Sammy Virji

Sammy Virji crafts and performs lively, energetic dance tracks that center on bassline and U.K. garage. After emerging in 2017, he moved away from the playful, rowdy character of the bassline scene toward a smoother, more tuneful garage approach, issuing material through Conducta’s Kiwi Rekords. His independently released full-length Spice Up My Life arrived in 2020, and he joined forces with Flava D, Ragga Twins, and salute while drawing notice for his take on piri & tommy’s chart-topping “on & on.” A 2023 DJ Mag session that circulated widely boosted his profile sharply, after which the single “If U Need It” entered the U.K. charts; subsequent releases paired him with Chris Lake, Joy Anonymous, and Interplanetary Criminal.

Born Samuel Bashir Virji in London and raised in Witney, Oxfordshire, he is the son of Fayyaz Virji, who teaches at the London Centre of Contemporary Music and performs on trombone, euphonium, and piano alongside artists spanning jazz, classical, and pop. His father never pushed him toward music, yet Sammy took up piano and guitar independently before turning to production software. Mix CDs from Plastician and Skream introduced him to dubstep; after relocating to Newcastle for university, a club encounter with Flava D prompted him to explore bassline. Several early cuts gained traction online, leading to the 2017 split EP Chips n Gravy with Dr. Cryptic. Additional singles followed, and by the time “Find My Way Home” surfaced in late 2018 his style had shifted toward U.K. garage, marked by quick vocal edits and sleek chords. “Shapes (Oh Will)” appeared on Conducta’s Kiwi Rekords in 2019, and the pair teamed up for “Whippet.” Virji put out Spice Up My Life on his own label in 2020, where it reached number seven on the U.K. Dance Albums chart.

The EP We’ll Be Alright followed in 2021. The next year brought Bloom, which featured Ragga Twins, the Flava D collaboration “Truth,” and Blue Breeze, the latter containing a track with trumpet from Fayyaz Virji. Virji also reworked “on & on” by piri & tommy. In 2023 he linked with salute on “Peach” and Flowdan on “Shella Verse.” A live set captured at DJ Mag’s offices in August spread rapidly, prompting a surge in bookings; several well-received pieces from that performance were released as singles, and the November track “If U Need It” became his first U.K. chart success. Further 2024 singles included “Summertime Blues” alongside Chris Lake and Nathan Nicholson, “Bogeyman,” “JOY (By My Side)” with Joy Anonymous, and “Danger” with Interplanetary Criminal.