Over the past few years, Luke Standing – the British producer behind the Blue Hour project, has been developing his self-titled imprint as a go-to outlet for high-energy, retro-futuristic dance floor Techno. Starting out as a home for the producer’s own original work, it’s since expanded in tandem with the British artist’s career, to accommodate both a Remixed series (featuring remix-work from peers Answer Code Request, Steffi, Pangea & more), as well as a new, collaborative project, Tracing Xircles.
On BLUEHOURMUSIC010, Standing remains as sharp & focused as ever. Geared explicitly toward the dance floor, the British producer draws from his trademark palette, offering a brace of perfectly executed, hyper-functional dancefloor work outs. The artist’s affinity with the formative energy of the genre is as palpable as ever – opener Beyond The Void launches immediately into peak time territory, marrying fearsome drum programming with low-sunk synth work – bringing a classic compositional structure up to date with razor-sharp production aesthetics. A2 Shimmer (Dreamscape) showcases the more introspective, heads-down side to Standing’s work – a psychedelic, question-answer drum track that finds it’s energy in powerful, low-end groove and a dynamic, shifting arrangement; a perfect example of Standing’s ability not only to harness dance-floor energy – but also to build it. On closure Radiance/Limelight, Blue Hour continues to explore a kind of peak time energy, but with a wholly different bent – owing more to the hypnotic concerns of classic Trance, all the while maintaining the rich tone & careful execution that has since become a hallmark of the producer’s work.
Working careful reference to past sonics in with more complex, contemporary sampling techniques -born out of years of experience as both a producer & a DJ, has seen Blue Hour develop an enviable discography in a comparatively short space of time. BLUEHOURMUSIC010 is as similarly streamlined & effective as its predecessors, but at the same time represents a powerful move forward for both the producer himself & the imprint – honing in expertly on that arcane euphoria that continues to characterise the very best of the genre”
