Cassette 7

I drop the needle at 122 BPM and Black Loops lets the tape run noticeably hot. There is no pretence in the construction: the samples are roughed-up and immediate, the 8B key centre glows with analogue warmth, and that maximum-energy rating is earned by drums that hit hard yet never strip away the essential funk. It is the sound of a basement already sweating, not some sterile booth exercise.

In my sets, this occupies the tipping point between warm-up and peak-time, a groove-led bomb that demands physical movement without sacrificing an ounce of personality. Toy Tonics has delivered something properly club-credible that still breathes: not a functional tool, but a house record with enough grain and swing to command a floor for its entire duration.