UPFRONTBEATS

Having learnt his trade on the city’s vibrant underground circuit, Manchester’s Pirate Copy returns to Solá with the Piano Track EP a homecoming release which is being touted as one of this summer’s must-have tunes, and that reflects the varied influences which has made him one of the most talked-about names on the UK club scene.

If youve been out recently, chances are youve heard Piano Track supported by Solardo, Richy Ahmed and wAFF, the instantly familiar keys which carry the track tap into the subconscious of any house music fan and guarantee hands-in-the-air across the board. Underpinned by a groovy bassline and old school vibes, this is house music as it should be: upfront, unapologetic and pure Ibiza. On the flipside is Birth Place a track that contrasts the opener in every way. Low-slung, 90s warehouse vibes are the order of the day combining precision percussion and a stripped-back acid synth which oozes out over a vocal sample which gets straight to the point.

As a throwback to a very different moment in UK dance music, its plain to see that the inspiration for both tracks comes from a scene which Pirate Copy has lived and breathed for nearly 20 years; speaking about the EP, he explains: I always try to keep things varied in my live sets, and this is something which Ive tried to reflect on this EP too. Piano Track is a real throwback to the house sounds that I grew up on and its a vibe that gets the same reaction from clubbers all over the world, whether they have heard it before or not. Birth Place is a B-side in name, but its such a contrast to ‘Piano Trackthat its a secret weapon for different situations ‘ Ive been moving towards the acid-inspired sounds for a while now and its been seriously hitting the spot during the more late-night,underground sets.

A follow-up to last years incredibly successful Penia on the same label, the Piano Track EP is on course to further cement Pirate Copy as one of Manchesters most respected dance exports. Dropping in the middle of his biggest summer yet which has seen him hosting festival stages with his brand, Kaluki, at Parklife, Hideout, Forbidden Forest and more, as well as a summer residency at the iconic Privilege in Ibiza, 2018 is only just getting started for Pirate Copy.

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