Meet Oscar Manning, a self-taught maverick producer, vocalist, and songwriter, who creates under the pseudonym Ballast. Hailing from the Central Coast, his journey into music began at the tender age of 7, when he found solace in tapping rhythms on anything within reach. Though, it wasn’t until his teenage years where Ballast truly found his calling. A chance encounter with a friend's DJ decks ignited a spark that would blaze into a passion for music production. Armed with little more than determination and a pirated music production program, Ballast immersed himself in the art of mixing, honing his craft through the vast expanse of the internet's free resources. Abandoning his university studies after a mere month, Ballast moved to London alone at the age of 20, in pursuit of his musical aspirations. The repercussions of COVID-19 called him back after just a year, though this only fuelled his creative ambition. He shortly after joined The Conservatorium of Music studying Vocals, with the accomplished and decorated, Michaele Archer. His performances both nationally and internationally are constantly delivered with a high-octane yet doozy energy which translates his world into something digestible for the audience. Promising continued versatile, boundary-pushing production, his glitchy and moody pieces hold common ground with experimental electronic roots, while taking clear inspiration from infectious pop hooks and the raw energy of rap. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴀʀᴛ