House and techno releases by ZOF, Kaskade, Dennis Cruz, Kölsch and Sinego dropped over the week of October 23.
Today is Halloween — but the majority of All Hallows’ Eve celebrations took place over the past weekend. Costumes weren’t the only things abundant at these devious gatherings. A wealth of house and techno tracks came out over the previous week, giving DJs ample firepower for the sound systems entrusted to them.
These releases had plenty of competition in the noise department. Between Spotify‘s rumored streamshare model updates, Countdown NYE and Ultra Music Festival lineup drops, and a new book on Berlin clubbing, dance music was abuzz with interesting stories last week. They couldn’t drown out the music itself, though. Between EPs and albums by ZOF, Kaskade, Dennis Cruz, Kölsch, and Sinego, fans of techno and house had more to hold their attention.
Innumerable rabbit holes await any diehard music fan eager to sample the music that came out over the week of October 23. This is but one — but a worthy one it is. Read on to hear five house and techno tracks that spoke to us in the days leading up to Halloween.
Read along for more information on the five tracks that dropped this week, and then check out last week’s list. Listen to more house and techno curations on EDM Identity’s Subterranean Sounds, Melodic Marvels, and Dancefloor Decadence Spotify playlists!
ZOF – Question
ZOF’s music doesn’t always fit so neatly into any category. While “Question” may fall somewhere within the house and techno spectrum, it is by no means formulaic. A standout for the wide range of sounds that come and go throughout the song’s three-and-a-half-minute runtime, it would play well with other tracks in a mix while still making for a memorable dancefloor moment.
“Question” appeared on ZOF’s 12-track album, Nostalgic Premonitions. “Each song is like a photograph or vignette of what it feels like to be living during what’s either the end of the world or the beginning of a better one,” she said of the effort. “I’m hoping for the latter.“
Dennis Cruz – Time Out
Friday saw Dennis Cruz release his four-song The Snake Charmer EP as Crosstown Rebels‘ milestone 300th release. Nestled among such notable features as Damian Lazarus and DJ Holographic was “Time Out,” a house cut sure to grab your attention from the outset.
Providing a soulful counterbalance to the otherwise world music-tinged fare on The Snake Charmer EP, “Time Out” takes its name from the diva vocal sample that rings out at calculated points throughout the arrangement. A breakdown with an unexpected Hammond organ interlude further cements the track as an outlier deserving of a second listen.
Kaskade – It’s Gone ft. Crayskool
Sad songs are criminally underrated. This isn’t lost on Kaskade, who has offered up a somber number aptly titled “It’s Gone.” With just enough understated sound design elements to frame Crayskool‘s contemplative vocal, his melancholic motif tells as much of the story as the lyrics do.
“It’s Gone” appeared on Redux 006, which marked the long-awaited return of Kaskade’s house-inclined EP series. Each track on the effort represents a different shade of the house music spectrum. The whole package consists of colors that complement one another well.
Kölsch – Thoughts
Seldom does an album carry as much personal significance to an artist as I Talk To Water does to Kölsch. Consisting of 12 deep and progressive house tracks, it’s dedicated to his late father, who passed away in 2003.
Much of the soundscapes comprising I Talk To Water lean toward the emotive and cathartic — which is to be expected. Dancefloor gems still abound, however. Perhaps most notably, “Thoughts” connects curious dots with shimmering synth arpeggios and portamento basses to deliver a cerebral listening experience.
Sinego – Labios
The most proper — yet strangely outside-the-box — house music release from last week came courtesy of Sinego. “Labios” fuses Latin music instrumentals with a seductive spoken-word vocal sample. Sound design is its true strong suit, however. Cue it up on a solid system and you’ll see exactly what we mean.
“Labios” was but one entry of Alterego, a 12-song album for which Sinego traveled across Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, and other Latin American countries. “My aim was to unravel the essence of distinctive rhythms such as Boleros, Tangos, and Mambo, and craft a multifaceted auditory expedition,” he has said of the release.
