There’s something about the best Houseum records: they feel like they’ve been dug out of some forgotten 90s record bag, but somehow sound completely at home in the present. Holo’s ‘Thunder’ EP is exactly that kind of record – warm, hazy and deeply rooted in the dancefloor, but with enough oddball touches and genre cross-pollination to give it a personality all of its own.
The title track, ‘Thunder,’ kicks things off with low-end pressure and dusty breakbeat energy, surrounded by a properly spacey atmosphere. Trippy synth stabs keep things moving before the whole thing gradually builds towards those unmistakably old-school piano chords. It’s the sort of moment that makes you want to hear it loud, preferably somewhere with a slightly questionable sound system and the lights down low.
‘You’ve Got The Feeling’ heads straight into deep house territory, bringing a softer, sunnier feel to the EP. The piano hook does the heavy lifting, but it’s the gradual arrival of the female vocal samples that really gives the track its lift. Familiar house language, executed with enough restraint to keep it feeling deep rather than overly nostalgic.
Then comes ‘Space Jam,’ arguably the record’s biggest trip into Balearic territory. There’s a definite 90s Ibiza anthem quality here, with shades of that dreamy, euphoric space occupied by A Guy Called Gerald’s ‘Voodoo Ray,’ but Holo filters it through his own hazy production style. Airy pads, floating melodies and a sense of open space make this one feel built for that point in the night when the dancefloor starts becoming slightly less about dancing and more about disappearing into the music.
On the flip, ‘Bullet Train’ raises the tempo and energy. The hypnotic bassline drives the track forward while its structure leans heavily into 90s progressive house territory. There’s a darker, deeper edge underneath it too, bringing in hints of dub techno and deep tech without losing that rolling, heads-down momentum. Proper late-night material.
‘Haag’ closes things out in a much more hypnotic fashion. It starts life as a deep, techno-leaning roller before gradually opening up into breaks, with Holo even bringing electric guitar into the equation. It’s an unexpected left turn, but one that works – giving the EP a suitably strange and atmospheric final chapter rather than simply fading out after the dancefloor highs of the previous tracks.
What makes ‘Thunder’ EP work is that Holo clearly understands the language of 90s dance music without simply recreating it. House, breaks, Balearic, progressive, techno and even a little rock guitar all find their way into the record, but the production holds it together with a consistent sense of space, melody and groove.
Five tracks that feel nostalgic without being retro, underground without trying too hard, and – most importantly – made to be played out.
The ‘Thunder’ EP is available here