SBTRKT

Biography

SBTRKT is the electronic music project of Aaron Jerome, a producer and DJ born in London, England, though he spent part of his childhood on a farm in rural England, shaped by a multicultural heritage that traces through East Africa, India, and Scotland. Jerome’s early exposure to diverse cultures and subcultures—his mother’s Goan, Kenyan, and Portuguese roots, and his father’s Scottish farming ancestry—imbued his music with a sense of cultural ambiguity and global perspective. He began his career as a DJ in London’s underground club scene, notably at Plastic People, and gained attention in the late 2000s through remixes for artists like Radiohead, M.I.A., Basement Jaxx, and Franz Ferdinand. His 2011 self-titled debut album, featuring collaborations with Jessie Ware and Sampha, was critically acclaimed and established him as a leading figure in UK electronic music, known for blending genres and pioneering a masked, enigmatic stage persona. Jerome’s subsequent albums—2014’s 'Wonder Where We Land' and 2016’s 'Save Yourself'—further showcased his genre-fluid approach and willingness to tackle sociopolitical themes, while his 2023 comeback, 'The Rat Road,' marked a more personal and unmasked phase, reflecting on identity, artistic reinvention, and the pressures of the music industry. Throughout his career, SBTRKT has been celebrated for his innovative production, dynamic live shows, and ability to collaborate across musical boundaries.

Fun Facts

• SBTRKT and his collaborators originally performed live wearing tribal masks, a signature visual element that contributed to the project’s mystique, though Jerome later abandoned the masks to embrace a more personal artistic identity.
• Jerome is largely self-taught as a producer and estimates he created over 2,000 songs during a seven-year hiatus between albums.
• His multicultural upbringing—spanning rural England, Kenya, India, and Scotland—deeply informs his music and worldview, setting him apart from more typical British South-Asian narratives.
• Despite his music career, Jerome has also worked as a copywriter for an electricity company.

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Sampha - Frequent vocal and production collaborator (SBTRKT (2011), Wonder Where We Land (2014), Save Yourself (2016)) [2010–2016]
• Jessie Ware - Featured vocalist and collaborator (SBTRKT (2011), Wonder Where We Land (2014)) [2011–2014]
• Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) - Guest vocalist (Wonder Where We Land (2014))
• Caroline Polachek (Chairlift) - Guest vocalist (Wonder Where We Land (2014))
• A$AP Ferg - Guest vocalist (Wonder Where We Land (2014))
• Shelley FKA DRAM - Guest vocalist (Save Yourself (2016))
• The-Dream - Guest vocalist (Save Yourself (2016))

Artists Influenced

• SHERELLE - Cited SBTRKT’s debut as a formative influence (N/A) [2010s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Wildfire (SBTRKT (Deluxe Version))
2. Hold On (SBTRKT (Deluxe Version))
3. Pharaohs (SBTRKT (Deluxe Version))
4. NEW DORP. NEW YORK (Wonder Where We Land)
5. Wildfire (SBTRKT)
6. Trials of the Past (SBTRKT (Deluxe Version))
7. BET YOU NEVER
8. Right Thing to Do (SBTRKT (Deluxe Version))
9. FORWARD
10. TURN YOUR HEART AROUND

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results; Last.fm provides a user-edited biography.)
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #bass, #dubstep, #future-garage