Both through his underground dance label Kaluki and as Pirate Copy, Manchester-based DJ and producer, Lee Spence has been steadily making his mark at club nights and festivals across Europe. His DIY approach serves as a refreshing antidote to the over-hyped, over-produced, and over-sponsored club nights that seem to dominate the clubbing landscape increasingly.
Pirate Copy‘s new track, “Touch the Sky” is made for big spaces. Whether it be cavernous warehouses or open-fields, it’s a track made to guide you by the hand until dawn breaks. Opening with a steady, thumping beat and crisp hi-hat, Pirate Copy subtly flavors everything with acid-infused keys, a funky 303 bassline, and rushes of dizzyingly euphoric vocal samples.
Throughout Pirate Copy takes his time to keep the old-school house groove going, only adding flourishes when really needed. It’s the sound of an artist refusing to overload the track or pull out a cliched drop for a cheap hit. “Touch the Sky” is the sound of an artist distilling his sound it to its essential elements and spinning them into dancefloor gold. Something that was wholly deliberate, as he explains.
“Over the last 18 months I’ve really focussed on refining my sound as Pirate Copy – the last two Family Affair collab EPs were great opportunities to work with and take inspiration from some incredible producers, and I think I’ve managed to pull all that experience together with ‘Touch the Sky’. It’s definitely a darker track with acid flavors and a warehouse vibe that was a big part of my early clubbing days – one for the early hours for sure.”