House music
Interview: EQRIC’s Skills Shine On New Pop-House EP “Dark Lies”
With over 40 million collective Spotify streams on his catalog, support in some of the largest EDM playlists on Spotify, and heavy radio play on his infectious tunes, including features on SLAM! Radio and numerous other radios around Europe, EQRIC is without a doubt a massively promising and emerging dance music star. Having already released more than 10 singles this year, while receiving support from tastemaker YouTube channels such as Trap City, House Nation, Chill Nation, xKito Music, MrSuicideSheep, the Canadian talent is now ready for one of his biggest projects to date, his brand new, 3-track EP Dark Lies.
Coming to digital platforms via Nightblue Music & Deep Universe, Dark Lies is an incredibly cohesive project, seeing EQRIC pull influence from deep house classics, while infusing them with his own distinct sound. Featuring vocals from previous collaborator Britt Lari on “Dark Lies” and “Amsterdam,” as well as Joanna on “Can’t Handle My Love,” the EP perfectly showcases EQRIC’s incredible chemistry with his collaborators, as well as his immense talent in crafting timeless house gems.
“‘Dark Lies’ encapsulates a meaningful stage in my life, sharing an original body of work using the artistic styles I’ve developed throughout my musical career. I worked closely with Britt Lari and Joanna to write this collection of original songs, and designed the album artwork myself, to create a unique and cohesive EP,” says EQRIC.
You just released your EP Dark Lies. Talk to us a bit about the story behind it and how it came about.
Recently I’ve been making many cover songs that have received lots of positive feedback, but I wanted to express my creativity further with some originals. I teamed up with the talented singers Britt Lari and Joanna to write this “Dark Lies” EP comprised of 3 original songs. I was going for a “dark deep house” style with catchy pop vocals. The 3 tracks cohesively tell the story of a broken relationship, using intricate ambiences and deep basslines to drive the emotional vocals throughout the tracks.
We’ve seen that you love to collaborate with multiple vocalists and producers. What makes a great collaborator for you?
Collaborating at an international level, I’ve made great friendships over the years with other musicians across the world. For me, the best part about collaborating on projects is that I can delegate certain work to members of the team that are particularly skilled in that area. From mixing, mastering, production, songwriting, artwork creation and beyond, I strongly value unique ideas and team members who work hard to produce quality results.
How did you start immersing yourself into the world of production, and what were some of your earliest influences?
I was enrolled in piano lessons at a young age, and began to explore other creative mediums in highschool. I stumbled across music production software at the age of 15, after hearing about an older student at my highschool producing EDM music. My early influences in the EDM scene were acts such as Mesto and Martin Garrix.
At what point in your musical journey did you realize that you can turn this passion into a full-time career?
Funny enough, music isn’t my full-time career. I am currently a university student in Canada studying Medicine. One day I hope to be a doctor; save lives during the day and make music during the night!
You’ve seen massive success releasing covers of some of the world’s greatest hits over the years. Why do you think dance covers resonate so much with people?
There’s no better feeling than stumbling across a re-worked version of a childhood hit song. New, fresh production elements working together with the old hit melodies gives a feeling of nostalgia and excitement that resonates deeply with dance music enthusiasts.
What’s the biggest advice you would give to a young producer looking up to you and wanting to build a career out of music?
Everything is easier when you collaborate with a like-minded team to optimize the yield of your work. The first step is to make good music, but the more important step is to understand the value of working with others to effectively distribute and promote that music in the digital space.
You’ve certainly hit some massive milestones in your career, such as amassing over 40 million collective streams on Spotify and being ranked among the Top 100 Canadian musicians. What milestone is next on your bucket list?
– Spotify has been good to me, and I hope to hit 100 million streams within the next year. I just need 1 single to take-off, to help further the trajectory of my music career into something bigger. Let’s see what the next year has in store!
Do you have any exciting plans for the future that you’d like to share?
Keep an eye out for many more releases this year, with some particularly exciting cover songs coming out in December!
Where do you see yourself in five years?
It’s hard to say, but I’m sure I will still be involved in the music industry. Let’s see where life takes me!
After opening his label’s doors to fresh releases from UK producers James Hurr and Loz Seka, FLAMENCA Records boss STBAN returns to the imprint with his brand new single ‘Habibi’, out April 10th worldwide.
A scorching slice of percussive Afro-Latin House, ‘Habibi’ sees STBAN collaborate with two stars of the Spanish music scene – DJ and percussionist Javi Torres, and singer and DJ Alba Dreid. The result is a dance floor weapon that combines the heat and flavour of Arabesque vocals and instrumentation with thundering basslines and relentless rhythms.
Javi Torres is known across southern Europe and Latin America for his explosive Afrohouse and Latin Tech sets, performances enhanced by live percussion inside the mix. The Seville-based artist counts support from some of electronica’s biggest names, including Martin Garrix, Alok, Jamie Jones, Hugel, Aaron Sevilla, Roger Sanchez, Mëstiza, MichaelBM, Tom & Collins, Novak, Nicky Romero, Paco Osuna, Salvarote Ganacci and Sammy Porter. Known throughout Spain after winning the RTVE programme ‘La Bien Cantá’, Alba Dreid’s focus is set firmly on bringing Spanish folklore to a global audience, making her a perfect fit for STBAN’s ongoing mission to fuse traditional flamenco with electronic music through FLAMENCA Records’ growing discography.
Javi Torres, Alba Dreid, STBAN ‘Habibi’ is released April 10th on FLAMENCA Records via Toolroom Records.
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Loz Seka on his Flamenca Records debut Cuccú, BBC Radio 1 support, and his journey from blues bands to Latin tech house.
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INSCT & Roxy Tones Release Their New 19-Track Album ‘Higher On Life’ Blending Deep House, Chill House And Melodic Electronic Sounds
Electronic producers INSCT and Roxy Tones introduce their collaborative album Higher On Life, a 19-track release that brings together deep house, chill house, chill pop, and melodic electronic music across a full-length project. The album features instrumental productions alongside vocal songs performed by Scarlett Jackson, Robbie Hutton, Johnny Chicago, Imran, SKV, and Theia, creating a wide lineup of voices across the record. Spanning nearly an hour of music, Higher On Life presents a long-form listening project where the songs unfold gradually across nineteen tracks instead of focusing on a handful of singles. The description accompanying the album places the music within listening environments such as sunset sessions, late-night drives, and extended melodic electronic playlists, indicating that the record was conceived as a continuous listening experience rather than a collection of isolated tracks.
INSCT And Roxy Tones Expand Their Melodic Electronic Direction
The collaboration between INSCT and Roxy Tones brings together two producers whose work centres on melodic electronic music within the house spectrum. Roxy Tones has developed recognition within the electronic scene through productions that combine vocal songwriting, melodic synthesizers, and deep house percussion, creating music that frequently appears in chill house and melodic house playlists. By working together on Higher On Life, INSCT and Roxy Tones extend that musical direction into a full album format where the producers have space to introduce a larger catalogue of songs and vocal collaborations across a single project.
A nineteen-track album is also longer than most contemporary electronic releases, which often present shorter EP formats. With Higher On Life, the extended tracklist allows the producers to introduce multiple vocalists, instrumental compositions, and melodic passages across the album without compressing the music into a small number of tracks. This longer structure creates room for variation in tempo, vocal presence, and instrumental focus while maintaining a consistent melodic house foundation throughout the record. As the album progresses, vocal songs and instrumental records appear in alternating moments, giving listeners a project that gradually develops across the entire runtime rather than repeating the same format from start to finish.
A Tracklist That Develops Across Nineteen Songs
The album begins with “Blind Love” featuring Scarlett Jackson, introducing the project with a vocal-led deep house song that establishes the melodic tone of the record. The following track “Tranquil Waters” shifts toward an instrumental composition where melody and rhythm carry the record forward before “Sweat” featuring Robbie Hutton returns to a vocal performance. As the opening section of the album continues, “Skipping Stones” with SKV and “All I Need To Know” featuring Imran introduce additional guest artists while maintaining the melodic electronic character established in the first tracks of the record.
As the album moves further into its tracklist, several vocalists return across multiple songs, creating continuity throughout the project. Scarlett Jackson appears again on “Sinking Deeper” and later on “Oh Oh,” while Robbie Hutton contributes another vocal performance on “Feel Your Love.” Instrumental pieces including “Velvet Hangover,” “I’ll Be Needing You,” “Whispers In The Breeze,” “Higher On Life,” “Shine All Night,” and “Fly Away” appear throughout the album and highlight the melodic electronic focus of the production. Toward the final section of the album, Johnny Chicago appears on “Like I Do,” “Cloud 9,” and the closing record “Above and Beyond,” bringing another voice into the final stretch of the project and completing the sequence of nineteen tracks.
Across Higher On Life, INSCT and Roxy Tones present a full electronic album that combines vocal house songs with melodic instrumental productions throughout its nineteen-track structure. By introducing multiple vocal collaborators while also including instrumental compositions across the record, the album offers a broad collection of deep house and melodic electronic music that develops steadily from the opening track through to the closing song.
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