Compass

The soul-rooted artist Joel Compass followed a distinctive path that encompassed the 2014 U.K. Top 40 single “Forgive Me,” an extended period spent building an extensive body of work as an in-demand collaborator, and a discreet re-emergence as a self-contained writer and producer, marked by the 2020 release of the introspective “Hypocrite,” his first mononymous single on ARTium Recordings.

Born in London, Compass entered the scene in 2013 via the four-track EP Astronaut, which appeared under license to the Black Butter imprint. The project demonstrated both his facility for collective songwriting and production—evident on the title cut—and his ability to operate independently. The following year Polydor issued the mature-pop-meets-contemporary-soul ballad “Forgive Me,” which climbed to number 34 on the U.K. chart; later that year Compass delivered a Black Butter mixtape and the Polydor follow-up “Girlfriends,” which reached number 82.

Despite the accumulating commercial traction, Compass largely stepped away from public view for several years. Collaboration had already formed part of his pre-chart resume, and it became his central activity thereafter. After securing placements on 2014 projects by Gorgon City, Cheryl, and FKA twigs, he remained exclusively behind the scenes for the rest of the decade. Artists ranging from Aqualung, Seal, and Jamie Cullum to Mabel, Tinashe, and Jorja Smith enlisted his services, underscoring his stylistic range; he also produced and co-wrote “You,” a standout track from Snoh Aalegra’s 2019 ARTium Recordings album—the label established by No I.D. In August 2020 the connection to ARTium was reinforced with the arrival of “Hypocrite.”