Contributing Writer
Qess operates in the worlds where house, techno and electronica all collide. He is a favourite on labels like Poker Flat, Mobilee and Anjunadeep and has a sound that is perfect for the dance floor but also comes with plenty of emotional nuance. His latest outing, ‘I Keep Coming Back’, features a top tier vocal performance from Andrew Edward Brown, and is out now via Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordings…
Hey Qess, thanks for chatting to us; what records have you been diving into recently?
Thanks for having me! Luckily, I seem to be constantly bombarded by great tracks, I couldn’t possibly remember them all. But producers that have been consistently delivering the goods are Rocco Rodamaal, Mathias Kaden, Julius Strieder and Dachshund. I’m also feeling pretty much everything that Rekids, Turbo, Versatile and COD3 QR are putting out.
This month, you’re landing on Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordings for your latest outing, ‘I Keep Coming Back’; what can listeners expect from this record, and why did you decide to partner with Josh Wink’s imprint for this one?
Josh and I have a mutual friend and collaborator, Ursula Rucker, and I knew that he had been a fan of my and Ursula’s ‘Spaces In Between’. When I finished ‘I Keep Coming Back’ I felt it could be a fit for Josh’s sets, and for Ovum. Coincidentally at that time he was playing at a party nearby, so I hot footed it there to introduce myself and deliver it personally. A few weeks later Josh wrote to say that it had been getting amazing reactions, and not only did he want to sign it, he also wanted to contribute a remix. So, yeah, the stars aligned! Josh is one of the greats of our scene, and a hero of mine, and it goes without say that his remix is incredible. To say I’m honoured to now be part of the Ovum family is a massive understatement.
‘I Keep Coming Back’ puts a sultry, modern twist on some classic sounds; what was the production process like for the single?
I have been a fan of Andrew (Edward Brown) for a long time; for me his vocals have that classic house sound which evoke memories of those early Larry Heard and Marshall Jefferson tracks. So, during the sketching process I focused on keeping the sound less polished, more lo-fi, as a nod to those early days of house and techno. Andrew sent me the vocal a couple of days later and it was perfect – there were no further takes or adjustments required, it all came together really quickly.
You’re currently based in London, could you give us some of your favourite venues?
Fabric will always be my number one, it continues to set the standard for the rest to follow. Honourable mentions to Phonox, Night Tales and Corsica, in which I’ve had some fantastic nights. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t checked out Fold yet, but I’m hoping to right that wrong very soon.
How do you feel about phones on the dance-floor?
We’ve all seen those cringeworthy videos with a sea of phones held aloft by huge, motionless crowds, but it’s not something I’ve experienced first-hand because I don’t usually go to those types of parties. But to answer your question – no, I’m not a fan of phones on the dance floor, it’s not very ‘house’. But what doesn’t help is the abundance of tracks that feature elongated sections with absolutely zero groove – after all the devil makes work for idle hands (and feet!)
What platforms do you use to discover new music and why?
I use all the usual digital stores, but for me Bandcamp is the best for discovering (and rediscovering) lesser-known gems. I also listen to numerous podcasts from DJs and tastemakers that I respect and have a network of friends that often clue me in to tracks I might have missed. I also must confess, at the risk of sounding a complete hypocrite given my answer to your phone question, that I am a bit of a Shazamer when I’m out and about!
What sparked your love for House and Techno?
Here comes the cliché but I promise you it’s true – as a very young kid I was loaned Jean-Michel Jarre’s ‘Equinoxe’ by a friend’s father, and that was my moment of conception when it came to electronica and repetitive beats. A few years later, as a sheltered teenager living in a small town, it took me a little while to discover that the house music scene went way beyond the occasional track that infiltrated the UK Top 40, but once I did there was no looking back. And I never returned ‘Equinoxe’ back to that kid’s father ☺
Do you have anything else in the works for 2025 you can share with us?
I’m currently working on a couple of new EPs and tapping into my love of film scores to create a mini-LP of short ambient vignettes.
Follow Qess: Instagram – Soundcloud – Beatport
