For nearly a decade, De La Groove has championed house music in its purest, most vibrant forms. Now, the label unveils its latest compilation—an expertly curated selection of tracks that capture the essence of their dancefloor-driven philosophy.
Built like a DJ set, this collection is designed for selectors who understand the power of mood and momentum. Featuring a diverse lineup of European and French artists, the compilation offers a full spectrum of house—from deep, hypnotic grooves to peak-time energy that electrifies the crowd. Each track is a tool, a moment, an invitation to elevate the mix. Whether setting the tone with a laid-back opener or firing up the room with a driving rhythm, DJs will find their ideal cut within this release.
This isn’t just another compilation—it’s a statement. A celebration of the underground, shaped by the vision De La Groove has honed over eight years of unforgettable nights.
We managed to grab each artist from the album to discuss their tracks, creative process, rare insights, and more!
Mona Lee on ‘Who the Fool (Jazzy V.):’
“I started to produce the song 5 years ago, it’s one of those songs that I’ve let rest and listened back to several times over the years. It kept on touching me, so I thought it might do the same with others. To be honest, I kept it for myself for such a long time as I wrote the lyrics about someone I truly care about. It felt right and natural to send it to De La Groove when they asked me if I could send them a soulful track that has a jazzy touch to it. The answer that I got back from them saying “Beginning of the track sounds like and old memory coming back little by little, and the appearance of your voice is clearing everything little by little. There is a genuine melancholic flavor dropped by the chord progression” – ufh – that convinced me to sign and release with them directly.
The lyrics I wrote myself, as it’s a way of expressing my feelings, and I remember I wrote them literally while wiping tears. The lyrics speak of someone very close to me, family, blood, someone I love deeply. Someone who has shaped me in so many ways, who filled my childhood with music—especially jazz. The same person who also told me, with love and fear in his voice, that trying to live from music was foolish. That it was a dream, not a way of life.
I couldn’t accept that. I didn’t want to believe it. But I also wanted to make him proud, I wanted to be understood, and proof him wrong. So ‘Who the Fool’ is about that inner conflict—the tug-of-war between carving your own path and wanting the blessing of the ones you love. It’s about choosing yourself even when you have to fight for it. It’s the guilt of walking a different road, and the fire you need to keep walking anyway.
5 years ago I was taking Ableton classes with Sue Avenue (a producer from Belgium and good friend that inspired me a lot with his music). For sure his guidance has helped me to make this track so percussive and full of rhythm and groove. I feel the need to express my gratitude towards him. He was the one telling me I should definitely keep on working on this one, as he felt the realness and the grunge of the pain in my voice.
The keys carry a little tension, but also a softness. They tell a second story, mine. A story of a jazz lover, a summer child, born in July. The sounds are warm, golden, free, because despite the heaviness, I still believe in the beauty of the message. I still believe that if you truly want something, you can make it real.
This song stands for a conversation with my past, and a declaration to the future. In the end, maybe the fool… isn’t who you think it is.”
Larry G & Chinau on ‘Hot Take NB.1:’
“We composed this track in a live machine setup, using an MPC, a Juno, a Monopoly, and a TR-09. We both share a deep love for old-school House music, and even if it doesn’t always get the dancefloors moving nowadays, we absolutely love creating it, listening to it, and playing it whenever we can.
With this BPM sitting below 120, we also wanted to show that it’s possible to dance to slower rhythms.
That’s the spirit in which we created ‘Hot Take’—live and with total disregard for current trends. Guided by our hearts and a shared passion for our influences (clearly Larry Heard here, but also Wamdue Kids in terms of textures and approach).”
Dielli on ‘First Rhythm:’
“‘First Rhythm’ is the very first track I ever finished and released. I built it while learning Ableton, working step by step, night after night. I wanted something deep and groovy, with a warm energy and a smooth & progressive build. The idea was to create a sound you can get lost in, something hypnotic but still very organic. I used warm synth organ chords, rhythmic guitars, saxophone and subtle vocal textures, all driving a groove that builds slowly, with emotion and intention. It’s my way to explore house music through intuition and feeling, and open the door for what comes next.”
Knuckle G on ‘Biggest of the City:’
“‘Biggest of the City’ fits perfectly with the illusion of a music video that one imagines in their head when listening to music that inspires them. It’s the first time I’ve created a track with such vivid imagery in my mind, undoubtedly thanks to the long, rich chords that form a harmonious and nostalgic melody, coupled with an engaging rhythm. The catchy voice, inspired by Brazilian phonk, adds a touch of modernity to a very French touch composition. We can identify three parts/images in the track: the first where one gets acquainted with the sound, where my character tries to become someone (the biggest) in the city; the second where everything speeds up, it’s the peak of the track, when my character fights to achieve his goal; and finally, the outro that settles the listener’s emotion and announces the resolution of the story.”
Larry G on ‘Searchin 4’ (ft. Lydia Scarfo):
“I composed this track using vocals Lydia had recorded previously. The lyrics and flow inspired me to create this piece, in which I tried to illustrate through music both the lighter moments (like the second passage with the rhythmic pianos) and the emotionally heavier ones we experience when we’re ‘Searchin 4’ (Love). An abundance of encounters—boundless and open—yet also the solitude that often accompanies them. All of this in a festive spirit, because to me, Dance is the space to express both joy and to release deeper, more difficult emotions.”
KiCkS on ‘Are You Gonna Be There:’
“‘Are You Gonna Be There’ is a track I started creating in 2022. It’s one of the songs that took me the longest to release—firstly because I wanted to be sure I’d still like it in the long run, and also because it’s quite a hybrid piece (somewhere between new school and old school). It’s not really Garage, not quite Deep House, nor Tech House—but a bit of all of them at once. So it wasn’t easy to find a label that fit this artistic direction, but it made perfect sense when the De La Groove team asked me for some tracks. I felt like it was a perfect match, especially with the friendship that’s grown between us.”
Vanderkraft on ‘Rue Grande:’
“Composed like a nocturnal drift, this track draws its inspiration from my bike rides through the streets of Paris, when the city sways between the bustle of the night and the calm of dawn. I wanted to blend deep, organic textures with a hypnotic house rhythm, to recreate that suspended feeling—somewhere between movement and introspection. A subtle bassline, airy pads—everything is designed to make both body and mind travel. I’ll admit, I was mostly a bit drunk when I composed this track.”
Chinau on ‘Left Lovers:’
“I composed Left Lovers with a great sense of melancholy, with the sole aim of creating a feeling of nostalgia. There’s a kind of common fatality in life that makes every moment unique, because it already belongs to the past the moment it’s lived, and I wanted to transcribe this strange feeling that I experience at times when I’m alone in my thoughts. The rather slow, raw, minimalist tone at the start of the track tends towards this impression, and the accompanying vocal underscores the melancholy part that goes with it. The humming line that accompanies the deep, uncluttered chord progression contributes to this dynamic, this resolutely deliberate low tone. Then the track gradually opens up to something brighter and brighter, with the more upbeat synthesizer arriving in the middle, eventually leading to a very house and sunny opening. All of a sudden, the vocal sounds different when accompanied by this very open, positive piano. This is the ambivalence of my vision of life: we experience sad, fatalistic things that are constantly in common with the beautiful, positive things we experience at the same time. The choice of the title Left Lovers is an explicit reference to the pain of losing loved ones who have left us, but who live on in us as we continue to move forward in life.”
Scott Patterson on ‘Feel the Love:’
“‘Feel The Love’ is a call for escape and connection — a summertime anthem made to be played at dusk. Composed during a period of forced rest in early 2025, the track emerged from a vital need for movement, warmth, and togetherness. With percussive chords, sun-drenched grooves, and raw energy, it captures a suspended moment between hope and surrender. Resolutely House, the track draws on a warm and timeless aesthetic. A simple, heartfelt declaration to life and love. ‘Feel The Love,’ plain and simple.”
Concept e25 on ‘Breakover:’
“‘Breakover’ reflects the core of my musical identity, rooted in classic house and techno. I build my tracks using vintage analog synths and drum machines, embracing an old-school production flow within a modern framework.
This track brings together all my favorite elements: uplifting house chords, darker filtered stabs, chopped vocal samples, and serious, driving drums. It’s a personal journey — starting with radiant, forward-moving energy, diving into a more introspective space through raw, old-school-inspired stabs, and finally resolving into warm, hopeful chords.
There’s a silent dialogue woven into the track — a presence that shaped its contrasts, its hesitations, and its release. Some connections defy structure, but still find their way into the rhythm.”
Pedro de Montélimar on ‘You’
“When I’m producing, I often try to go against the grain of a style or vibe to reach an unexpected yet original result. From a cheesy soul sample, I’ll end up creating something hard and obscure. Even though it’s not always my artistic trademark, that’s exactly the approach I followed in producing ‘You.’ It’s the atmosphere of a gospel-like soul sample trying to blend with a raw drum kit in the style of Omar S. Ultimately, it’s a series of instruments meant to transport the listener through various moods I felt and envisioned for this track, inspired by artists like Pal Joey and Mall Grab.”
‘Entree Sur Liste’ is available here