House This House

Tireless producer, Tronic boss and top international DJ Christian Smith here steps up for his first release on Plus 8. Over the years Christian has offered up a high volume and high quantity of techno inclined singles for myriad labels (Bedrock, Systematic, 100% Pure, Soma), so it only makes sense he now finds himself on one of the scene’s most reliable outposts for such material. The two track EP kicks off with ‘House is House’ which is, as the name suggests, a little house-ier than the flip, but still deals in plenty of heavy bass weight and slick repetition. The devil is in the detail - filtered, dark voices, rattling cowbells, washes of white noise synths and long, thin, forward looking pads - all of which are married to a mid-tempo groove. The more forceful ‘Indulge Me’ then follows. Taught kick drums start immediately as claps and subtle synth stabs swell in volume until they eventually fill out the whole airwaves. Squirming behind are thin and icy steel lines until the first drop when the deliciously bouncy groove sets in proper. Far from aping the usual Detroit and Chicago tropes, Christian Smith has once again crafted two classy dance floor joints that are not only exquisitely produced, but that bare all the usual hallmarks of Christian Smith, one of the most consistent producers in the game.