What is the viability of tech house in 2023? I would argue this is a pretty pertinent question facing DJ Life, the rising Naarm-based producer, DJ and all-around grooverider. In the Australian community, the fabled summers of 2021 and 2022 in the afterglow of the pandemic are commonly associated with that slinky, approachable genre, but where to from here? You can feel the zeitgeist shifting, as it so frequently does in electronic music scenes, and with it a resurgence of those ubiquitous criticisms of tech house: inoffensive, inauthentic and adjacent to frat-boy EDM.

DJ Life doesn't seem too preoccupied with these concerns, yet. His latest EP, Guardian, self-released on a new label co-founded with Reflex Blue, keeps things simple with four dancefloor-focused tech house cuts. The mobile sub-bass and pulsing kick that opens 'Clam Zone' lets you know from the outset that this is not a release of pretension or experimentation, but pure body music. You can even hear DJ Life veering away from the progressive-leaning sounds of some of his contemporaries (Suki, Mabel, Hannah D etc.) in favour of something bassier and streamlined. 'Guardian' chooses to supplement its four-to-the-floor rhythms with obscured vocal samples and the occasional synth stab rather than lush, atmospheric pads.

The EP sounds best on the tracks that have a tougher, muscular edge to them. 'Goblins March' is as close to Detroit minimal as DJ Life has ever been: ruthless, propulsive and strobelit, a peak-time bruiser suited for clubs either side of the Atlantic. 'Hotdog Technology' doesn't operate at the same breakneck intensity, but features an undeniable bassline, some well-placed acid synth patterns, a digital voice counting numbers, and not much more. By comparison, 'Adventurers Backpack' feels a little cluttered and distracted, with too many melodic elements competing in the mix.

Tech house should be lean, direct and effective. At its core, it melds the essential elements of house and techno while doing away with their occasional excesses. The strongest moments of Guardian speak to this essential truth.

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Sam Gollings

29 June 2023