Ed Nine is my spirit animal. I don’t know quite when he gained the Midas Touch but he’s released three or four outstanding, world-class records in a row – and he’s released them on some of the most influential deep house labels in the world.

It doesn’t get better than Kai Alce‘s NDATL and increasingly we can say it doesn’t get better than an Ed Nine EP. Ed’s follow-up to his remix of Ron Trent’s Dancin’ (Headphoniq, 2018) and the two Journey EPs for Inner Balance is a deep plunge into Chicago house rooted in soul with Deep Concentration. “Be With You” is masterclass in dancefloor manipulation, with a vocal clip bouncing off a short sax sample and buoyant, exhilarating chords. The mental “One Less Struggle” shows the secret sauce of an Ed Nine production in drums that hit and hit hard but resound like the glimmer of brilliant brass. The title track is another ace production, with claps and a fat bassline chasing around a virtuoso solo on the vibes. Ed Nine is probably making better music than anyone in Chicago right now and here’s three more tracks to add to his portfolio.

Ed Nine: Deep Concentration / NDATL / 12″ vinyl
A1. Ed Nine: “Be With You”
A2. Ed Nine: “One Less Struggle”
B1. Ed Nine: “Deep Concentration”

 


 

Everything That You Love: Originally published in 5 Mag issue 176 featuring Cinthie, Matt Masters, Stripped & Chewed, Marshall Applewhite & more. Help support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.