House Music Essentials Vol.11 featuring Bleu Clair, Phantoms, Orbital & more

Back with the eleventh edition of our House Music Essentials, We Rave You is excited to showcase a few top-tier artists igniting those festivals and club shows around the globe. Featuring no other than Bleu Clair, Phantoms, Orbital, Rich Furniss, Modapit, an error occurred and AYOO, 2023 has clearly been on fire with releases.

This month has been filled with epic releases in the house music scene and what better way to celebrate the upcoming spring season than with new music? Presenting the eleventh edition of our House Music Essentials, We Rave You is pleased to showcase a few of the top-tier artists making their mark in the industry which includes Bleu Clair, Phantoms, Orbital, Rich Furniss, Modapit, an error occurred and AYOO. Be sure to check out their latest releases below.

Bleu Clair – “Step Into It”

Phantoms – “The Way You Groove”

Indie-dance duo Phantoms celebrates their first release of the year, “The Way You Groove”, released via ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective imprint. The release of their first single of 2023 comes alongside the announcement of the Deluxe Edition of their sophomore album ‘This Can’t Be Everything’, which is set to include a full second disc of both original music and remixes of top tracks from the original album. “The Way You Groove” is a dynamic, funk-fueled production peppered with organic piano progressions and proper percussion. Across the track’s four minutes, 80’s inspired electronica with a modern twist shines through the rhythmic, seemingly effortlessly arranged composition. Strong, yet soulful, “The Way You Groove” smoothly slides listeners into another year of new music from Phantoms in 2023.

Orbital – “Are You Alive”

Orbital have released “Are You Alive?” featuring Penelope Isles, the third track to be taken from the seminal electronic music duo’s forthcoming album Optical Delusion The origins of the song come from a 6Music project called ‘The Virus Diaries’ that Paul did with his old schoolmate, the poet Murray Lachlan-Young. Every Wednesday the two had to deliver a track; this one was originally called “Garden Centre”. Then Paul began to wonder what it would be like with sung vocals. Lily Wolter’s lyrics developed it into a haunting breakup song and it grew a gorgeous musical box melody – all the poignancy of the last few years in one place.  With Optical Delusion, their 10^th studio album, Orbital dig deeper into the unquiet psyche of our increasingly surreal and disordered world. Sketched out partly during lockdown but fully recorded in the uncertain After Times, the album summons up conflicting emotions and beguiling images from recent times, when the science fiction doomsdays that the Hartnoll brothers watched on TV as kids finally came true.

Rich Furniss – “Out Of This World”

One of the hottest acts in the house game right now, Rich Furniss has been on a tear the last few years. As his passion for music and production grew, Rich’s style was heavily influenced by Armand Van Helden, Derrick Carter, and Frankie Knuckles. Furthering his list of accomplishments, Rich is kicking off the new year with his single “Out Of This World”. Partnering with good friends and local art legend Smurfo on the track, “Out Of This World” is inspired by walking down the streets of NYC and being surrounded by art. Smurfo delivers a captivating graphic that blends seamlessly with the auditory medium of “Out Of This World”. It embraces the vibrant beat of the city and takes listeners into a world of their own. The song begins with a snare-filled bassline, complemented by claps and kick drums. Suddenly, a funky wave of disco echoing effects are thrown into the mix, making its audience head straight to the dance floor. Layered on top the infectious instrumental, lively vocals build the energy within “Out Of This World”.

Modapit – “Dancing”

Anonymity has long been an intriguing element of electronic music culture, but few artists have pushed the boundaries quite like newly-minted producer Modapit. An enigmatic artist emerging from the shadows of underground dance music. Modapit is giving listeners their first taste of the album with lead single, “Dancing,” a jubilant yet brooding track that translates the emotion of The Weeknd’s latest album, Dawn FM, into a dance-fueled rave experience. Blending pop euphoria with driving deep house grooves and techno synths, “Dancing” delivers Modapit’s characteristic pop-electronic catharsis. “Dancing” kicks off with epic, deep bass tones and airy, ethereal vocals before building with layers of futuristic synth arpeggios. The track then drops into a pounding four-on-the-floor beat replete with industrial sound design and hypnotizing synth melodies – a composition that transports listeners from an intimate, sultry atmosphere into a spacious, warehouse expanse.

an error occurred – “phonk_ep.exe”

Kicking off 2023 with a fresh style of production, an error occurred presenting his reality-distorting five-track EP, phonk_ep.exe. This release is the perfect follow up release to an error that occurred’s debut album, life is probably a simulation. Due to the fact that each track on phonk_ep.exe embodies a different key, tempo, and overall vibe from the rest, an error occurred takes listeners on an auditory roller coaster of energy levels and emotions. Resembling its title, phonk is the central theme of the EP, woven into each song in a unique way. While “clutch” boasts a fast-paced hypnotic bassline, other tracks such as “drift” and “midnight” slow things down with mesmerizing soundscapes and effects. In its entirety, phonk_ep.exe is full of shocking twists and turns that keep its audience on the edge of their seat.

Matroda – “Gimme Some Keys” (AYOO Remix)

Reigning in the new year, AYOO is capping off 2023 with their bass house-driven remix of Matroda’s “Gimme Some Keys”. This flip on the already infectious tech house anthem sprinkles in groovy sequences of percussion throughout. AYOO’s rendition of the song is fast-paced, energetic, and full of funky soundscapes, making listeners want to get down and boogie on the dance floor. Adding a saucy new component to the Matroda’s original, AYOO’s “Gimme Some Keys” remix is a slap of bass in your face.

Photo Credits: 2NIGHT GLOBAL