Art has always been a driving force in Chambray’s — born André Rost — life; he started out as a fashion professional, after all. However, he couldn’t deny the passion and inspiration he felt around the sounds of classic Chicago house. Rost soon decided to take on the art of DJing and producing himself, securing his destiny as a full-time musician in being taken under Jimmy Edgar’s wing as a five-year Ultramajic signee. Before long, he’d been contacted by Richie Hawtin as one of the first to test his new PLAYdifferently mixer, and also established his name on the house circuit as a refreshingly original act.

Chambray’s relationship with DIRTYBIRD began with admiration; recognizing his penchant for crafting eclecting, yet relentlessly grooving house and tech, the label soon invited him onto Selects with a jacking, “Laurel Em” single. His sound was so intriguing to the label, in fact, that the next time he sent them demos, he became one of the rare few to earn the go-ahead for a three-tracker by Claude VonStroke.

Where You At is the result, which came out on December 7. The EP is an infectious listen from start to finish, with a title opener that jolts listeners awake with vocals that bounce along stripped-down percussion for a more nuanced, yet wild ride that stays building momentum until its close. The vocal motif ties into “Being Tru,” which offers a more robotic sound pallette with buzzing synths and a powerful bassline that feels made for the peaktime. Finally, Where You At ends with a nostalgic “Deets Yew,” in which Chambray pays homage to the sounds he loves most with classic keyboard stabs and encouraging claps that stir smiles on the floor. It’s a timeless ending to a cutting-edge EP, one of the label’s best of the year.

 

Order a copy of ‘Where You At’ here

Tags: Chambray, dirtybird, Where You At

Categories: Music