Byron Yeates – Time Machine
The Clubland revival is the most significant thing happening in dance music at the moment, with a massive push towards early 2000s sounds. It feels like Trance is coming back in a big way, and as a nostalgic throwback, it's fun. With any movement, there's always a big gap between those who purely want to replicate your sound and those who go a bit deeper. Byron Yeates' Time Machine manages to find the perfect middle ground between popcorn enjoyment and severe dance floor heat.
Right out the gates, the fluorescent blasts of synthetic keys incorporate house, techno and, of course, Trance to make something greater than some parts in 'Liquid Sky'. Yes, it's not entirely as soulful a house as melodramatic as Trance or deep as dub techno, but what Byron delivers is unstoppable energy and vibes that conjure up images of the coolest kid you know, dancing in their best Y2K cosplay. 'Hyper Hyper' has the nostalgic factor. Powerful stab sounds are reminiscent of a Street Fighter game, like a burly announcer is about to yell, "FIGHT!" It's all action and jam-packed with fairground fun as Yeates asks audiences to scream if they want to go faster.
The gritty second half of the EP features 'Time Machine' and 'Trip to Eclipse', which use heavy minimalism to create a foundation for grooving. With a solid progression throughout, you can expect to hear the pitter-patter of constantly evolving percussion and, at times, Yeates incorporating throwbacks to 2010 deep house on 'Time Machine', while 'Trip to Eclipse', in collaboration with Spray, keeps things more to the point.
What's excellent about Byron Yeates is that these techy steppers are wrapped up in a kitschy and pretty silly contextual bubble. Time Machine lets you go whichever way you want in a set you can. Whack these in a groovier tech set, or go all out and embrace the novelty and intercut an Ian van Dahl - Castles In The Sky (extended mix). Versatility is the key selling point, and although it lacks some stylistic fortitude by the nature of things, it can work in your favour as a selector. He's taken the heat of 2000 dance and left behind almost all the fluffy silliness– add it back in if you want. What's left are these rugged club cuts teeming with energy.
Tracklist:
Liquid Sky
Hyper Hyper
Time Machine
Byron Yeates & Spray - Trip To Eclipse
Label: Radiant Records (2024)
Byron Yeates – Time Machine