UPFRONTBEATS

AJ Christou is one of dance music’s hottest properties right now, here he links with Matteo Spedicati for a standout new EP on Play It Say It that includes a remix from Jean Pierre and Jesse Calosso.

AJ Christou is alarmingly young for someone who has achieved so much. The UK artist runs his own Celesta Recordings label, formerly held a Sankeys residency at home in Manchester, and has released on Rawthentic, Snatch! and Whippin and headlined everywhere from Hi’ Ibiza to Parklife. His partner in crime here is Italian Matteo Spedicati, who has more than a decade of experience of making tunes supported by the likes of Marco Carola, Luciano and Loco Dice.

They kick things off with ‘Slapping Out The Door’, a high powered house cut built on fantastic drum programming that is tight and infectious. Freaky vocals and laughter add a menacing vibe and the relentless bassline will supercharge any club. The superb ‘Say What’ is a razor sharp cut with dark, prying bass, yelping vocal stabs bring a streetwise swagger and the whole thing is brilliantly intense and chunky.

The remix of ‘Slapping Out The Door’ is from Jean Pierre and Jesse Calosso, the Cuttin’ Heads associates who have been playing and producing together for a while now. Their take on the tune is more trippy and designed for the after party, with paranoid voices and busy hi hats working you into a lather.