Dubbed the “rising Midlander” by DJ Magazine on account of his being based in the Midlands region of the UK, Josh Gregg has been a hardworking House and Techno producer for the last ten years. He is also a DJ, reportedly spending as much time digging for new sounds as he does writing them, and in the past has earned the acclaim of high-profile artists such as Pete Tong, Leftfield, and Hot Since 82. His latest record, meanwhile, is Josh Gregg – Connection, a House-style track that is also the first record on Gregg’s new imprint, Poles Apart.
Keeping in line with the heavily percussive sound that the artist is renowned for, Josh Gregg – Connection is based around a groovy, hi-hat-heavy beat that persists throughout the track’s four minutes. An echoey, spoken word vocal extolling the virtues of the drums as an instrument (“there’s something special about the drums”) is also prominent, giving the track a nostalgic feel that aligns with the black and white photograph that adorns the single’s cover. There are build-ups and drops too, but these are relatively low key and rarely take the attention away from that deep, percussive groove that dominates the track. As such, Josh Gregg – Connection is both hypnotic and infectious, combining vibrant rhythms with subtle synth flourishes to create four minutes of appealing, House music. The intriguing spoken-word vocal also gives the track a distinctive, retro atmosphere, thereby setting it apart from other contemporary material that operates in this genre.
“It’s one of my favorite productions ever and felt like the perfect way to begin this journey” says Gregg, discussing how he feels about choosing this track to kick off the story of his new imprint Poles Apart. It’s difficult to disagree with him too, given that Josh Gregg – Connection is a fun but laid back track that unites many prominent facets of the artist’s sound, and therefore makes the perfect introduction to this new era of his career.
