My 6 Gems:
JOSHEEBA
Todd Terje
Inspector Norse
The first time I listened to this tune I was hooked, it’s like nothing I’d heard before. I was immediately drawn to its disco style off beat bassline but loved how the chords and stabs took influence from deep/tech house all sitting well beneath a mega catchy hook. The production is also outstanding, analogue synths and drum machines galore and a feel that can only be achieved if played in live with very little MIDI used. This tune always goes down well on the dance floor and I hope we hear more from Todd Terje soon!
Josh Butler
Call You Back
Josh Butler is a producer I look up to a lot. He creates super deep low end on all his productions which he achieves using a mixture of analogue and digital gear. His drum patterns are simple yet complex and he selects great vocal samples. However, I like nothing more than a simple chord stab floating round a house tune and this track shows a great example of that. This is a deep house number that ticks all the boxes for me.
Dusky
What I Never Knew
This tune takes me back to my Uni days in Liverpool. A mate of mine had a spare ticket for one of the cities legendary nights “Chibuku” so I went along, not really knowing what to expect. Dusky were the headliners and I remember this tune so clearly. This is where my journey (obsession) with deep house began back in 2011 and I’ve never looked back, it’s a genre that’s taken me to clubs, festivals, parties and into production. I can’t forget to mention what legends Dusky are too, the duo take production very seriously and they kill it!
Mobb Deep
Survival of the Fittest
A great example of what New York has given us over the years in terms of Rap and Hip Hop. This tune is dark, raw and an amazing example of how a simple piano loop can be chopped, looped and time stretched into an absolute heater. This whole album is flawless and definitely takes you into the life of two of the most influential artists in the East Coast hip hop scene. To think Havok wanted to delete this tune after he produced it only to be saved by his partner Prodigy.
The Prodigy
Fire (Sunrise Version)
Segwaying from the rapper Prodigy to the band The Prodigy I think this tune might have been my first introduction to electronic music. I’ve got two older sisters who were obsessed with The Prodigy and when they weren’t around, I used to steal their CD’s and tapes. I just so happened to stumble upon this album and what an “Experience” it was. I love the off beat organ chops at the start of this tune along with the corny keys parts and the rolling drum loop… Perfect for any 10 year old to get into.
Armen Miran
Aldebaran
I joined several of my mates on a trip out to northern Greece to volunteer in refugee camps back in 2018. We hired ourselves a little Nissan Micra which we used to travel from our base in Thessaloniki to the various camps we helped at. Early one morning we were driving north, put the local radio on in the car and this is the tune that was playing, I couldn’t believe they played this at 8am on local radio. We cranked the volume and vibed all the way to our destination. That trip meant a lot to me and I think of it fondly whenever I play this tune.
