Producer Dan Ryan is ungoogleable (try it if you are not from Chicago), though records like “Right Here” which was remixed by Garrett David and “Horizons” with Jon Iler caught our attention from the start. Dan takes half of this record — a split EP with Ed Nine called Distant Reality — and sets it off with a brilliant bright spark. “New Home” illuminates the night with a slow, cold burn — moody strings and chords, buoyant vocal samples and a bassline that throbs like a soft rubber band. This, right here, is a great track.

“Fuzzy Tape Dreams” brings filtered lofi house to Chicago and runs it all over town. I’ve seen one of those weirdly viral YouTube DJ mixes that winds up in everyone’s recs claim “Chicago lofi house” as a genre; if it ever really becomes one, this is its genesis song.

Ed Nine’s “Another Day” and “Reality” fill up the B-side with still more evidence that Number 9 is running this place. “Another Day” is sophisticated deep house roaring with energy; if you like Chez Damier, you’ll like this, but I think that’s true of a lot of Ed Nine’s tracks. Chicago DJs who go deep can never be boring — they just have too much fire in their belly to flatline a room and Ed’s tracks reflect that ethos. On “Reality” he pulls out the early AM dub energy, a vibe based on roaring chords and sizzling hats picked apart and put back together again.

Dan Ryan / Ed Nine: Distant Reality (Groove Access / August 2021 / 12″ Vinyl)
A1. Dan Ryan – “New Home” (6:00)
A2. Dan Ryan – “Fuzzy Tape Dreams” (5:02)
B1. Ed Nine – “A New Day” (6:01)
B2. Ed Nine – “Reality” (6:02)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo on behalf of the label.

 


 

This was originally published in #MadeWithLove: 5 Mag #192 with Solomun, Ultra Naté, Andrew Emil, Dam Swindle and more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.

 

 

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