A Taste of Progressive

Now here's a subject I don't often find myself talking about: progressive house. Sure, techno and minimal and tech house can be nuanced, deep, atmospheric, all kinds of adjectives. But when it comes to progressive house, what's the one word you're looking for? Big. Epic. Massive. Y'know, the hugest tracks with the hugest hooks. But even here there's differences to be found. Is the hook a slice of summer-time feel-good joy or a commanding missile of a tune that demands you dance? Every tune is different (unless it's some crap from Afrojack) but seriously, here are a few tracks to bite into for a taste of late 2000's progressive house. I also won't mention Pryda here, because honestly, Pryda is on a whole 'nother level. This is the tier below that. But make no mistake, these tunes are not any less epic. Just not as much so!



Paul Thomas & Jerome Isma-Ae - Tomorrow

Some tracks go for melodic hook madness, but Paul Thomas & Jerome Isma-Ae's most recent track for house monolith Toolroom features a more melodically subdued hook that's more euphoric for the epic, unabashedly anthemic synth stabs applied. That spine-tingling vocal works great too; this is a true hands-in-the-air anthem that will get more than a few spins this winter. It's still true to Paul Thomas's rumbling, almost techno-esque bassline and Isma-Ae's sense of how to craft the simplest hook but somehow making it seem like the second coming of God. Truly a massive track.

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Michael Woods - Dynamik

For this UK producer's debut EP on mau5trap (you read that right, Deadmau5's label) Woods goes all out with a title track that's an absolute monster. In the vein of Paul Thomas and Funkagenda, Woods's percussion is muscular and the bassline is not in the least bit lean. A minute in the breakdown begins, almost cinematic in its precision, fervor, and atmosphere, washing everything out and slowing coaxing in the multilayered hook that is just....breath-taking. You begin to get a sense that the best progressive tracks do not rely just on hooks, but have a keen sense of progression and mood that let things build like techno, only more quickly and with a more immediate pay-off. Equally important is crafting the breakdown so that the climax arrives at precisely the right moment. When it's done right, like here, you get goosebumps it sounds so dang good. Hats off to Woods, hope to see more of him in the future.

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Adam K - Wake Up feat. Naan

Adam K has a very distinctive style that relies heavily on triplets, moody pads, and a very simplistic application of kicks and hi-hats. But for all the crap people give him about his tracks all sounding the same, they all sound dang good, what's there to dislike. Progressive house either leans heavily on vocals or it doesn't at all. Here the vocal, provided by vocalist Naan, works beautifully over Adam K's lush, wholly progressive house landscape. This is nearly the stuff of trance; not a moment wasted, every second building the tone and mood of the track, giving it the power it needs to deliver that massive drop, and once again Adam K delivers. Massive tune.

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That's all from me. Enjoy, friends.
-NL