaz by imitating their notorious animation style to portray Oliver walking down a dark London street as children follow his lead. “Helen” is Oliver’s most impressive track to date, masterfully chopping an energetic vocal sample into a bed of muted chord progression, snappy arpeggiators, and lush percussion. Oliver’s powerful voice and haunting lyrics about the loss of a loved one create a beautifully sad and honest portrait of trauma. Signed to Interscope offshoot Darkroom (Billie Eilish), with only four impressive singles on the board, Oliver Malcolm is ready to take over the music industry, claiming the spot of Dangerous Artist of the Week.
