Tech house lives and dies on the groove, and Rude Boi has one that could power a small city. Loz Seka builds it on a Latin-tinged percussion loop, congas and a shaker doing overtime, that slightly sweaty rhythm that makes tech house feel like a warm night rather than a cold warehouse. The “rude boi” vocal is the hook, chopped and drenched in just enough delay to feel like it’s bouncing off the back wall of the club. What makes it work is the bassline, which is deep and round and utterly relentless, the sort of low end you feel in your knees before your ears clock it. It’s functional music in the best sense, not trying to tell you a story, just trying to keep you moving for six minutes straight. The breakdown around the three-minute mark adds a filtered vocal loop that builds the tension nicely without over-egging it. Toolroom has a house sound and this sits comfortably inside it while still carrying its own swagger. Perfect for the sweaty middle stretch of a night when nobody’s checking the time.
January
Chrome Daydream
Chrome stars, jelly hearts and holographic colour. A nod to the glossy, optimistic graphics of the early web.