Ben Rau
Energy

Ben Rau inaugurates PIVs new PIV Club sub-label this October with his new EP Back To The Underground / Energy. Over the past decade, Berlin-based producer and DJ, Ben Rau, has risen up the ranks to become one of the undergrounds most prized artists, steadily unveiling hard-hitting dance floor cuts for the likes of beloved imprints such as Kaoz Theory, Eastenderz, Fuse, and of course, his very own Inkal and Meta labels. Here though, he joins forces with the powerhouse Amsterdam part and record label PIV, to launch its new sub-label, entitled PIV Club, and as the name would suggest delivering club-ready hits carefully crafted for those magic moments.

Up first on the package is the Back To The Underground, featuring legendary Mr. V on the vocals. This raw slice of classic House music employs many tropes that lie at the roots of the genre, from crunchy swinging drum breaks and an amalgamation of intricately intertwined piano lines, acid licks, and stab sequences, all underpinned by a spoken word vocal that ebbs and flows throughout the groove. Energy follows, an apt title for the nearly six-minute excursion which fuses ethereal textures, twinkling synth melodies, and a vocoder vocal uttering the tracks title, while squelchy acid bass and tension-building strings further fuel the dynamic groove alongside a robust drum workout.