100% Galcher

Cleveland-raised, New York-based house producer Galcher Lustwerk was virtually unknown when he was asked to provide a mix for podcast series Blowing Up the Workshop in 2013. His submission was 100% Galcher, an hour-long continuous mix of previously unreleased originals. Blending laid-back deep house with calmly rapped yet hedonistic vocals and warm ambient interludes, the mix was a breath of fresh air, and it instantly became an underground sensation. Several tracks from the mix were subsequently released on vinyl EPs due to high demand, and artists such as Yaeji and Channel Tres rose to fame with comparable hip-house fusions. After Lustwerk signed to Ghostly International and expanded his sound with the jazzy full-length Information, the label gave 100% Galcher a long-awaited official release, mastered and separated into unmixed tracks for the first time. Considering that the original mix featured dance cuts separated by stretches of beatless ambience (all titled "Stem") which somewhat stilted the momentum, 100% Galcher arguably works better as a proper album, with each track given room to breathe. After the intro "Stem," "Parlay" matches its bright chords and steady beats with the words "The sun is shining through," as Lustwerk ushers listeners into the club. "I Neva Seen," the sets catchiest and most notorious track, is a breathless drug escapade set to smoothly rolling waves and front-and-center kick drums. "In the Place" is another obvious standout, with commanding, party-inclusive lyrics and a slowly rocking rhythm. Elsewhere, instrumentals like "Enterprise" and the Other People Place-esque "Lil Bit o Chocolit" explore submerged electro which feels equally pleasant and melancholic. 100% Galcher was a game-changer when it first appeared, and its remained a late-night staple ever since. ~ Paul Simpson