Dennis Ferrer

Like his frequent production partner Jerome Sydenham, New Jersey's Dennis Ferrer expertly rides the line between soulful, so-called "spiritual" house and the tougher, more streamlined sounds of progressive house and minimal techno. Building a rhythmic base of shimmying Latin percussion and hard-charging drum machines, Ferrer blows his tracks wide open with memorable riffs, driving basslines, spacious pads and dub effects. His music wears the colors of disco, gospel, Afrobeat or Detroit techno, their proportions shifting with every new production. In addition to his numerous appearances on labels like Ibadan, Defected and King Street Sounds, Ferrer also runs Objektivity, home to his proteges the Martinez Brothers, his Son of Raw side project and surprising one-offs like Ane Brun's extraordinary "Headphone Silence."