Edinburgh’s Theo Kottis, who has done nothing but impress since his first EP emerged in 2014, might well be bringing back some of the Scottish broken beat flair that was pioneered by legendary producers like DJ Q in the early to mid 90s. Yes, it has that familiar warmth in terms of sound aesthetic, a constant ‘bump’ when it comes to the beats and bass used on the arrangements, and a deep sensitivity for the American influence, namely the Chicago and NYC house heritage. His releases to date span all corners of the house spectrum, coming through on imprints like Moda Black, Anjunadeep and Last Night On Earth, among others, and they have solidified his presence as a stronghold for the contemporary UK dance scene. Rather than following age-old formulas or reproducing ideas from the past, Kottis manages to blend the very best, the very funkiest, and the most elegant nuances of house, framed around a jazzy, sample-minded approach that manages to veer towards electro. In short, this guy has it all, and it appears that his new label – and album – will further instill this image. Well, it has certainly done so for us, at least!

Beautiful Strangers feels like a statement of intent; it’s the name for both the new imprint, and his debut LP. The air is rife with a banging, party atmosphere from the get-go, with “The Get Down” laying done the utter truth in the shape of a bumpy house track with an electro-minded bass edge, followed by the much more ethereal atmosphere of the jazz-minded “Reasons”, recalling the very best of the Detroit lineage. The vibes are not limited to this, however, as “Acid Disco” touches down with what is, unsurprisingly, a funky boogie attack with some 303-laced bleeps for added rave effect, while “Same Old” trickles a deep, mystical wave of synths onto an itchy, intricate groove of Mr.Fingers-style percussion. “Moonlight” is a rich, dubby sort of escapade led by hefty bass drum structures, whereas “Sky” is the sort of number to send the dancefloor loopy in the small hours, and “U Need To Keep It Simple” blends all of the above into a weighty, analogue-minded house voyage that spews everything from acid to minimal, and beyond.

Yes, Mr Kottis is certainly bringing the notion of a ‘house album’ back to cultural relevance. An excellent debut long-play. We highly recommend this number, and we warmly welcome more Beautiful Strangers material to our charts.