You've probably heard "Dreams of an Absolution" a thousand times. If you grew up in the 2000s, that synth-heavy theme for Silver the Hedgehog basically lived in your head rent-free. But there is a massive difference between a musician who just writes for a game and one who builds a whole universe out of it. Bentley Jones (born Lee Brotherton) isn't just "the Silver theme guy." He has essentially crossed the line from a composer to a creator within the Sonic community, and it all revolves around one specific character: Ozkar the Hedgehog.
Kinda wild, right? A professional music producer with millions of streams and credits for artists like Britney Spears and Madonna has a Sonic OC (Original Character). It’s not just a hobby, though. Honestly, Ozkar Onyx Wylde is the face of Bentley’s current "Sonicverse" projects.
Who Is Ozkar the Hedgehog?
For a long time, Bentley Jones was the behind-the-scenes power house. He was the one arranging "His World" or remixing "Open Your Heart" for official SEGA compilations. But the Sonic fanbase is driven by OCs. It’s the lifeblood of the community. In 2024 and 2025, Bentley leaned all the way into this culture by introducing Ozkar the Hedgehog (or Ozkar Onyx Wylde).
Ozkar isn't just a doodle on a napkin. He’s a fully realized, 3D-modeled character who "fronts" music videos and performs alongside other community-created characters. He even has his own lore, living in a Neo-Tokyo-inspired apartment and dealing with the same kind of existential, moody energy that made Silver’s theme so iconic.
Why the OC Community Lost Their Minds
Most professional artists keep their distance from "fan-tier" activities like creating OCs. Bentley did the opposite. He invited fans to submit their own OCs to appear in his music videos, specifically for the track "In the Nightlight," which served as the official theme for SonicCon.
Imagine having your character, something you drew in a notebook during math class, appearing in a high-production music video next to an official Sonic series composer. That’s the level of engagement we’re talking about. It bridged the gap between the "official" world of SEGA and the "fan" world of DeviantArt and Twitter.
The Music Behind the Character
If you think the Bentley Jones Sonic OC is just for show, you haven't heard the tracks. This isn't just MIDI files. Bentley released an entire project titled ABSOLUTION: Music from the Sonicverse Vol. 1.
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- "In the Nightlight": This is the flagship Ozkar song. It’s got that signature Bentley Jones electronic-rock fusion.
- "Act Infiniti (Endless Winter)": A 2025 release featuring Ozkar that keeps the legacy of the 2006 Sonic sound alive.
- "Dreams of an Absolution" (2025 Updates): He still revisits the classic, but now Ozkar is often part of the visual branding.
It’s important to realize that Bentley does a lot of this independently now. He’s not waiting for a call from SEGA to make Sonic music; he’s just making it. He even released a cover of "Live & Learn" that he had originally worked on for a "major project" (he tagged it with #Sonic3, leading to massive speculation) but eventually put out on his own terms.
The Reality of Being an "Official" Fan
Bentley Jones is in a unique spot. He's been the first British artist to release a Japanese album on a major label (EMI Universal), yet he’s still hanging out in the trenches of the Sonic fandom. He has addressed the limitations of working with giant corporations before, specifically the "constraints and restrictions" of the industry.
By creating his own "Sonicverse" with Ozkar, he basically gave himself a creative sandbox where no one can tell him "no." He models the environments himself. He rigs the characters. It’s a one-man studio operation that looks like it has a million-dollar budget.
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What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of people think an OC is just a "Sonic clone." If you look at Ozkar, the design is distinct—darker, more "alt-rock," and definitely leaning into that late-2000s aesthetic. It’s not just a recolored Sonic. It’s a vessel for Bentley’s own identity as a non-binary artist who uses all pronouns. Ozkar allows for a level of personal expression that writing a theme for "Silver" or "Shadow" doesn't allow.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re a fan of the music or the art, don't just stay on the surface. There are a few ways to actually engage with what Bentley is building right now.
Check the Official Sonicverse Albums
Instead of just listening to the 2006 game rips, look for the TRANS//LATED or ABSOLUTION collections. The production quality is significantly higher, and you get to hear the evolution of that "Sonic sound" without the compression of an old console.
Look Into the SonicCon History
Bentley has been a staple at events like Summer of Sonic and SonicCon London. If you're an artist, keep an eye on his social calls for OC submissions. He frequently looks for community art to feature in his "Neo-Tokyo" billboard designs and music videos.
Support Independent Creators
The "Live & Learn" situation in 2024/2025 showed how messy music rights can be with SEGA. When you support Bentley's independent Sonic-inspired tracks, the money actually goes to the artist, not a corporate legal fund.
Essentially, Ozkar the Hedgehog is proof that you never have to "outgrow" the things you loved as a kid. You just have to find a way to make them your own.