With ‘XXX IN ALL 4RMS,’ OLUWA Shows Why the Possibilities Are Endless
The rising artist on turning personal experiences into dance music, collaborating with friends across genres, and why he never wants listeners to know what comes next.
Photo Courtesy of Bureau Blanqo
With XXX IN ALL 4RMS, OLUWA takes a deeply personal song and transforms it into something far bigger than a remix project. Built around his 2025 single “XXX,” the EP reimagines the track across multiple genres, moods, and perspectives, creating a collection of songs that feel entirely distinct while remaining connected by the same emotional core. What began as a record born from a period of isolation and uncertainty has evolved into a collaborative project shaped by friendship, experimentation, and creative freedom.
For the Peckham-raised and London/Paris-based artist, DJ, and producer, his approach to music is one with few boundaries and even fewer rules. Having steadily carved out a space for himself within and beyond the underground, drawing from electronic music, ballroom culture, R&B, techno, Jersey Club, and countless influences in between. That openness has earned him support from platforms and communities including GauchoWorld x Salomon, Pssy Palace x Rinse UK, among others–while his radio residencies at Tsugi Radio and Reprezent Radio continue to place him at the center of conversations around club culture and emerging sounds.
On the EP, close creative peers help expand his vision across tracks such as “X 4 CUNT” (ft. MISSY DA KUNT), “X 4 XTREAM” (ft. Kemmanuel) and Mokish on the title track—with each remix offering a new interpretation of the same story. Ultimately, if the project proves anything, it’s that OLUWA has no interest in standing still. For an artist who describes his creative world as an ‘explosion’ of genres, influences and ideas, XXX IN ALL 4RMS feels less like a destination and more like the beginning of something larger.
As he continues to push beyond expectations and embrace unpredictability, 1202 MAGAZINE caught up with OLUWA to discuss the making of the EP, the communities that shaped him, and why he never wants listeners to know exactly what comes next.
Photo Courtesy of Bureau Blanqo
For people who might be discovering OLUWA for the first time, how would you describe the world you've built around your music?
I would describe my music and my whole artist identity as an explosion—a cocktail of different influences, genres, BPMs, and styles. The reason I made XXX IN ALL 4RMS is that I wanted to open the playground to as many people as possible. That’s why I created completely different versions of the same song. I don’t want to get boxed into one sound. The more genres I cover, the less people are surprised when I release something completely different. I’ve already opened the door to those sounds.
You’ve moved between different cities, cultures, and creative communities throughout your life. What experiences have shaped you most as an artist?
Moving to London, for sure. When I moved from Paris to London, I experienced a huge shift in my sound and creative process. I think you can hear it in the music now. I’m a lot freer, and I don’t try to fit everything into a specific pop-song structure anymore. I don’t care if there’s a verse, a chorus, a pre-chorus, whatever. If I want to make a 30-second song, I’ll do it. If it feels right, it feels right. Moving to Paris laid the foundation for the music I make today, but back then I was still chasing the perfection of a typical pop song. London helped me let go of that.
Photo Courtesy of Bureau Blanqo
Community feels like an important thread throughout your work. What role have the people and spaces around you played in your creative development?
It’s extremely important. The reason I make music the way I do today. Why I’ve fully gone into electronic music and can move across so many genres is that I’m a DJ. Half of my life is spent inside clubs, dancing, educating myself, vibing, DJing, or working. The techno scene in France, the jazz scene, ballroom culture—all of those spaces inspire me. Before Oluwa.MP4, I made music under another name, Season Wave. I was making alternative R&B and French-inspired music because those were the spaces I was surrounded by. I wasn’t really branching into electronic music. But once I realized electronic music was endless, that you could do absolutely anything with it, that’s where I found myself.
Your work pulls from a lot of different sounds, scenes, and influences. How do you make sense of all of those inspirations when you're creating?
It usually happens naturally. I’m not the type of person who walks into the studio and says, ‘Today I’m going to make a soul song,’ or ‘Today I’m going to make a techno song.’ One day I’m listening to hard techno, hardcore, gabber, groovy music. The next day I’m listening to Brandy’s Afrodisiac. Then maybe I’m listening to Shygirl, Brooke Candy, or someone completely different. When you mix all of those influences together, they create their own explosion. That’s how I make music. I take inspiration from everything, and it becomes its own thing.
What excites you most creatively right now?
Old M.I.A. definitely inspires me a lot. Prince. Brandy. Sega Bodega. Arca. Those are artists I can listen to over and over again and still discover something new every time. Even if I’ve heard a song a hundred times, there’s always a new sound or detail hidden inside it that gets me excited all over again.
Photo Courtesy of Bureau Blanqo
Let’s talk about XXX IN ALL 4RMS. What was the initial spark behind the project?
The original version of ‘XXX’ was made in 2024. I was with my ex at the time and going through a really complicated situation. I had just moved out, cut off my whole family, and I was feeling very alone. I was also struggling creatively. I wanted to take experiences I’d lived through and turn them into a dance track. One thing I’ve always loved is when you’re dancing to a song and then later realize it’s actually about something really deep. Taking trauma and transforming it into joy, passion, and something people can sing along to—that’s beautiful to me.
That’s how XXX started. Originally it was a UK funky house track. Then I left it alone for almost a year. Eventually my best friend and collaborator, Kermanuel, heard it. He pushed it into a more experimental direction and helped shape what the song became. After that, I realized I had so many friends I’d been wanting to work with. Instead of putting out one version and hoping for the best, I thought: why not invite all these people I admire and create seven completely different versions of the same song? The goal was for every remix to feel like its own world.
Was there a particular track on the project that unlocked everything else?
Honestly, it was ‘XXX’ itself. That song was the one that fully pushed me into electronic music. I’d always wanted to make electronic music, but I was scared people wouldn’t understand it. I was anxious about stepping away from what people expected from me. ‘XXX’ was the song that made me realize I wanted to live in that world. As for the remix titles, they kind of explain themselves. X for Heat. X for Life. X for Extreme. And yes, X for XTC is absolutely a reference to ecstasy. It’s a UK garage remix, and people often associate garage and electronic music with drugs. I wanted to be playful and a little bit cheeky with it.
Photo Courtesy of Bureau Blanqo
What were you chasing emotionally or sonically with this project that you hadn’t explored before?
I wanted everyone to find a comfort zone somewhere inside the record. Not everyone likes Jersey Club. Not everyone likes garage, techno, or Brazilian funk. Everyone has different tastes. So I thought: If someone doesn’t connect with one version, that’s okay—there are six more. I wanted people to connect with the lyrics and the story behind the song, regardless of what genre they usually listen to. Every remix serves a different audience, but they’re all connected by the same core message.
What did the creative process behind the remix EP look like?
It happened very naturally. Kemmanuel suggested making an alternative version of ‘XXX,’ and I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s do it for fun.’ Then I started talking to friends and realized there were so many people I’d been wanting to collaborate with. Once I started teasing the project online, producers I admired were reaching out asking if they could be involved too. A lot of the process happened through conversations, FaceTimes, and sharing ideas. The producers weren’t there to recreate my world—they were there to bring the song into theirs. That’s what makes the project special to me. There were definitely moments where I thought about scrapping the whole thing because it felt like it was taking too long. But my friends kept encouraging me to continue. Without them, it probably wouldn’t exist.
What was the most challenging part of creating and releasing the project?
Honestly, releasing it. Making it wasn’t difficult. Putting it out into the world was. The lyrics are very personal and come from a real place in my life. When something means that much to you, you’re naturally more sensitive to how people respond to it. I wasn’t worried about the music itself. I was worried about sharing something that vulnerable.
Photo Courtesy of Bureau Blanqo
What do you hope people take away from XXX IN ALL 4RMS?
That the possibilities are endless and limitless. I’m never going to stick to one genre. One song might have five genres inside it. One project might have ten genres across a handful of tracks. It’s the same way I DJ. I can go from Jersey Club to ballroom, from Brazilian funk to techno to R&B, and make it all flow naturally. I want people to understand that unpredictability is part of who I am as an artist.
If this project captures where you are today, what does the next chapter of Oluwa.MP4 look like?
I’m already working on new music. There’s a song called Sweat that I’m really excited about, and we’re currently working on visuals for it. It’s probably one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made. Beyond that, I’ve started thinking about creating a proper body of work—an EP built around original songs that tell a larger story. But I’m not putting pressure on myself. If I put pressure on myself, I procrastinate. I’m just letting things flow. Last week I made two songs in a single day. Sometimes that's how it happens. If it feels right, I’ll follow it.
