When machines dream of dancing, it probably sounds something like this. For the tenth entry in its catalog, Undergroove enlists Paris-based Local Dj to deliver “Hoax Machine EP” – a five-track odyssey on through low-slung House and twisted Electro Funk, where the rhythm is always one step ahead of your body. This isn’t a record built on genre; it’s built on feel – heat in the hinges, groove in the circuitry, and tension curled up beneath the bassline like a sleeping animal.
“Fonkey Kong” opens the record with slapstick and snarl – all sticky bass and elastic snares, bouncing between G-funk charm and club-night mischief. It moves with swagger, but never overplays its hand. The bassline sticks to your ribs. The percussion lands like an inside joke between friends. Funky, yes – but with claws.
Then comes the namesake, “Hoax Machine”, and suddenly the room feels smaller, darker. There’s a stealth to this one – tight drum programming, warbled FX, and the kind of groove that creeps under your skin before you realize you’re dancing. It’s the track you hear at 4AM and think: something’s about to happen. It doesn’t need to explode – it coils.
Rounding off the A-side it’s “Fire In The House” and it does exactly what it says – no smoke, just flame. A raw, jacking cut that runs hot with urgency. Everything about this track is locked-in: the vocal stabs, the kick’s dry punch, the low-end burn. It doesn’t ask for permission. It just burns through the booth.
“Electro Police” pulls the reins a little, but not to slow down – to zero in. A syncopated, metallic workout with a bounce that ducks and weaves like it’s evading detection. Think Drexciyan DNA filtered through a House lens. The energy here isn’t obvious – it’s tactical. A tension-builder, a perfect set curve.
And finally, “Space Goofs” lands like a cartoon UFO in a foggy lot. Detuned synths wobble like melting plastic, while the rhythm grinds forward with weird, joyous precision. It’s silly, sure – but also sinister in all the right places. The kind of track that reminds you not to take the trip too seriously, even as it pulls you deeper into the rabbit hole.
“Hoax Machine EP” isn’t flashy. It’s functional. But in the most elegant, sweat-slicked way. Local Dj doesn’t craft anthems – he builds machines. Tracks that purr and hiss, that roll and rattle. Grooves that flirt with the absurd while remaining deadly on the floor.
This isn’t concept-heavy – it’s pure rhythm architecture, designed for bodies before blueprints.
“Hoax Machine EP” pulls up quietly, engine humming, and before you know it – you’re already inside.
Words by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 