Galcher Lustwerk’s deep house is smooth as marble. The Cleveland native — born Chris Sherron — began saxophone lessons in elementary school, then came to DAW techniques as a teenager. As a student at Rhode Island School of Design, he became ingrained in the city’s noisy DIY scene. He paid his dues in the White Material collective with DJ Richard and Young Male. The 2012 originals mix for Blowing Up the Workshop, 100% Galcher, thrust him out of obscurity, yielding a deal with Ghostly International and an Azealia Banks co-sign.
A pillar of the New York City circuit, the Lustwerk persona is as tongue-in-cheek as it is sumptuous. “I thought it would be a funny techno alias — a Black producer from the Midwest with a nom de guerre a la Gerald Donald or Dopplereffekt,” he muses. “I’ve got other side projects, like Macchiatto, the Fock, and Road Hog. I’ve got a whole notes list of alias names I’m not using.” From post-rock to film scores, his concoctions are opulent.
Uniting smoky improvisation and a silky flow, Lustwerk’s formula is luminous. “Coming from the saxophone, I’ve always liked to keep instrumentation loose and for there to be a jazzy quality,” he says. “I think that's partly due to laziness as well. I prefer to pick a sound and play with melody, rhythm, or arrangement, versus sculpting the sound itself. I've gravitated towards digital sounds for that contrast between mechanical and organic.” He largely operates in Ableton’s fluid Session View, cycling through plugins and gear. Slick lyrics imbue sketches with cultural grounding.
Vestibule — the latest Lustwerk EP on Stratasonic — assembles three tracks about the VIP experience. The title alludes to liminal periods when decisions happen partying. Swagger and skepticism balance evenly, avoiding the pitfalls of a glamorous victory lap. His demeanor is assured, but minor key doodles cater to moments after the lights have turned on. Syncopated bars about women and clout cascade over woodwinds, pads, and electric pianos. Lustwerk’s cool intertwines with melancholy, letting rowdy anthems feel profound.
PEAK TIME
WTCHCRFT - "Let's Get This Party Over With"
Anthony McLean’s WTCHCRFT is a fixture of Brooklyn’s sleep-deprived corners. His EP for Sorry Records, Let’s Get This Party Over With, is acrid. On the titular opener, lofi talking and vinyl scratches speed past pretty intersections — stark and careening.
Blu:sh - "Full Of Fools"
Blu:sh — the propulsive moniker of French chiller Benoit B — peppers tech beats with fizzy ear candy. The EP Yapping After Dawn is issued by Dutch raver Rey Colino’s Kalahari Oyster Cult. “1000” emerges with foghorn low end, until crackles and speaking convey disorientation. It is a decadent cacophony.
Surgeons Girl - "Under This Space"
As Surgeons Girl, Bristol’s Sinead McMillian creates twinkly analog jams. The classically trained producer’s EP, A Moment To Machine, arrives via Peverelist’s Livity Sound. “Under This Space” contrasts swirling arpeggiations and wound-up pulse. It melds new age serenity and zippiness.
Skee Mask - "Nights & Music"
Ahead of his buzzy A Strange Tour, Bryan Müller eases into 2026 with the return of his Ilian Skee series. ISS012 is centered on robotic grooves, descending subs, and brittle cymbal flurries. “Nights & Music” is the EP’s pinnacle, with a restless acid bassline and drums that filter into mush. This is shifty and bewitching — in line with the Bavarian hermit’s finest cuts.
Sleep D - "Step On It" (Feat. Posseshot)
From Roza Terenzi to Guy Contact, Australians are responsible for some of the best modern progressive house. Near the core of this boom is Butter Sessions — a label launched by Corey Kikos and Maryos Syawish of Sleep D. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the Melbourne-based platform has compiled three discs of rubbery pieces from Fader Cap, Jennifer Loveless, Unsolicited Joints, and more. “Step On It” finds Sleep D teaming with rapper Posseshot. Brash vocals crest over a jittery trance thump. It is entirely unrestrained.
Excalibur & DJ Spence - "Medium Rare"
With the minimal revival in full swing, Montréal’s Doo Records presents a gritty alternative to the Beatport nostalgia. Advertising wares via newsletter and a doodly website, it resembles a sibling to Berlin’s shadowy Acting Press. On the 12" Medium Rare, Excalibur and DJ Spence straddle subtlety and insistence. The front half offsets clicky kicks, muted stabs, and an earworm scraping motif. It evokes Basic Channel producing with a toy keyboard.
Maara - "A Moving Blur"
Following years spinning at sweaty queer nights in Montréal, Berlin expat Maara Louisa Dunbar has pushed into narrative terrain. Her moody full-length for NAFF, Ultra Villain, spans pop and trip hop. It sees her evolving into the role of a singer, pulling from desire, heartbreak, and empowerment. "A Moving Blur" pairs R&B and downtempo, with whispery verses that bleed into sultry hi-hats and bleeps. It mimics the glow of a lava lamp in a stone dungeon.
Shackleton - "Crushing Realities"
Experimental veteran Sam Shackleton coaxes breath out of dubstep. The England-born, Berlin-based Skull Disco founder’s album for AD 93, Euphoria Bound, seems crafted from sentient earth. "Crushing Realities" twists a chanting sample into bizarre coils. Polyrhythmic rattles and toms usher a growling climax. Pondering lucidity, it is primal.
Organ Tapes - "Gun To The World"
On a packed evening at Nowadays, surrounded by a fistful of New York City’s hottest DJs, Organ Tapes strummed an unplugged Neil Young cover. It captures the ethos of English-Chinese songwriter Timothy Zha, who fuses a sad boy ethos and crinkly sonic design. His EP for Ian Kim Judd’s OST, 包烟 (Yi Bao Yan), offers nicotine-streaked existentialism. “Gun To The World” unfurls with a dialogue between crystalline guitar and snotty synthesizer. “I don't really care about that/ I put thе gun to the world/ Fuck it, I guess/ Still youngеr than old,” Zha mumbles in the chorus, his voice drenched in AutoTune — glum reassurance.
Daphni - "Shifty"
In his tenure as an unassuming superstar, London-based Canadian Dan Snaith has leaned into euphoria. Butterfly — the fifth Daphni full-length, out now on his Jiaolong imprint — paints disco, house, and hip hop in pastel shades. It does not all land gracefully, yet “Shifty” embodies the better aspects. Ascendant chords wring over a 2-step shuffle and shouts. It could pass for the output of an edgier newcomer.
THE AFTERS
ambient dub Geese remix album called Getting Chilled
— Master of the Flying Jetski (@jetskitosway2) January 27, 2026
