The Bournemouth-based producer has crafted a two-track statement that occupies a curious sweet spot between the 90s house euphoria that soundtracked warehouse raves and the propulsive momentum demanded by today's techno cognoscenti. This isn't retro fetishism for its own sake, nor is it slavish adherence to the 140 BPM trance-adjacent bombast currently cluttering Beatport charts. Instead, Steven carves out territory that feels both familiar and refreshingly underserved.
The production genesis – a transformative night at a Bristol club witnessing DJ Bone alongside kindred spirits – courses through these tracks like voltage through copper wire. You can hear it: that particular marriage of groove-led physicality and hypnotic repetition that characterized techno's Detroit-Chicago-UK axis before the genre splintered into a thousand microgenres. Steven cites Chicago Loop (the Acerbic moniker under which the artist has been championing precisely this sound) as a primary influence, and the lineage is audible without ever feeling derivative.
Both tracks prioritize the hook – that crucial synth line around which everything else orbits. It's a compositional approach that harks back to when techno still remembered it was descended from house, when melody wasn't a dirty word and tracks could be both cerebral and visceral. The drum programming locks into that 4/4 groove with machinelike precision, yet Steven's self-professed obsession with "ear candy" ensures the percussion palette never grows stale. Elements weave in and out, creating negative space and tension that rewards attentive listening while still servicing the floor.
The technical execution deserves mention. That Steven achieved this warmth and depth working entirely "in the box" speaks to both his production chops and the democratization of music creation he references. While purists might pine for the character imparted by vintage hardware, these tracks prove that limitation can breed creativity rather than compromise. The sound design – particularly on those ear candy elements he mentions – displays genuine craft, each percussive hit and textural flourish serving the whole rather than showing off for its own sake.
What Steven has accomplished here is a delicate balance. The tracks feel lived-in, redolent of smoke machines and early morning euphoria, yet the low-end punch and contemporary production sheen ensure they won't sound quaint on a 2026 sound system. This is music that understands techno's past without being imprisoned by it, that can evoke nostalgia while still pushing forward.
The BLACK WAXX imprint's faith in Steven feels entirely justified. The label has been quietly building a roster that values musicality alongside dancefloor functionality, and this release slots seamlessly into that aesthetic. As Steven promises further explorations – different styles, multiple aliases, continued collaboration with his label home – this EP reads as both arrival and prelude.
The ironic self-deprecation of the title ultimately proves misplaced. This isn't just another house track. It's a knowing, accomplished exploration of techno's house roots by a producer who understands that the best dance music honours its history while refusing to be museum pieces. Steven has delivered something increasingly rare: tracks with both retrospective warmth and contemporary relevance, built for the moment when the lights go down and the only thing that matters is the groove.