Future Classic: Pender Street Steppers “The Glass City / Golden Garden”

It seems like Vancouver’s very own Mood Hut camp are on a roll these days. After releasing two very genuine and high profile twelve inches in 2014, Jack J’s Looking Forward To You and Pender Street Steppers Bubble World (on PPU), the Steppers are back with what could be their best release yet.

You have to give it to these guys for staying focus on every single record they’ve put out since Devonian Garden by Cloudface, back in 2013. Last summer, just about every DJ I know wanted to own the wonderfully addictive jazz-house of Jack J’s initial release. It sounded like a young producer making a extremely clever statement and now, Pender Street Steppers new one is stretching out loosely with that same kind of hazy warm vibe. You simply can’t complain when you immediatly hear the analogue deep house feel of those new tracks. For starters, The Glass City builds on rhythm, horns and a bassline with an overall sensibility that stands somewhere between new age and the very beginning of house music. Kind of laidback if you will, but wih a dance twist. It makes you realize why you started listening to soulful deep house in the first place.

What really impresses me though, is that all of this doesn’t even come close to some sort of vintage era coolness. The Steppers have learned from the past, but are definitely on a course of their own. Then on the flip, Golden Garden breathes in the same kind of way but on a much slower mode. There’s funkiness going on, but in a very unsual delivery. Once again, the pacing is where it’s at.

In case you didn’t know, the PSS’ will be back Djing in Montreal at Le Bleury on may 23. Best of all, Mood Hut seem to have a great sense of humor when they say «This is music for car parks, drywall delivery vans, and days when the air smells fresh but slightly shitty ».