Name a track Underground and you had better back it up. Sentinel mostly does. This is a lean, dark house cut that trades the festival sparkle a lot of its label-mates chase for something closer to an actual basement, all tight hats, a prowling bassline, and a vocal snippet chopped down to a single menacing word. The restraint is the flex. It never reaches for a big melodic payoff; it just locks into a groove and tightens the screws the way proper late-night house is supposed to. The bassline has a slight swing that keeps it from feeling robotic, and about halfway through a filter opens up so slowly you barely notice the room getting brighter until you are already moving harder. It is the kind of functional, no-nonsense house that reads as boring on a phone speaker and makes complete sense at 2am on a real system with the lights low. STMPD putting this out is a decent sign the label is not only chasing the main stage. Underground is a big word. This one mostly deserves it.
January
Chrome Daydream
Chrome stars, jelly hearts and holographic colour. A nod to the glossy, optimistic graphics of the early web.