Oliver Sabin (born 5 November 1991), formerly known as Unicorn Kid, is a Scottish
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
/
chip music
Chiptune, also known as chip music or 8-bit music, is a style of synthesizer, synthesized electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade game, arcade machines, computers and vi ...
composer and musician from
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, educated at
Leith Academy. When asked about the name of the act, Sabin stated, "There’s no real story behind the name, it just kind of came about and fitted in with the fun, magical nature of the music." Sabin has had a number of
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
appearances including an early live session on the
Vic Galloway
Michael "Vic" Galloway (born 4 August 1972) is a DJ on BBC Radio Scotland. Galloway presents a self-titled show on Radio Scotland every Monday from 9pm to 11pm and also the BBC Introducing Scotland Thursday evenings/Friday mornings from 11pm to ...
BBC Radio 1 show and a
BBC Maida Vale Studios session for
Rob da Bank
Robert John Gorham (born 24 June 1973 in Portsmouth, Hampshire), known by the pseudonym Rob da Bank, is an English DJ and co-founder of music festivals Bestival, originally on the Isle of Wight and now moved to Lulworth, Dorset and Camp Bestiv ...
. In September 2014, he announced the end of Unicorn Kid to pursue a different alias. In 2017, Sabin released a DJ set on Soundcloud under the alias Plush.
History
Sabin first started writing electronic music when he was 15. By the time he was 16, Sabin started recording under the name "Unicorn Kid". Emerging in 2007, Unicorn Kid helped spark the brief revival of
chiptune, a genre which involves making dance music using the sound chips from old
game consoles
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a ...
. This was alongside such performers as Anamanaguchi, RushJet1 and Dubmood.
Early years (2009–2010)
After two self-released EPs, 'Lion Hat' was released in early 2009 on Euphonios, a Scottish-based independent label, followed up by 'Wee Monsters'/'Animal City' (Euphonios 2009).
In mid-2009, Sabin remixed the
Pet Shop Boys single "
Did You See Me Coming?". The Unicorn Kid mix was released on the 12" vinyl version and as part of the digital bundle. In April 2010, Sabin provided the first remix of the
Gorillaz track "
Superfast Jellyfish".
''Dreamcatcher'' and ''Wild Life'' (2010–2011)
![Unicornkid milwaukee owlcity](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Unicornkid_milwaukee_owlcity.jpg)
Signed by
EMI Music Publishing
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by parent company Sony Corporation of America.
In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pending ...
in 2009, Sabin initially released his material through the Euphonios label, but signed to
Ministry of Sound in February 2010 and
Ultra Records
Ultra Records is an American record label formed in New York City in 1995 by former PolyGram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey. As of December 23, 2012, Ultra entered a global partnership with Sony Music, giving its artists access to ...
in the USA. His first release on
Ministry of Sound was the track "Dreamcatcher", followed by Wild Life in October 2010.
In 2009, following an appearance at
T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
and support slots for
Calvin Harris, played two official shows at
In the City and
Sŵn Festival. Unicorn Kid has also supported Pet Shop Boys in Scotland, and in early 2010 supported
Hadouken! on their UK tour before performing several shows at
SXSW as one of the official
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...
representatives. He returned to SXSW in 2011, and featured in a
BBC Scotland documentary.
''Tidal Rave'' and ''Brain Wash'' (2011–2014)
In August 2011, Unicorn Kid released the three track 'Tidal Rave' EP, with the final track "True Love Fantasy" featuring as 'Hottest Record in the World' on the 25 August 2011
Zane Lowe
Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter.
After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...
show on BBC Radio 1. It was then featured on the BBC's 'In New Music We Trust' playlist and as 'Record of the Week' by both
Nick Grimshaw and
Huw Stephens
Huw Meredydd Stephens (born 25 May 1981) is a Welsh radio and television presenter, currently broadcasting on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.
Stephens founded the Sŵn music festival with John Rostron and the yearly s ...
. The track includes vocals from Talk to Animals, with whom Sabin had collaborated on his first release.
Unicorn Kid was the support act for synth-pop musician
Owl City
Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young, who created the project while experimenting with music in his pa ...
on his rescheduled UK and European tour in September/October 2011. In December 2011, Unicorn Kid featured as part of BBC Radio 1's Festive Festival showcasing 2011's rising stars hotly tipped for big things in the New Year.
In April 2012, Sabin released a new track "Pure Space" for free download just prior to a UK tour with
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after ...
. The track premiered online on
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
.
Despite no advertisement or announcement from either Sabin or 3Beat, he released his debut album ''Brain Wash'' on iTunes via 3Beat Records on 27 January 2014. It contained 11 tracks, many of which were previously released.
The End of Unicorn Kid (2014)
On 7 September, after being released from his contract with 3Beat, Sabin announced via Twitter that he had called it quits as Unicorn Kid because he was not enjoying the direction his music was going under the alias. He announced that he will be back later in 2014 with a brand new project.
Plush (2017-Present)
On September 7, 2017, Sabin released a DJ set called ''birth of plush'' as Plush, featuring an original composition. On October 24, 2022, Doss released the single "Look (All Night Mix)" with production credits featuring Plush.
Personal life
In an interview with Teen Witch Magazine, Unicorn Kid explained that he has been
openly gay
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
since the age of 13.
Discography
Albums
*''Brain Wash'' (27 January 2014)
Singles
*"Lion Hat" (2009)
*"Wee Monsters" (2009)
*"Dreamcatcher" (2010)
*"Wild Life" (2010)
*"Pure Space" (2012)
*"Need U" (2012)
*"I Remember" (Feat. Nicholas Petricca) (2013)
EPs
*''We Had Eaten All the Animals, and Bartered All the Jewels'' (with Talk to Animals) (2007)
*''Sugarfest!'' (2008)
*''Lion Hat'' (2009)
*''Wee Monsters'' (2009)
*''Dreamcatcher'' (2010)
*''Tidal Rave'' (2011)
*''Feel So Real'' (2013)
*''Need U (Remixes)'' (2013)
Remixes
*
Pet Shop Boys –
Did You See Me Coming? (Unicorn Kid Mix) (2009)
*
You Love Her Coz She's Dead
You Love Her (formerly known as You Love Her Coz She's Dead and stylized as YOU LOVE HER) is an English electronic music project formed in Bath in 2007.
History
The project signed to French record label Kitsuné as a duo in 2008. Their debut s ...
– Me Versus You (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2009)
*
Gorillaz –
Superfast Jellyfish (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2010)
*
DJ Khaled
Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper.
Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz, a ...
–
I'm On One
I Am or I'm may refer to:
Language and literature
* "I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name
** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible
* "I Am" (p ...
(Feat.
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
) (Unicorn Kid STADIUM Mix) (2011)
*
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyb ...
– Unobstructed Views (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2011)
*
Blood Diamonds
''Blood Diamond'' is a 2006 American political war action thriller film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds ...
– Phone Sex (Feat.
Grimes
Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has i ...
) (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2012)
*
Van She
Van She are an electropop band formed in 2002 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie (pronounced Van Ski) on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar. ...
– Jamaica (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2012)
*
The Very Best (band)
The Very Best is a collaboration between London-based DJ and production duo Radioclit and Esau Mwamwaya, a singer from Lilongwe, Malawi. Their music has been described as an Afro-Western mix of dance, hip hop, pop, and the traditional music of Ma ...
- Kondaine (Feat. Seye) (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2012)
*
A*M*E
Aminata Kabba (born 13 December 1994), better known by her stage name KABBA, formerly known as A*M*E, is a British singer and songwriter. KABBA was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 13 December 1994. In 2011, Amy was scouted and signed by Take ...
– Heartless (Unicorn Kid Dub Mix) (2013)
*
Chlöe Howl
Chlöe Howl (born Chlöe Louise Howells; 4 March 1995), is a British singer-songwriter. She was shortlisted for the BBC Sound of 2014 and the 2014 BRIT Awards: Critics Choice Award.
Career Early life
Chlöe Howl (real name Chlöe Howells) wa ...
– Rumour (Unicorn Kid Remix) (2013)
*
Sky Ferreira
Sky Tonia Ferreira (born July 8, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloods ...
–
Everything is Embarrassing
"Everything Is Embarrassing" is a song by American singer Sky Ferreira from her second extended play (EP), '' Ghost'' (2012). It was first premiered online on August 30, 2012, and was later released as a single on April 16, 2013, by Capitol Recor ...
(Unicorn Kid Remix) (2013)
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unicorn Kid
Musicians from Edinburgh
People from Leith
1991 births
Living people
Gay songwriters
Scottish gay musicians
Scottish LGBT songwriters
Scottish electronic musicians
Scottish keyboardists
Scottish songwriters
Avant-garde keyboardists
Chiptune musicians
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people