UK based duo, Rob Small and Danny Hartley team up on Piston Recordings to deliver the stomping tech house grooves of Stubbed, which comes backed up with three superb remixes from Jacky (UK), Bonetti and Upright. DJ and producer Rob Small is widely known for his engineering and mastering skills within the dance music scene as well as his top quality cuts on various labels. He is no stranger to Piston having released the deep house joint Bad Wednesday in 2011. He has also shown up on the likes of Bonzai Progressive and Bonzai Basiks over the years, it’s always an exciting time when he takes to the studio as a producer. Danny Hartley has been into music from a young age focusing on garage house and running his own nights. After a trip to Ibiza with his friends, he turned his attention to deep dirty house and techno which he played out in various clubs around Leeds as well as his own night Fat Jacky’s. These guys are no stranger to each other, in 2014 they worked together on Unspoken Violence for What Happens and in early 2015 they released Squarred Up on Audiophile Deep.

The Original Mix offers up a solid tech workout with punchy kicks and tight drum patterns to keep the dancing feet shuffling. A deep rip roaring bass trundles through the sound and gives off that tech vibe beautifully. Cool spoken vocals straight outta the “dungeons” litter the sound and add a little extra spice that livens up the groove. The floors are gonna love this one, a definite must have track in your arsenal.

UK DJ and producer Jacky (UK) debuts on Piston Recordings having cut his teeth on various labels over the last couple of years. Known for injecting high energy into his sets, this guy knows how to turn it on for the floors. As well as his residency at Manchester’s Mute he also spins regularly at Sankeys and South Nightclub. A relative newcomer to the world of production, we’re definitely gonna see a lot more from this guy. The remix intros with a fresh tech house vibe as crispy hats lay down a cool rhythm alongside equally cool vocals. A nice punchy kick comes in as the drum layers build giving the track a well rounded feel. The bass powers through and takes full control of this superb grooving monster. The break filters out the bass and brings in some cool riffs that keep the rhythm locked in before we hit the peak and come crashing back to those lush low end frequencies that really give this one a lot of oomph. Top notch stuff that will do well in any upbeat set.

Portuguese DJ and producer Alvaro Martins aka Upright returns to Piston with his fantastic remix. He grew up with a love for 80’s and 90’s Pop and Rock sounds which soon developed into a passion for Classic Soul and Funk. At 8 years old he joined a music school and learned classic piano which gave him a deeper insight into how music evolves. Nowadays his early influences have proved useful in his outstanding production style. He has released a plethora of top quality House cuts across many labels and he also joins forces with his friend to form Peers & Upright with releases on Something Else and Save Room Recordings. Alvaro debuted on Piston back in January 2015 with a remix on Oli Frances’ Slow Mo. As Upright he takes a clear vision on how he wants a sound to project, strong rhythms and deep chords, the perfect recipe to light up floors. The remix intros with a nice solid kickdrum alongside cool snappy snares and sharp claps. The vocal fades up and leads us to a superb low end bass that just hangs perfectly over the sound as a high pitched synth rings through. We soon settle into the groove as the tech vibes drip off the sound. A super tight arrangement delivers the rhythms beautifully as that bass dances along the groove. Heads will be turned and floors will be burned with this one.

Spanish DJ and producer Bonetti aka Andres Boned shows up once more on Piston with his remix and judging by his last outing – Don’t Stop The Rhythm EP – back in January 2015, we are in for a real treat. Andre has been attracted to electronic music and clublife from an early age. In 2010 he decided to get into making his own music. He likes to add his own unique twists on Tech House and Deep House so that his sounds can be enjoyed on the beach or in the club at the same time. Since he released his first track in 2011 on iFrominal he has not looked back, a raft of releases and support from around the world has stood him in good stead and will no doubt keep him on track for an exciting future. The remix takes on a wonderful deep house groove right from the off as warm keys are locked in with a solid kick and sharp clap before the rhythm starts to flow with cool hats and clap patterns. A fantastic FM bassline bursts through and drives the track beautifully while spacey FX go off all around. We get treated to some very cool spoken vocals that adds a cool layer to the sound and keeps the house groove moving nicely. An excellent slice of house that will be a welcome addition in any set.

#robsmall #dannyhartley #pistonrecordings #jacky(uk) #upright(pt) #bonetti