This Ain't Miami: A Statement Against the Obvious
This Ain't Miami arrives as a pointed rebuttal to glossy, sun-soaked house music. Across four tracks ranging from 126 to 131 BPM, this VA release trades poolside euphoria for something moodier, more atmospheric, and considerably more interesting. Each cut feels deliberate — a cohesive collection that rewards patience and rewards the late-night dancefloor.
Track by Track
- Yaku (Extended Mix) – Dilon Karim & Vincent William (131 BPM, 7:13): The opener commands attention immediately. Layered synths, organic percussion, and harmonic progressions that suggest Andean textures filtered through Berlin minimalism. At over seven minutes, Karim and William demonstrate rare compositional confidence.
- Ecstasy (Extended Mix) – FULANO. & Sunnyside US (130 BPM, 6:27): The emotional centrepiece of the release. A thick, rolling bassline anchors fragmented vocal phrases that cycle through tension and release with surgical precision. Dark deep house at its most purposeful.
- Calvin Klein (Extended Mix) – Jones (129 BPM, 4:28): Lean, direct, and brutally effective. Jones strips the format down to a relentless tech-house groove with a title that carries quiet cultural wit. Every second earns its place.
- That Most High (Extended Mix) – Cody Schneida (126 BPM, 5:37): The collection's most meditative closer. Schneida drops the tempo and raises the spirituality, drawing comparisons to the deeper end of Anjunadeep and Crosstown Rebels' most introspective output.
Taken as a whole, This Ain't Miami is a confident, well-curated statement: house music doesn't need sunshine to move you. Essential listening for the early hours.
