For Moroccan artist Driss Bennis, also known as OCB, the journey into electronic music began in his older sister’s crates. What started with teenage curiosity evolved over the years into a career that has made him one of Morocco’s most respected electronic artists and the founder of Casa Voyager, a label whose reach now extends far beyond his home town.
Growing up in Casablanca in the 1990s, his immersion into the sound began with video games. “Playing games like the Streets of Rage, Ape Escape or Wipeout can be very formative! My favourite by far was Ridge Racer 4, which has a perfect racing soundtrack. I later discovered that some of these were made by great producers like Tim Wright aka Moondog (RIP) or Soichi Terada”.
It was a spark that led him from pixels to vinyl. His older sister was already a dedicated electronic music fan, mixing records on a Numark setup at home. This ignited a curiosity in OCB and he took the opportunity to have a go himself. “I started sneaking in practice sessions when she wasn’t home and downloaded Fruity Loops (now called FL Studio) on my computer. All this was very anarchic with almost no guidance, so I never really thought it could be more than a passion…until it became my work.”
The shaping of his artistic direction began and whilst the road would not be without its challenges, he quickly became part of a community that would guide each other along the way. “I think more than any club or scene, being surrounded by people that were going through the same challenges artistically as I was, in a difficult cultural context with very limited resources available, was the most helpful.” That shared struggle shaped a generation of Moroccan producers, working with what they had, pushing against cultural barriers. It also planted the seed for Casa Voyager, the label that would become OCB’s’ most important outlet.
The idea for Casa Voyager started back in 2011. Bennis was connecting with more Moroccan producers and together they were moving forward in a similar direction. Although their vision for some kind of platform was already clear, they weren’t quite set up for it and some time would pass before Bennis would take the leap himself. “The idea of doing a music label was quick to come to our mind, but we didn’t have the necessary knowledge, maturity and means to do it correctly. Six years later, I sold a big part of my record collection and studio and eventually started it. The label was created to focus on Moroccan talent and music with personality.”
The turning point came in 2017 with the release of Casa Sports Vol. 1. Pressed in a small run, it sold out instantly and set off ripples far beyond Casablanca. “I would get messages from all over the world – Japan, Mexico, India… it was all very quick.” What started as a passion project grew suddenly from the first moment.
From day one, Casa Voyager has had a clear purpose, more about the music than fitting into any specific category. “I just try to release projects that really speak to me musically and not to think too much about genre. It can be quite challenging to stay relevant while sustaining a cohesive body of work and not falling into trend traps.” This philosophy has allowed the label to move fluidly between styles, from razor-sharp electro and club-focused techno to more leftfield collaborations with artists like Yoofee and Post Industrial Boys. The thread tying it all together is a desire to keep it authentic.
Whilst the label has become a key platform in Morocco’s continually evolving electronic music scene, Bennis prefers to be realistic in his approach to how it might be representing the region itself. Instead, he leads by doing. “We’re not at the Olympics or the World Cup, so I don’t think about “representing” in the sense of being a flag bearer…it would be also pretentious to think that. I just try focusing on what I do and doing it as best I can.” That’s not to say he doesn’t keep the right balance of openness, as well as independence, making Casa Voyager not just a label but a cultural platform that is respected globally.
“Of course my door is always open. I am proud of my culture and love connecting with new Moroccan artists, sharing knowledge and helping when I can. That’s the core of what the label does, but at the end of the day everyone has to find their own path and voice. I can’t define that for anyone, but only be one example among many others.”
The life of a touring DJ is already demanding. Add to that the responsibilities of running a label, producing and nurturing a collective, and the pressure can easily catch up. For OCB, the key was learning to let go. “It was really tough keeping up with everything at some point, especially as touring takes a lot of energy. I had to get very disciplined with my time otherwise it can get very chaotic. I used to be very much a control freak, but I learned through the years to work with a team. Having a strong and reliable team allows you to have time and headspace to be creative.”
That discipline is paying off. Alongside his DJ career, OCB is working on another record for Metroplex, the Detroit institution founded by Juan Atkins, whilst at the same time curating Casa Voyager’s new CVX series, which will bring in fresh international talent and expand the label’s range. “We have some excellent artists joining the label, bringing new and diverse influences to the label’s sound.”
Nearly a decade on from starting Casa Voyager, OCB’s vision is still going strong. What began as a label has evolved into a wider community, a platform for creativity and collaboration. With every release and every project, he remains deeply connected to his roots while pushing the culture forward.
More info on OCB
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