Byron The Aquarius House | Deep House 6 Items

Byron's musical prowess takes center stage in "Love 4 Music," our second vinyl release on the Low Recordings label, marking his entrée into our musical family. The 4-track EP is a love-infused journey, with Side A delivering compelling club hits and Side B enveloping us in a soulful/R&B/deep house vibe. "Creepin' With U" kicks off Side A, immersing us in haunting chords that lead to a thumping club-certified kick drum. Nostalgia from lo-fi days creeps in, complemented by eerie vocal samples, creating a captivating track for warehouse dance floors. Following suit is "Work That Girl (Tribal Mix)," a heavyweight crafted for the club/warehouse scene. Byron's vocals intertwine with clicking hats and snares, driving lyrics tailored for a sweaty night of dancing. The track builds energy with trademark chords and acid-sounding notes, making it a solid club anthem. Flipping to Side B, "Inner Visions" slows the tempo, offering a classic synth line and smooth kick. Byron's soulful vocals add warmth, gradually introducing dissonance as the track progresses, setting the stage for the EP's closure. "Make Me Feel" wraps up the EP, guided by Byron's vision for a fun night. With a touch of R&B, the track exudes warmth and invites us to feel good with the one who got us through the night. Byron's sultry voice, playful nature, and guiding basslines ensure a light and enjoyable conclusion to this musical journey.

Heist Recordings has been pushing the envelope for house music since day one and we’re always on the lookout for artists that represent our vision on electronic music. Our next guest on the label fits that profile and more. He is the embodiment of modern-day electronic funk and a true wizard on the keys: Atlanta raised cool guy Byron the Aquarius.

Byron has a solid history on the label: He remixed Parker Madicine back in 2017 and did a mad solo on the 2019 released Dam Swindle track ‘The life behind things’. We’ve done some shows together and stayed in touch while Byron was working together with Jeff Mills on his 2020 jazz crossover record ‘Ambrosia’ on Axis. Now, after a solid string of releases on labels like Shall not Fade and Purveyor Underground, Byron is making his solo appearance on Heist. His ‘Akira’ EP goes from dark basement grooves to dreamy broken beats and features a remix by New York dance music wizard Kush Jones.

The Akira EP kicks off with ‘I love yo’. In this track, Byron decides to leave his keys at home and goes in deep with a moody club workout. ‘I love yo’ is a track that juxtaposes dreamy samples with rough percussion and vocal chops with a clear nod to the work of Mr. G. The melody is mellow, but don’t be deceived; clever drum programming and plenty of sub take this track into the club vibe just the way Byron likes it: warm, hazy and sexy AF.

Byron is not known for delivering straightforward house tunes, but when he does deliver them, he does it in style. Enter ‘Get up’; the A2 of the EP. There’s everything we love about house music: smart vocal chops, driving percussion, classic house keys and a booming sub to get you bumping to this beat.

The B-side sees Byron up the tempo and take a deep dive into bass territory with ‘Love’. In this track, there’s lush pads running over a percussive broken beat and chopped R ’n B vocals to add some serious sex appeal. It’s deceptively simple and clean but ever so catchy, which clearly shows Byron’s prowess as an electronic music producer.

Going back to classic house mode, we’ve got ‘Success’: A spoken word house track that fits right in with the classics. Byron sets the mood with some bumpy key-and synth work while brainstorming about originality and blackness throughout the track. Even though the message underneath might be a serious one, Byron succeeds in delivering this in a fun, uplifting way that never gets pretentious or divisive.

The EP finishes with a remix by New Yorker Kush Jones. This is an artist who understands how to build a groove. He could take you anywhere from house to juke, footwork and techno, which is exactly why he’s been getting so much love for his music recently. Kush is an artist who sees no boundaries in his music and still manages to create his own sonic universe. His remix of ‘I love yo’ takes a dreamy approach with soft chords running over an electronic groove with a pure and improvised feel. All elements fit together perfectly and it’s the clever ad-hoc programming and arrangement that suck you into his unbounded world from the first beat.

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud.

The story behind Shroomz, Guns and Roses came from the pandemic, it was a time I felt deep in nature and studying of zen, I felt like the pandemic brought out a darkness in me, and I combatted these negative thoughts with nature and mushrooms to create a balance in my life spending time in the mountains of Alabama and Asheville, North Carolina. I chose "guns" and "roses" as a way to juxtapose the violence we're experiencing in the USA with the peace of mind a rose can bring as a balance in life. Music makes its way through these tough times we're all facing, and to me, music is that rose. I paint a canvas of my emotions through synthesizers and drum machines to show the world balance can be found through even the toughest of times.

Finally! “Byron The Aquarius” debut on Apron.

Classic jacking tracks by Byron the Aquarius on Clone Jack for Daze. A 6 track ep that will make you dance till your numb. A big booming sound system in a dark room filled with big artifical clouds from the smoke machine, rattling drum machine with pulsating basslines, the hypnotizing lights from the strobe and you've entered the Land Of Confusion! Thats all we need to have a good time. Byron hits exactly that sweet spot with his take on the classic stripped down jack tracks.