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Lars Bartkuhn returns to Rush Hour with “See The Light”, as deep and complex as we have come to expect but as always his ever-present hunt for new inspiration and unique approaches is clearly evident across all 3 mixes of this beautifully deep yet pulsating track!

Originally written as a final foray into house music for the legendary Needs co-founder, this production aimed to “push boundaries within the world of electronic dance music, integrate fresh new elements, bring new compositional perspectives to the listener and to create overall rewarding experiences.”

It’s a deeply personal track, best summarised by the incredible piano solo in the Full Experience Mix. In Lars’ own words, “I am ten million light years away from being a good pianist, but for some reason I NEED to play those kind of things…even if they are raw, primitive and incomplete and lack parameters like elegance, fluidity and wisdom - I need to express myself in that very moment in this exact way.” It’s these unrestrained moments of brilliance that create rich palettes of sound with deep textures, organic rhythms and joyful melodies that keep your ear constantly engaged.

The Full Experience Mix is a near-13 minute trip through lush vocals, complex percussion, deep chords and raw piano solos that guides the listener through the changing motions of “See The Light”. Backed by two dub mixes, Inner Experience hones in on the keys and synths - truly elevating those striking notes. Opening with atmospheric percussion, the Dub Reprise settles into a chugging rhythm that brings the drums to the forefront.

“When a musician/composer really goes ‘all in’ there is almost nothing impossible. If you really pour out your heart and give all the sweat and tears you have you create a kind of zone where everything fits together in mysterious ways.” - Lars Bartkuhn

TRACK LISTING

See The Light (full Experience)
See The Light (Dub 1)
See The Light (Dub 2)

After five years spent largely confined to the United States, Ron Trent is set to return to global touring in 2025. To mark the occasion, he’s partnered with Rush Hour to release Lift Off, a brand-new album of music recorded at different points over the last decade.

Arriving almost 35 years since he wowed the world with his game-changing debut, the Afterlife EP, Lift Off was inspired by Trent’s desire to ‘let the imagination speak for itself’ while exploring the diverse influences that have shaped his unique musical perspective. A departure from his previous album, 2022’s downtempo masterpiece as Warm, What Do The Stars Say To You, the 10-track set features a mixture of epic instrumentals, inspired collaborations and vocal cuts whose music was written with certain singers in mind.

While it features music that ripples with the experienced producer’s familiar aural trademarks – rich rhythms, warm chords, impeccable instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and lashings of heady hand percussion – it also consciously explores a variety of sounds and tempos, in the process blurring the lines between dance music’s past, present and future. It’s a vision, in his words, of what dance music can become.

For proof, check the five impeccable cuts on part one. There’s the tactile, Wally Badarou-inspired wonder ‘Hot Ice’, the mind-soothing chords, lilting synth-strings and samba-soaked percussion of ‘Woman of Color’, the warming deep house jazziness of ‘Jazz Funk’ and the restless, far-sighted brilliance of ‘Sexstrology’, where relaxed electric piano solos dance atop an infectious, locked-in dancefloor groove.

Best of all though is Leroy Burgess collaboration ‘Let Me See You Shining’ – an inspired musical meeting of minds that cannily fuses Trent’s signature deep house sound with the soulful, vocal-driven brilliance of the New Yorker’s iconic boogie-era work. Even by the two artists’ dizzyingly high standards, it’s a very special song.

TRACK LISTING

Hot Ice
Jazz-funk
Woman Of Color
Sexstrology
Let Me See You Shining Feat. Leroy Burgess

After five years spent largely confined to the United States, Ron Trent is set to return to global touring in 2025. To mark the occasion, he’s partnered with Rush Hour to release "Lift Off", a brand-new album of music recorded at different points over the last decade.

Arriving almost 35 years since he wowed the world with his game-changing debut, the "Afterlife EP", "Lift Off" was inspired by Trent’s desire to ‘let the imagination speak for itself’ while exploring the diverse influences that have shaped his unique musical perspective. A departure from his previous album, 2022’s downtempo masterpiece as Warm, "What Do The Stars Say To You", the 10-track set features a mixture of epic instrumentals, inspired collaborations and vocal cuts whose music was written with certain singers in mind.

While it features music that ripples with the experienced producer’s familiar aural trademarks – rich rhythms, warm chords, impeccable instrumentation, inspired arrangements, and lashings of heady hand percussion – it also consciously explores a variety of sounds and tempos, in the process blurring the lines between the past, present, and future. It’s a vision, in his words, of what dance music can become.

For proof, check the five tremendous tracks on part two. There’s the AM radio-ready warmth, guitar-flecked looseness, and eyes-closed bliss of "Just Another Love Song", where Trent’s own multi-tracked vocals catch the ear, the slow-motion, head-nodding deep space bliss of "Juice" and alternative Balearic love song "And Fly Away".

Part two of the vinyl edition also includes two superb collaborations. Fellow Rush Hour artist Lars Bartkuhn lends his virtuoso guitar skills to "Street Wave", a future house classic laden with nods to jazz-funk and fusion, while regular collaborator Harry Dennis (best known for his work as part of early Chicago house outfit Jungle Wonz) adds a poetic and emotion-filled spoken word vocal to the equally inspired "Her".

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Seemingly aging like a fine wine; Ron Trent's new project is nothing short of stunning. Expansive, sprawling, carefully plotted dreamscapes; deep soulful dancefloor business, and kaleidoscoping beatdown jams brimming with natural, effortless musicality.

TRACK LISTING

Just Another Love Song
Juice
And Fly Away
Street Wave Feat. Lars Bartkuhn
Her

Napoli based Gigi Testa brings the heat yet again on his third Rush Hour Store Jams release with some spicey Sichuan flavours, straight from the Dragon Temple... Side A is an arms aloft, piano driven proto-house flavoured monster. Side B injects acid, sizzling synths, mallets and whole plethora of percussion elements into the mix. Both tracks are gonna keep the floor moving no doubt.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Gigi Testa proving to be quite the Rush Hour star signing as he delivers more uplifting, well constructed house music. With a keen ear for interesting sounds and excellent drum programming skills this is a producer to keep an eye on.

TRACK LISTING

Sichuan
Dragon Temple

Daniel Monaco

Mamela

Neapolitan Daniel Monaco returns on the Rush Hour Store Jams imprint with another disco heavy two tracker, with vocals from TK daMonza. Two feel good songs, to calm and comfort your soul...

Written by Daniele Labbate aka Daniel Monaco, additional production and Mixing by Whodamanny
Voice and Lyrics by TK daMonza
Alessandro Cinelli: Drums
Yannick van ter Beek: Percussion
Sergio Dileo: Saxophone
Simone Cesarini: Guitar
Alberto Melloni: Additional Guitars
Daniele Labbate: Bass, Synths, Backing Vocals
Recorded at Daniel Monaco Studio in Amsterdam
Mixed at West Hill Studio Napoli 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A fruity and frivolous modern disco extravaganza courtesy of Neapolitan star Daniel Monaco. A vibrant double header with a driving, dancefloor moment on "Mamela" b/w a cheeky and fun tropical disco jaunt via "Kalam Kalam".

TRACK LISTING

Mamela
Kalam Kalam

Precious Bloom

Flashlight

Two-tracker from Indonesian group Precious Bloom. 'Flashlight' on the A side is inspired by Euro disco with a touch of Indonesian city pop. The track 'Mojo' on the B-side explores a rhyme of witchery...

"What a lovely tune!" - Mr. Scruff
"Mojo is the jam!!!" - Gigi Testa
"Great" - Tama Sumo

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Irresistible Indonesian music here with a sleeve that belongs on your bathroom wall. "Flashlight" takes us away on a picturesque cruise through the Java seas while the more electrified "Mojo" keeps us galloping through the night once we've reached destination paradise.

TRACK LISTING

Flashlight
Mojo

When it first slipped out in 2015, Manabu Nagayama’s ‘Light & Shadow’ passed most people by. Yet it’s a genuinely overlooked gem a musically expansive and uplifting Japanese deep house workout that first featured on a promo-only compilation back in 2015. A softly spun slab of slow-building brilliance full of fluid piano motifs, heady hand percussion, the track effortlessly sashays between heartfelt dancefloor melancholia and tactile deep house positivity. One DJ to see its potential was Rush Hour co-founder Antal Heitlager, who asked Masalo to remix it. Over ‘a few years’, Masalo worked on the revision in bursts, tweaking it and subtly altering the arrangement until he was happy. The results are undeniably impressive, elevating an already excellent track to whole new levels. DJs seem to agree, too, with Masalo’s fine remix becoming something of an underground anthem following the release of a limited number of white label test pressings earlier last year.

Taking the spiritual end of deep house as his inspiration – and happy memories of attending events while visiting Japan – the Dutch-Japanese producer has delivered a slowly-building epic that subtly ratchets up energy and excitement throughout, while effortlessly eking out every last drop of emotion from Manabu’s piano-laden production.

Extensively road-tested at the Brighter Days parties he runs with long-time DJ partner Kamma, Masalo’s remix settles into a chugging groove before introducing Manabu’s tactile hand percussion – a staple of spiritual deep house cuts – and melancholic piano refrains, as well as his own lilting chords and cascading synth sounds. By the time the original’s bouncy piano riff drops midway through, you’ll be lost in the music. Fittingly given the quality of Manabu’s original, it’s a revision that showcases the track’s best elements while gently lifting it to new heights.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Beautifully rich, emotive and textured deep house here - it's the Japanese formula alright, but we haven't grown tired of it yet! Masolo is on hand to elevate it to spiritual realms. Yep, we're onto a winner.

TRACK LISTING

Light And Shadow (Masalo Version)
Light And Shadow (Original Version)

Gigi Testa is a bona fide Neapolitan hero whose work draws inspiration from local music of the last four decades - think Pino Daniele, Tullio de Piscopo, Tony Esposito, James Senese & Napoli Centrale, Nu Guinea, Mystic Jungle Tribe and rising stars such Fabrizio Fattore, Daniel Monaco and Raffaele Attansio - but also deep house and owes a lot to African music in all its forms.
He’s back with a brand new EP collating all these wild influences into one cohesive, tropical flavoured package. Three tracks of feathers n facepaint, rainforest-tinged house music that’s perfect for getting frisky under the moonlight.

Credits:
Written Arranged & Programmed : Gigi Testa
Mixed & Engineered : Gigi Testa & Paolo Convertito
Synths, Keyboards, Drum Machines, Effects, Live & Electronic Drums : Gigi Testa
Fender Bass,Live Guitars & Additional Keyboards : Paolo Convertito


STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Tropical house master Gigi Testa returns to Rush Hour with more of his conga-heavy jive. House music and congas are inseparable; but when you add his other trademark elements - marimbas, warm pads, delicate bells etc - it's clear Gigi Testa has a vision and a palette to back it up. A inimitable yet highly mellifluous producer who's track's just emanate positivity.

TRACK LISTING

Jinja
Malinke
Echoes In The Sky

Soichi Terada & Masalo

Diving Into Minds / Double Spire

Soichi Terada & Masalo team up to produce club mixes of tracks from Soichi's highly acclaimed "Asakusa Light" album.

"Diving Into Minds" is given even more umph, pushed forward with multiple layers of rhythms, be it articulately programmed congas or aggressive 909 snares. "Double Spire" is equally ramped up, it's Italo-influenced origins given extra sparkle whilst the arrangement heads straight for the mainroom with active lasers and strobe lights primed for use across this big rig smasher! Really tasty tweaks that'r more than essential for your casual Terado fanboy and likely to do serious damage in the club too. Do not sleep! 


TRACK LISTING

Diving Into Minds (Club Mix)
Double Spire (Club Mix)


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