---> @gratts

Belgium born, Berlin based DJ Gratts has spent the best part of two decades lugging bags of excellent records around. First biting the bug for good-time house, techno and disco in the late 90s, he honed his craft as part of the We Play House gang throughout the following decade, and began pushing out of his homeland around the 10s.
In keeping the heart of the music in mind, Gratts ensures the feet are always engaged. Genres aren’t important, though: no matter what’s spinning, it’s all about the uplift, the heart and the freedom. 
Especially for the Tiella Sound series, he pressed play one morning and recorded a one-take vinyl mix at his musical home in Berlin-Kreuzberg, The Consulate.

Check the full archive here >> www.bit.ly/TiellaSound-Archive

MIX SERIES ARCHIVE

TS Mix 035: Gratts

Belgian producer Gratts, an active dj for more than 20 years, teams up with pioneering Chicago vocalist Robert Owens on this new house anthem for our times. Hope is built into the very fibre of ‘Brighter Future’, from its optimistic synths to the sprightly Roland drum patterns, with Owens’ lilting affirmations soaring above. On the flip, Jorge Caiado’s remix and the New Vision Dub bring the track to the late night dancefloor, recalling the 90s heyday of Murk, Cajmere and Mood II Swing.

Orders on Bandcamp: https://innerbalancerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/brighter-future-ep 

Distribution with Carpet Distribution: info@carpetdistribution.com

Brighter Future

[IBL16] Gratts ft. Robert Owens - "Brighter Future" EP [OUT SOON!]

Belgian producer Gratts, an active DJ for more than 20 years, teams up with pioneering Chicago vocalist Robert Owens on this new house anthem for our times. Hope is built into the very fibre of ‘Brighter Future’, from its optimistic synths to the sprightly Roland drum patterns, with Owens’ lilting affirmations soaring above. On the flip, Jorge Caiado’s remix and the New Vision Dub bring the track to the late night dancefloor, recalling the 90s heyday of Murk, Cajmere and Mood II Swing. 

Grab your copy here: bit.ly/2YWxKHd

Pre-order

Phonica Premiere: Gratts - Brighter Future Ft. Robert Owens (New Vision Dub)

Part Of: Brighter Future EP
Catalog: IBL16
Release Date: 25.11.21
Buy Link: https://innerbalancerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/brighter-future-ep

Gratts 
SoundCloud | https://soundcloud.com/gratts

Jorge Caiado
SoundCloud | https://soundcloud.com/jorgecaiado

Robert Owens
SoundCloud | https://soundcloud.com/robert-owens-official

Inner Balance Recordings
SoundCloud | https://soundcloud.com/innerbalancerecordings
Bandcamp | https://innerbalancerecordings.bandcamp.com

Info:
Belgian dj Gratts first fell in love with glorious house music at the end of the nineties. An active dj for more than 20 years, the vinyl enthusiast teams up with pioneering Chicago vocalist Robert Owens for his artist debut “Brighter Future”. Together, they deliver a new house anthem for our times. Hope is built into the very fibre of ‘Brighter Future’, from its optimistic synths to the sprightly Roland drum patterns, with Owens’ lilting affirmations soaring above. On the flip, Jorge Caiado’s remix and the New Vision Dub bring the track to the late night dancefloor, recalling the 90s heyday of Murk, Cajmere and Mood II Swing.

Gratts wrote the instrumental of "Brighter Future" when stuck in Australia in 2020, aiming to create a mellow and utopian "let's make the world a better place” type track in the best eighties house music tradition. He and Robert first met in the streets of Kreuzberg in 2014, when the American had just traded London for Berlin. Gratts invited him for a dance at his then Chalet residency. Robert came down and from then on, often would. It still took many years until Gratts finally ended up asking if Robert would want to contribute a vocal to one of his tracks.

Inner Balance, run by Jorge Caiado and via Chez Damier linked to the seminal Balance / Prescription labels, has been focusing on releasing true deep house for years, making it the perfect home for the release.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Berlin House Music
Submit Your Music | https://berlinhousemusic.com/submission
Store | https://berlinhousemusic.com/shop
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/berlinhousemusic
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/berlinhousemusic 
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/berlinhousemusic
SoundCloud | https://soundcloud.com/berlinhousemusic

YouTube

PREMIERE: Gratts - Brighter Future Ft. Robert Owens (Jorge Caiado Remix) [Inner Balance Recordings]

Very satisfied with the outcome of last Saturday at C12 so I'm sharing the full recording of my long warm-up with you, from the start around 23h for an empty room until a packed crowd at 02h. 
Conditions were excellent: 2 turntables, an E&S rotary mixer and the big sound system in the main room, a vibing crowd and Tama Sumo and Alfred Anders ready to shine later on. My records were all about deep house, the groove and the drum, to gently massage the dancers into a long night. 

Hope you enjoy as much as I did. So happy we're back at this, I really missed and needed this. xxx

More music: http://kongdj.party

Kong DJ at C12, Brussels, 05.03.2022

Vinyl release forthcoming on ensemble. Mastered & cut by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Sleeve design & graphics by Clemence Mira. Vinyl by intakt! Distribution by Rush Hour & Crevette. © ensemble 2018.
Pre-order: www.rushhour.nl/store_detailed.php?item=103106

Beware of the blazing sun when she's orange and transparent.

Overwhelmed with the ecstacy of flight, Icarus soared into the sky like a bird, or rather a god. Drawn by desire for the heavens, he ascended higher and higher towards the sun. When the heat melted the wax on his wings, he fell from the sky and vanished into the dark blue ocean, where feathers, still today, ride the waves of the Icarian Sea.

Aimed at dancefloors in sleazy bathhouses, seedy basements and soiled warehouses, Icarus Traxx’ first offering takes us back to the mythical days of anonymous, muscular power house. Delivering no less than three takes of “Commandment” (plus two acapellas), the 12 inch, starring the enigmatic voices of Jesse B. Simple and Charlotte B. Good, supplies a choice cut for every disc jockey. Hitch a magic carpet ride home on the floaty FM bass and loon bird calls of “Fly Spanish Dub”.

Icarus Traxx - Commandment (Fly Spanish Dub)

https://innerbalancerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/brighter-future-ep

RA review: https://ra.co/reviews/34509
Lola Mag interview: https://lolamag.de/feature/music-feature/light-on-the-horizon/
Endless Grooves review: https://www.endlessgroovescom.net/post/gratts-feat-robert-owens-brighter-future-ep-inner-balance-recordings-2021
Focus Knack article: https://focus.knack.be/entertainment/muziek/in-premiere-gratts-brengt-met-brighter-future-een-hoopvolle-ode-aan-het-lanterfanten/article-normal-1809397.html

Distro info:
"Belgian producer Gratts, an active dj for more than 20 years, teams up with pioneering Chicago vocalist Robert Owens on this new house anthem for our times. Hope is built into the very fibre of ‘Brighter Future’, from its optimistic synths to the sprightly Roland drum patterns, with Owens’ lilting affirmations soaring above. On the flip, Jorge Caiado’s remix and the New Vision Dub bring the track to the late night dancefloor, recalling the 90s heyday of Murk, Cajmere and Mood II Swing."

Gratts - Brighter Future Ft. Robert Owens (Original)

Second installment of my longing for the DJ booth mixtape series, this time designed for 5 AM dance floors. Inspired by 'Kevin Jee @ Diamonds Haaltert 1994' cassette tape (digitized by Keimi, find it on Mixcloud), this is a tribute to the after club DJs, who often stayed low profile but highly prolific in an underground circuit of after parties and early morning raves. I'm way too young to have witnessed these roaring nineties in clubs, but through their fierce vinyl record handling and often extended mixes, I think I have an idea of the energy that was going around. 

At a speed of about 132 bpm and playing house, trance and tech house 12 inches from the early nineties plus a few well considered anachronisms, I enjoyed mimicking the atmosphere of these endless lasting nights.  Brace yourself to lift off crescendo until halfway, after which I invite you to lean back, enjoy your high and float on.

http://kongdj.party/

Missing the club (part 2) (after club tribute)

From the magical mountains of Sydney Barney In The Tunnel (Barney Kato and Tunnel Signs) spew forth an EP of day to dark dancefloor moods over 4 luxurious tracks drawing from the friendship of the party, the synthesizer, the shroom, the drum machine and the science of fiction.

https://soundcloud.com/barneyinthetunnel
https://soundcloud.com/cashminusmusic

PRÉMIÈRE: Barney In The Tunnel - Grumpy [Cashminus Music]

Out October 30, get it here: https://cashminus.bandcamp.com/

From the magical mountains of Sydney, @barneyinthetunnel (@barnee-kato and @tunnelsigns) spew forth an EP on @cashminusmusic of day to dark dancefloor moods over four luxurious tracks, drawing from the friendship of the party, the synthesiser, the shroom, the drum machine and the science of fiction.

More exclusive music

Premiere: Barney In The Tunnel 'Classic Kickon'

Founded by Kong DJ in 2022.
The follow-up to Ensemble (2013-2022).

Icarus Traxx - Commandment (Fly Spanish Dub)

Hi Scores

Recent comments

Sad Dad House

Related tracks