Soichi Terada & Masalo aim for the clubs with their re-imagined 'Driving Into Minds' EP

Pioneering Japanese artist Soichi Terada is joined by rising star Masalo on the latest release from Rush Hour Records, revisiting a pair of album tracks on the club-focused 'Driving Into Minds' EP.

Terada is rightfully revered as one of Japan's most groundbreaking electronic music producers, having risen to the fore with a stream of exquisite house and techno releases in the late '80s and early '90s. Fuelled by the recent resurgence of vintage and proto-house sounds, a renewed interest in Terada's early work saw Rush Hour Records re-issue a selection of tracks lifted from his own Far East Recordings label back in 2015. This was followed by last year's 'Asakusa Lights' – an album of entirely new material that also arrived via the benchmark Amsterdam-based label – and it's from here that the EP's re-imagined material was plucked.

Rush Hour regular and fellow Amsterdam resident, Masalo, has been lighting up the underground in recent years thanks to a string of compelling releases – including his floor-filling 'Testify' collaboration with Jamie 3:26 and bass-heavy leviathan, 'New Dance'. With Japanese familial roots of his own, this remix assignment sees Bobby Masalo dive deep into Asian electronic music heritage, resurfacing with a pair of typically well-crafted club mixes. 'Driving Into Minds (club mix)' arrives like a long-lost house classic, with hands-in-the-air chords driving over crisp machine drums before evolving through a euphoric breakdown – powering back into life with the help of glistening synths and hypnotic percussion. On the reverse, the club mix of 'Double Spire' sees evocative strings and searing synths glide over propulsive bass, with piercing snares and fizzing hats keeping the fast-paced tempo.

Both protagonists contribute to the audio chemistry here, and the release is nothing short of essential listening for house heads. 'Driving Into Minds' marks an intriguing fusion of new and old conjured by the ever-inventive Rush Hour Stable, resulting in a timeless EP that elegantly joins the dots between eras.

Soichi Terada & Masalo 'Driving Into Minds' is out now on Rush Hour, you can buy it here

Patrizio Cavaliere is Mixmag Asia's Music Editor. Follow him on Instagram