UPFRONTBEATS

The prolific and always engaging Sidney Charles is back on Moon Harbour with four more tracks of definitive house and tech. His Rawelution EP comes six months after his last outing, Soultrade, and is another impressive release.

Hamburg talent Sidney Charles has become an influential producer since emerging in 2011: his full fat, chunky house offerings have become staples in DJ sets and land on labels like DFTD, Relief and Truesoul. He’s coming off a big summer of gigs everywhere from Sankeys and DC10 in Ibiza to Watergate in Berlin, Glastonbury in the UK and many places across the States, so remains on top of his game.

The instantly classic ‘Good Times’ featuring Hector Morales races out of the blocks with a barrelling drum groove overlaid with early Chicago era vocals. It’s a robust house anthem that’s rock solid and ready to ignite any party. The muscular title track is hardcore house with slamming hits and low swinging drums. Techno hihats dangle in the air and warped synth stabs flesh out the groove to devastating effect.

Keeping up the pressure is ‘Gone,’ seven rather more stripped back and spiritual minutes of swirling pads and steamy female coos. A big breakdown allows the diva vocal to really soar and some neon melodies add warmth to this heads down marcher. Closing things out is ‘On And On’, a freakier tech number with raw percussive energy, tense crescendos and pixelated synth explosions driven by churning drums.

As ever, Charles has served up four fantastic house variations here that are all designed for maximum dance floor impact.

• FB: facebook.com/SidneyCharlesMusic
• Twitter: twitter.com/SidneyCharlesM
• Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/hurricane-kid
• Beatport: beatport.com/artist/sidney-charles