Rising Florida-based imprint House Hats Records released Garden of Groove, Vol. 1 to help showcase some of the label’s homegrown talent.
First created by a group of college students in Gainesville, FL with a passion for house music, House Hats Records originally began as a collective of creatives with a shared vision of inclusiveness and turning artist dreams into a reality. Fast forward to today, the up and coming label has recently played host to releases from notable rising stars in the scene, including Bøats, Caique Carvahlo, and Niles Shepard, just to name a few.
After experiencing this recent success, those behind the imprint decided to turn the focus inward and released the first volume of Garden of Groove, a compilation series meant to promote some of the area’s most promising talent. It packs three irresistible cuts from a few friends of the label who have supported the House Hats vision from the beginning – Franco, Gianni Cerri, and artist collective Birmingham Drive.
Not only is this release packed with house and tech goodness, but it is also for a good cause. A portion of the streaming profits will be donated to Beats Give Back, a non-profit created by House Hats launching this month that provides students and fosters care youth the opportunity to create music without barriers. So needless to say, make sure to share!
Get into a minimal mood with the Garden of Groove, Vol. 1 compilation on Spotify or your favorite streaming service and read on for a track by track take!
Stream House Hats Records – Garden of Groove, Vol. 1 on Spotify:
Garden of Groove, Vol. 1 is an impressive display of some of Central Florida’s most talented house music up and comers.
Tallahassee-based Franco kicks off the compilation with “Feel That” – a chunky tech-house cut that immediately meets ears with a sharp kick, crisp hats, and a plucky bass line. Moving into the track, flowing synths and a feathery vocal are layered, created a melodic theme that carries throughout the entirety of the tune. But that’s not all – just when you think the track has plateaued, Franco introduces a marimba sample and sensual vocal that rolls into two satisfying breakdowns.
I keep the classical radio station on my car for after gigs to decompress. One night, there was this marimba concerto playing and I got the inspiration to write “Feel That”. You’ll hear this distinct marimba sound right before the drops of ‘Feel That’.
Franco
Next up on the release is a tune from Birmingham Drive, an Orlando-based collective consisting of seven local artists. A lively little cut with just over a three-and-a-half-minute run-time, “Take This Out” is a high-energy track from start to finish. Clapping sounds lead into the drop, which features layers of slinky, acid-y synths over-vigorous, unforgiving bass. This free-spirited record, though short, leaves the listener wanting for nothing.
We love experimenting with strange and unique sounds while keeping it simple. For this EP we wanted to produce a track that is groovy and unconventional along with a tune that would fit perfectly with our sets. ‘Take This Out’ was a result of us just having fun in the studio.
Birmingham Drive
House Hats OG, Gianni Cerri’s debut release on the label “Dyspnea” finishes out the compilation. The track sees Cerri use blankets of rhythmic percussion, smooth pads, and a dark, cryptic vocal to create a magnetic minimal groove. Though the track is seemingly simple, Dyspnea is a superb showing of Cerri’s production talents, displaying a deep understanding of layered effects and sound design.
Sometimes in a set, less is more – all you might need is drums, bass, a chord, and a vocal. That’s the idea behind the track ‘Dyspena’ – the minimum necessary for a groove.
Gianni Cerri
House Hats Records – Garden of Groove, Vol. 1 – Tracklist:
- Franco – “Feel That”
- Birmingham Drive – “Take This Out”
- Gianni Cerri – “Dyspnea”
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