French born, Brussels based producer Victor Ha embodies the form of Öspiel, an alias that depicts thick soundscapes and experimental textures with regal elegance.

We first discovered Victor back in mid 2015 when our 3rd Various Artists EP ‘Confluence’ was beginning to take shape. At the time, we were seeking to develop working relationships with artists across Europe and the rest of the world whilst simultaneously expanding our artist portfolio. After one of many late night A&R sessions, Alexander’s attention was caught by Victor’s Soundcloud profile; the combination of French influence and the execution of his own style was as apparent as it was captivating.

Over the following months we spoke more with Victor and learnt about his sound and his direction as an artist. His unique and deliberate use of audio indicated that he was an artist then unrecognised by his peers for his evident talent and eclectic style.

From the initial submission’s that we’d received, we were unable to separate or otherwise detach a single production from his body of works. With such as strong sound, it’s often quite difficult to identify a single track that would compliment a Various Artists release. Still, we knew we were onto something good and we were all in agreement that the time would come, when the perfect track and release would align.

Several months passed until February 2016, when a powerful collection of demos suddenly arrived in Alexander’s inbox. The artistic intent of these productions coupled with the circumstantial timing of our catalog allowed us to merge the defining track from Victor’s submissions ‘Nazareth‘ with one of our most cohesive releases to date.

Fast forward to April 2017, the weather at Manchester Airport is overcast and dull, thankfully in stark contrast to the vibe between the team which was electric. We were finally heading to Paris with a full agenda and we were excited to put the real face of Victor Ha to the arcane alias of Öspiel.

After we landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, we dropped our bags at our apartment and rushed out to a nearby bar called ‘Le Prado’ nestled between Paris’s 2nd and 3rd districts, where we met with another of our treasured French artists (Keikari) for the first time. We pitched up on the short wooden stools outside and within moments the atmosphere was relaxed, it was as if we’d known each other for years. Shortly after, Victor alongside another friend from our European crew, Elias, appeared outside the bar.

Victor’s infectious smile and professional aura were exuded from the word go, and it was nice to see that the positive values and happiness of our team were mutually shared. An evening of natural conversation and good energy ensued, setting an undeniable precedent for both our interpersonal and working relationships going forwards.

Over the course of the week we saw Victor several times and what interested us so much about our discussions was how undeniably artistic and deliberate he was about his creative works.

Victor is an artist in its purest form, speaking to him about his music exposes the passion in his eyes; he is a true creative. Artists like Victor motivate our entire team and make us very proud of the platform that we share with incredible artists and creators.

One week later we returned to Manchester, a deflating and sobering experience that we’re reluctantly becoming more accustomed to as time passes; still, we felt reinvigorated with renewed focus and new, stronger connections to artists such as Öspiel, that were no longer detached from the personalities and individuals which created them.

As Öspiel, Victor is working on EP collaborations with producer Kuss, in addition to releasing his first solo EP in April 2018 on the French label Nocturnal Frequencies. As an extension of his productions and his artistic style, Victor showcases his talent through his involvement with the Parisian collective ‘Material‘ and via his established [Live] and [Hybrid] sets as Öspiel, which since our first rendezvous has fast become a staple of his bookings across Europe. For the first ever [Hybrid] set featured on ABYSS Presents, there was simply no question of who to choose.