Groove to Grave’s first digital compilation, “Summer Hits Vol. 1”, isn’t just a seasonal roundup – it’s a confident statement from the Parisian underground. Known for its releases from acts like Azbine, Kitchen Plug, and Emi Ömar, the label now opens the floor to a broader orbit of artists who bring their most playful, freaky, and finely tuned sounds to the table. It’s a sun-soaked eight-tracker that doesn’t just soundtrack the summer – it redefines it one sweaty groove at a time.
Things begin in a moody, late-night register with MAMAA’s “Wytgh?”, a Break-driven Techhouse cut where haunted synth motifs spiral like ghost lights across the dancefloor. The whispered, glitched-out vocal fragments give it an eerie softness – like finding warmth in a warehouse at 6 a.m. – while a tightly wound rhythm section keeps the unease danceable.
Local Dj then slides in with “Glitch,” a retro-funked-up French Touch tribute that keeps things classy. Filtered guitar stabs and saturated drum hits lend it vintage confidence, while a wobbling bassline and mangled vocal FX bring just enough wrongness to keep it interesting. It’s smooth, but not slick – the kind of track that slips through the cracks of a cracked disco ball.
Venetia’s “Mirage de Funk” is more upfront with its genre confusion – a hypnotic groove where Jazz, Electro-Funk, and synth-freakery blur into one. It’s uptempo but off-kilter, filled with loopy arps and animated percussion. Somewhere between machine soul and jam band, it’s a bizarrely cohesive invitation to dance weird and let go.
When Emi Ömar delivers “Beat a Stick,” the compilation shifts into proper flirt mode. A bumping bassline commands the low end with buttery authority, while cheeky vocal chops like “Baby I like you a lot, you’re really hot!” keep things teasing and tight. Funky, percussive, and unmistakably sexy, it’s a late-night summer anthem in the making — pure groove candy.
Gregs goes Minimal with “Hotline,” a stripped-down tribal Tech-House tool that embraces negative space. There’s barely anything there – and that’s exactly why it works. Sharp percussion, delayed FX, and subby stabs build tension without overplaying the hand. It’s skeletal but alive, primed for long blends and shadowy club floors.
Loupout’s “Renardo” brings a different energy altogether – a Deep House roller with slinky, slow-burning charm. Melding elements of early Prescription records with slippery Acid synths and dreamy pads, it’s a track that blooms gradually. There’s something beautifully unhurried about it, like a conversation that only makes sense at dawn.
With “Forevor Luxor”, LukasDarian taps into retro-future filter house nostalgia with elegance. The track leans into Vulture Music aesthetics – think high-res compression, spacey synth leads, and classy vocal snippets – but lands with fresh production bite. Equal parts hands-in-the-air and eyes-closed, it’s the glossy, emotionally uplifted side of the VA.
Closing the compilation is “Libre” from Jad Sabbah, a Trip-Hop-leaning track that dials the tempo down without sacrificing momentum. With dubby drums, hazy textures, and an underlying current of French psychedelia, it feels like Exist Dance meets Café del Mar on an off-day – weird, warm, and beautifully out of place in the best way.
“Summer Hits Vol. 1” doesn’t just work as a compilation – it works as a love letter to the richness of underground Parisian talent. From sleazy House to broken Funk, Jazz mutations to Minimal hypnosis, Groove to Grave proves there’s no single recipe for a summer banger – just a feeling. And this VA’s got it in abundance.
Words by Pasha Pliskin
Torture the Artist 