Spettro and Trent Johnson, two renowned veterans of the Texas house music scene, have joined forces for the latest release on Nightshade Music, “Hooked On You,” backed by “Work For Dubs.” Spettro’s been known for releases on Bush Recordings and Uniform, as well as collaborative tracks with Alex Clavijo released on King Street Sounds and Boo. Trent Johnson began DJ’ing at legendary clubs Proteus and Ohm in the early ’90s, and released records soon after under the monikers Galaxy 21 and The Disco Kid, pioneering the acid-techno sound of the day. Since 2012 Spettro and Trent have been been crafting everything from deep house to big room breaks, their vision and production experience clicking like a special menthol cigarette. The two tracks on their Nightshade release showcases the deeper side of the duo mixed with a solid, floor-pleasing tech-house drive. “Hooked On You” rolls tightly with processed vocal bits filling the stereo spectrum in a psychedelic fashion as hefty bass lines, percussion embellishments, and reverbed key melodies round things out. A touch on the dark side, the track is perfect for after-hours affairs. “Work For Dubs” lowers the tempo just a tad and presents a slinky groove beneath a meaty analog synth line and a subtle, effected, familiar vocal hook. The breakdown in this one comes with an unexpected surprise for the dance floor, potentially betraying the song’s inspiration … but in quite a good way. Most definitely a top notch package from Nightshade Music and a promising beginning for the duo of Spettro and Trent Johnson.
Tensnake - “‘Work For Dubs’ is nice.”
Robbie Hardkiss - “I love ‘Hooked On You’ … it’s some dirty, spooky, funkin’ house!”
Q-Burns Abstract Message - “Slinky bass lines and dark synth action throughout … giving these some plays, for sure.”
Asad Rizvi - “I’m feeling ‘Work For Dubs!’”
Severino (Horse Meat Disco) - “Pretty cool stuff here.”
Dave Mothersole - “I like ‘Hooked On You.’”
Will SumSuch (DeepWit / Etoka) - “I’m loving the dark atmospheres on both tracks here. Perfect for that late night vibe.”
Alland Byallo - “‘Work For Dubs’ is pretty cool.”
Blacksoul - “This is my favorite release for my sets for some time. Hell yeah!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - “Cracking vibes! Wicked deepness and rough stab grooves … both tracks are excellent.”
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - “I’m feeling ‘Hooked On You’ … gonna give it a bang!”
Cheets (Global Dance Sessions) - “‘Work For Dubs’ is naughty … love that!”
Available now from Beatport.