Louis Rouffaud
Sammy Virji is on fire. Read below about the meteoric rise of this UK artist and what attending one of his crazy garage sets is like.
Who is Sammy Virji?
Raised in Leeds, this English DJ and record producer based out of Newcastle is taking the electronic world by storm. What initially drew me to Sammy’s tunes is his fun, lighthearted and energetic style which will make you incapable of sitting still. All you’ll want to do is dance.
We all know the unfortunate DJ stereotype of the stuck up, insufferable arse. Luckily, Sammy Virji is down to earth and unafraid to show his emotions through dancing, jumping, and being a part of the crowd during his sets. Not to mention his big smile — this dude loves music and it’s clear to anyone watching.
Style & influence
“Virji, isn’t it?” is the iconic line from his 2023 “Goodums – Sammy Virji Remix” with Unknown T. This song is an appropriate place to dive into the intricacies of Sammy’s sound. Self-defined as UK garage and bassline, the lyrics of his music are often simple and looping while seamlessly including R&B influences with soulful vocals.
Danceable UK garage
However, what truly exemplifies his music is by the addictively bouncy (borderline convulsive) beats. Fortunately, Sammy is a musical wizard harnessing this chaotic energy to create some of the most danceable music you’ll listen to. I would be remised if I didn’t mention a couple other of Sammy’s best tracks. Those being “Find My Way Home”, the first song I heard by Virji, and “If U Need It”, his song tearing up the charts as we speak.
“Find My Way Home” essentially loops the two same lines throughout the track:
“I feel so lonely and lost in here”
“I need to find my way home”
In classic Virji fashion, the feeling of the song couldn’t be more opposite from the somber words creating a happy and bouncy tune in that signature Sammy style. “If U Need It” follows this same format while somehow making the song even more infectiously groovy. This song currently has north of 20 million streams on Spotify.
DJ Mag set from 2023
Lastly, it wouldn’t be a real introduction to Sammy Virji without mentioning his set from DJ Mag. Dropped in August of last year, they introduce Sammy to the decks by saying, “You’ll know today’s guest by his lush R&B inspired garage and wobbly bassline.” A perfect description of Virji’s genre. While listening, you’ll begin to understand it’s simply impossible to chill with Sammy behind the decks.
As MC Cunning at the end of the set succinctly put it, “this is the hottest thing since the oven” and I couldn’t agree more. Enjoy the full Sammy Virji’s Energetic UKG & Bassline Set from DJ Mag HQ here:
My excitement doesn’t seem to be an anomaly either, here are some comments on Youtube:
- “This is Sammy’s Fred Again moment and Im so gassed to see how far he goes so so so deserved” from @mirage5420
- “This might just be the best live set I’ve ever listened to. My face is hurting from over an hour of melting. Permanent stank face” from @xtopher642
- “this has gotta be like the 20th time i’ve listened through this set in the past 3 months and i still get chills every listen” from @timsulin7679
Sammy Virji at The Loft in Minneapolis
Now you have the gist of Sammy Virji’s music, what are his shows like?
Luckily for you, at Underground Sound we are nothing if not thorough. Accompanied by a couple friends, I attended Sammy’s show at The Loft in Minneapolis a few months ago. Seeing his set back in February was easily one of the highlights of my winter.
In truth, this show was the most excited I’ve been for an event since hoping on the train to Torino for Kappa Futur two years ago. Even with the expectation, this was easily one of the liveliest shows I’ve experienced.
Although the venue is a notoriously small space, I’ve never seen this place so packed. Right from the start of the show you feel the fun and child-like energy of this guy. Occasionally breaking into absolute chaos throughout the set — Sammy Virji doesn’t bring the party, he is the party. Through his electricity and enthusiasm, the effect of this artist is clear. Transforming even average venues into something you might see at a pumped up Boiler Room.
Sammy Virji international tour dates
Ready to dive into the world of Virji? “This is Sammy Virji” playlist on Spotify is the place to start.
Once you’re well acquainted, check out his tour dates to see if he’s coming to your neighborhood sometime soon. Looking at his tour schedule you’ll find him playing sets in Australia, all around the UK, Southern Europe, and occasionally North America.
If you’re looking for a summer getaway including Virji himself, we recommend Hideout Festival (Croatia) in June, Defected Ushuaïa (Ibiza) in the middle of July, and Piknic Électronik (Montreal) at the end of that month.
Sammy Virji is the man of the moment so grab those tickets now before he inevitably becomes a global icon.
Hungry for fresh beats?
You can find plenty more underground and up-and-coming artists in the music section of Underground Sound. If Afrobeats is your thing, definitely check out our recent interview with GdZilla.
