Sammy Virji primarily makes UK garage and bassline.

But like most interesting dance producers, he doesn’t stay completely inside either box.

His music also touches:

house
dubstep
grime
UK bass
electronic pop

Virji began closer to the rowdier bassline scene before gradually moving toward a smoother, more melodic UK garage sound.

He’s now one of the most visible artists leading the global UK garage revival.

And on September 11, 2026, he teamed up with Barry Can’t Swim for “I Could Be Madonna”, a direct homage to classic UK garage.

What is UK garage?

UK garage emerged in Britain during the 1990s.

It developed partly from American garage house but quickly evolved its own sound.

One of the easiest ways to recognise UK garage is the drums.

Instead of the completely straight:

kick
kick
kick
kick

rhythm associated with much house music, garage drums skip and shuffle.

That gives the music a distinctive bounce.

What is 2-step garage?

2-step removes some of the kick drums you would normally expect in four-to-the-floor dance music.

The rhythm feels less predictable.

More space opens up between the beats.

That space can be filled with:

bass
vocals
percussion
chopped samples

It’s one reason garage often feels simultaneously energetic and smooth.

What is bassline?

Bassline grew particularly strongly in northern England during the 2000s.

It takes garage foundations and pushes the low end considerably harder.

The bass itself becomes one of the main characters.

Early Sammy Virji material leaned more obviously into this style.

Why is Sammy Virji so popular?

His music is fun.

That sounds simplistic.

It isn’t.

Dance music can sometimes become obsessed with seriousness and credibility.

Virji’s records tend to sound joyful.

The bass is heavy.

The drums move quickly.

But there’s often a playful energy rather than darkness.

The Guardian highlighted that optimism as a major part of his growing international appeal.

Why is UK garage big again?

Because musical generations repeat.

Artists who grew up hearing late-1990s and early-2000s garage are now producing their own version.

Meanwhile, younger listeners are discovering the genre without nostalgia.

They simply like the sound.

Artists pushing the current wave include:

Sammy Virji
Oppidan
Interplanetary Criminal
Conducta
MPH
Notion
Bakey

What songs should you start with?

Try:

Sammy Virji – If U Need It
Sammy Virji – Shella Verse
Sammy Virji – Nostalgia
Sammy Virji – Peach
Barry Can’t Swim & Sammy Virji – I Could Be Madonna

Then move backwards into classic garage:

MJ Cole – Sincere
Artful Dodger – Movin’ Too Fast
Sweet Female Attitude – Flowers
DJ Luck & MC Neat – A Little Bit of Luck
Craig David – Fill Me In

What is “I Could Be Madonna”?

The new collaboration with Barry Can’t Swim deliberately draws from classic UK garage.

It’s a useful introduction because the two artists come from slightly different parts of modern British electronic music.

Barry Can’t Swim frequently mixes house and live instrumentation.

Virji brings the garage swing and bassline heritage.

The result sits comfortably between them.

Is Sammy Virji EDM?

Technically, UK garage is electronic dance music.

But using “EDM” as the genre name isn’t particularly informative.

EDM is an umbrella.

Calling Sammy Virji EDM is a bit like calling Nirvana “guitar music”.

True.

Not useful.

UK garage is the better answer.

Artists like Sammy Virji

Try:

Oppidan
Interplanetary Criminal
Conducta
Salute
MPH
Notion
Bakey
DJ Seinfeld
Barry Can’t Swim
Fred again..

Then explore the original UK garage era.

Once you start hearing the shuffled drums, you’ll recognise them everywhere.

So what genre is Sammy Virji?

UK garage first.

Bassline second.

Everything else when he feels like it.

And judging by how quickly garage is moving back into mainstream dance music, he’s arriving at exactly the right moment.