ESSE is back with a new single, “Detroit,” proving that echoes of Motor City’s machine soul still have new stories to tell.
Out now via Tchami’s Confession imprint, the new single follows ESSE’s “Block Rockin Beats,” a bold reinterpretation of The Chemical Brothers’ 1997 breakbeat classic of the same name. With “Detroit,” the mysterious producer is quickly proving his ability to rework timeless dancefloor staples without stripping them of their spirit.
Sampling Fedde Le Grand’s 2006 classic “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit,” ESSE retrofits the original’s clubby cheer into something darker, sleeker and more dystopian. Once a straightforward party chant, the vocals are now warped and mutated with a cybernetic touch, drenched in vocoder and glitch as they slither through the track’s pumping bassline.
There’s no euphoric builds or flashy, overproduced drops in “Detroit”—just a focused, heady groove that never lets up. Gritty, minimal and relentlessly propulsive, it’s house music built with techno’s DNA.
You can listen to “Detroit” below and find the new single on streaming platforms here.