Hector J Rodriguez - You & Me (Underscore Recordings)

The latest release from Hector J Rodriguez on Underscore Recordings follows his previous offering on the Tremulant label. Where that one was a dubby and eccentric project heavily influenced by ambient and dub techno sounds, the vibe-focused You & Me lands squarely in the lo-fi house sub-genre.

"Deep Late Nights" is an ode to those post-party back-to-mine moments with friends. Lush pads and pitched vocal samples set the tone and atmosphere, with groovy bass lines and airy vocal parts further enhancing the track as it develops over time. "You & Me" follows with a deep heavy kick and detuned strings dancing in the stereo field. These elements push the track towards a mini-drop which includes an accented bass line and call-and-response male/female vocal phrases. The end of the track punctuates an implied sentiment with one last vocal chop: "We're done here..." A fitting metaphor to be taken both literally and figuratively as the mark of completion.

Rise Ashen (Balanced Records) – “You & Me is a banger!”
Nick Warren (The Soundgarden) – “Cool and classy.”
Pat Lezizmo (Conya Records) – “Deep Late Nights is cool.”
Sumsuch (5 Magazine) – “Haunting! Will review.”
MGiK (Sofa Surfing) – “On air a must! Oh my dayzzz!”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing) – “Deep & hypnotic - such a great vibe on this!”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Traxsource, And Spotify.

Hector J Rodriguez - La Falsa (Tremulant)

Hector J Rodriguez of Seattle's Underscore Recordings joins the Tremulant imprint for the *La Falsa EP, an expansive foray into deep, dark, and dubby techno vibes. The motto of the release is "Que solamente aparenta ser real, o no es lo que parece," which translates to : "That which only appears to be real, or is not what it seems." This is an appropriate description for the EP's cuts, which target introspection and transportive dislocation while giving after-hours dancefloors an exploratory ride. "Never the Right Time," "La Falsa" (and its "La Falsa Segunda" revisit), and the mid-tempo "Perseid" blend sharp production and spacious embellishments into distinctive tracks made for late night travels.

monotropa. is the first Tremulant-affiliated producer to lend a hand to the remix side, amplifying "La Falsa"'s exotic aspects into a cinematically flavored ride. Pacific northwestern mainstay Joe Bellingham follows, supplying a version that's a little chunkier and peppered with buzzing sound design and jazzy keys. All in all, another stamp of top quality goes to Tremulant for this evocative release.

JuSt b (Balance Music) – “Lovely lush & organic vibes.”
Citrus Age (Reflect) – “What a sublime vibration. Hector has somehow captured the moment and the journey in one.”
DJ Harri (Sub Club) – “Liking these. Will play and support.”
DJ Sabo (Sol Selectas) – “Solid and interesting EP here. A breath of fresh air honestly!”
MGiK (Sofa Surfing) – “On air is a must!”
Jon Wesley (Insomniac) – “I like the original, Perseid and Joe’s mix. Good tunes for the afternoon or mellow daytime sets.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

monotropa. - Inmovilidad (Tremulant)

Lockdown. Shut in. Claustrophobic. Inmovilidad.

What can we learn about ourselves in moments of immobility? So much of our daily activity is full of movement, and within those moments where our movement is restricted, we become faced with discomfort, sometimes pain, and we are forced to be with ourselves in permanence.

These sentiments inspired "Inmovilidad," recorded by Seattle's monotropa. in the early months of the 2020 covid lockdown. The track sonically details an expression of anger regarding a relationship that was no longer beneficial and when anger helps one to understand there is something going on that is crossing a boundary. Loping and techy, the tune starts with a pulsing bass line and a punchy and somewhat tribal drum track. Dark and cinematic layers of synths melodically play up the treacherous vibe — this is moody late night business that'll more than satisfy the dancers on the floor.

The Golden Hour remix from Just Emma (Katermukke, Hanse Hertz) extracts the deepest elements from "Inmovilidad" and reworks them for a hypnotizing extended version. The mix's many twists and turns evoke the intricate thoughts behind the original. Hector J Rodriguez (Underscore Recordings) spotlights the tribal hand percussion hinted at in the original and rounds out the stereo field with arpeggiated synths, piano stabs, and dramatic transitions. A top notch release from Tremulant, a label that claims it's 'not of this world.'

Rory Hoy (Super Hi-Fi) – “Great downtempo release. Supporting!”
FineCutBodies (Chi Recordings) – “Love the production of the Just Emma remix. Great lush vibes!”
Anders Lyngen (Utzekatze) – “All of these tracks are floorfillers. Especially at my Sunday club – Utzekatze. Bangin’ and chill all at the same time.”
Andreas Kinzl (play.fm) – “Deep vibes. Well done.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “Love it! Original and remixes are dope.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “Excellent for afterhours for sure. I like both mixes. Nice production and deep vibes.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Juno Download, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Hector J Rodriguez - Twin Flames EP (Uniting Souls Music)

Uniting Souls Music, the Seattle-based label and collective deemed “a West coast house music institution" by The Stranger, presents the Twin Flames EP from Hector J Rodriguez. Originally from Brooklyn, Hector has established himself in the northwestern house music scene with releases on Tony H's Late Night Munchies, his own Underscore Recordings imprint, and now Uniting Souls Music. The Twin Flames EP features a trio of prime cuts, leading with the percussive deep stomper “Brooklyn Heartbreaks.” This tune is tailor-made for dancefloor tingles, an emotional ride filled with warm pads, tight drums, and beckoning vocal hits. “Hard To Find” follows suit, adding techier elements to its underground stew but remaining deep and sublimely soulful. “Twin Flames” goes deeper still, a submersed sound-trek suitable for the latest of late nights. Thanks to the Hector J Rodriguez’s sonic explorations, Uniting Souls Music delivers the goods once again.

Vanilla Ace (Toolroom) – “Cool Tulum-esque sounds here.”
Rise Ashen (Balanced Records) – “Hard To Find is the one for me. Dope.”
Pat Lezizmo (Conya Records) – “Brooklyn Heartbreaks is GREAT!”
Nico De Ceglia (Hyena Stomp) – “Twin Flames is my favorite on here.”
Trent Banks / Citrus Age (Reflect) – “Wow, incredible depth here. I see a lot of utility for furthering a journey set and pushing this right into the tension pocket with all of these tracks.”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies) – “Really dope release from Hector! Hard To Find and Twin Flames will definitely be getting my support.”
Ket Shah (Mucho Soul Show) – “Strong release, heavy tunes.”
Jon Wesley (Music Goes On Radio Show) – “Excellent EP. I really like Brooklyn Heartbreaks & Hard To Find.”
Miguel Garji (Deepfusion Radio Show) – “Good stuff here. I’ll play on Ibiza Global Radio.”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel Show) – “Unexpected twists and turns on this. Love the flow, the changeups and the tripped out feel of all 3 of these.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, Apple Music, And Spotify.