TuneLab
HOSH
at Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, India for Cercle
Of course HOSH would be soundtracking a sunset over a maharaja's palace; the man has a PhD in panoramic melancholy. We're all here, squinting at our phones, trying to decode the synth line hanging in the humid Indian air, because the tracklist for this Cercle set is an immediate obsession. The production is ludicrously beautiful—marble colonnades, golden hour light, a crowd that looks like they've been personally invited by the ghost of a prince, all bathed in a deep, groovy warmth. Technically, this is a masterclass in slow-burn, harmonic progression for a melodic house journey.
Locked into a steady 124 BPM groove, HOSH weaves a tapestry primarily in the warm, open key of 12A, with deft modulations into 6B and 5A to introduce tension and release. The energy arc is a gradual ascent, with an average low-energy value of 0.64 dictating a deeply physical, sub-bass-driven narrative that lets melodic motifs breathe over rolling percussion. The mixing is seamless and patient, using long blends to emphasize harmonic compatibility, while the carefully managed mid-range (0.34) adds color without clutter, and the minimal high-end (0.02) ensures a smooth, non-fatiguing sound. The crate-digging is exquisite: 'Bacon Popper - Trip to India (Miss Groovy After Mix)' is an almost-too-on-the-nose but perfect geographical nod with its organic samples, while Alex Lur & Groj's 'Seda AFTR:HRS' provides a moment of hypnotic, peak-time drive.
The Tone Depth edit of Roland Clark's 'First Time I Met House' is a timeless, vocal-led weapon, and Fabrication's 'Children' offers a darker, introspective turn. HOSH's own 'Karma' and '1979 - Vulcano' serve as emotional and driving anchors, respectively. The journey begins with the atmospheric swell of Baham's 'You Are Simin', builds to a peak with the relentless bassline of '1979 - Vulcano', and closes on the heartstring-pulling arpeggio of his own 'Instant Flashbacks', a bittersweet farewell under the palace lights.