Happy new year! Just like everyone else, JTMP Industries is back in the office after an extended holiday break. Cheers to another year of excellent dance music!

To kick things off in 2026, I've reached into the archives for a bit of a deep cut: Pilgrim's Diary, the second album by Gregory Esayan. Gregory is a Russian producer who has released on Monstercat (formerly Silk) for many years and very much embodies the label. That said, this LP adds an extra wrinkle to the usual "hopeful melodic" sound that Monstercat is famous for. While the album is indeed melodic and proggy, it's also spacey, dreamy, druggy, and even slightly new age. I'm not sure if this is even a real genre, but "psychedelic progressive house" seems like the perfect description. It's a real "Lucy meets Molly" vibe, if you catch my drift. "Taxi" - the exact middle of the album - is the beautiful, dreamy gem here.

Turn the lights down, put on a good pair of headphones, maybe pop a gummy or two, and really sink into this journey.

1. Gregory Esayan - Healer

Original post: https://youtu.be/H4ik3SE8btI?si=lkxn9-OHEunsGtyR

Cream Ibiza Sunrise is a bit of a deep cut and maybe only marginally noteworthy (more on that later) but holds a funny, sentimental place for me. Starting in 2013, I left home and backpacked for the better part of two years, taking photos of my travels and writing a blog about my adventures. Especially in the first year, I would periodically sit in a cafe with my laptop, editing photos, writing, and listening to music. I usually listened to that week's Group Therapy Radio, but also this album, which I somehow discovered during that time.

This (mixed) Anjunabeats compilation was made for Mixmag in 2011 and came out about a month after Group Therapy (the album) was released. Sitting at 75 minutes long, it fits nicely on a CD, which was probably not an accident. It has a few big tracks, but a lot from the back catalog too. The club mix of Sun & Moon appears here, probably for the first time (or one of the first times) ever, since the album had come out only a month before. In classic Above & Beyond fashion, the track appears at roughly the three-quarters mark, which would become the tried-and-true formula for their live shows too. On this album though, I think Sun & Moon is eclipsed (see what I did there?) by "Rebound" (by Arty & Mat Zo), appropriately played at the very end.

Even if you're an Anjuna fan, you've probably never heard of most of these tracks. Still, it's a fun listen as a time capsule: it captures a very specific Anjunabeats sound from the days before Group Therapy. It's not better or worse than the music of the last decade, just different. For me, listening to this album brings back memories of sipping a coffee and pecking away on a clunky Dell laptop somewhere in Southeast Asia.

1. Hybrid - Original Sin (Myon & Shane 54 Orchipella)

Original post: https://soundcloud.com/mixmag-1/anjunabeats-cream-ibiza-sunrise

Just in time before the clocks turn back and the days get shorter, here comes one last gasp of summer: the latest chapter in the "live on a pirate ship" series from Hot Since 82. Fittingly, we are getting on a flight today to the Mediterranean - instead of Ibiza, we'll be heading to Malta for the 4-day Anjunadeep festival - so this set has been in heavy rotation lately to get me in the right mood.

To be fair, this video is actually super fun and entertaining (just like all the other pirate ship videos), so I highly recommend you put it on at some point. But the set itself is also phenomenal and deserves recognition. It's groovy, melodic, smooth, catchy... pretty much a perfect 2-hour Ibiza mix from start to finish.

Don't let summer slip away just yet!

1. G-Club Presents Banda Sonora - Guitarra G (Afterlife Remix)

Original post: https://youtu.be/zFg5MlRVsOY?si=Go15GzEuoKECt630

Seeing as how we've just seen the very talented duo Eli & Fur twice in the span of a week, it's basically a no-brainer to highlight them on this edition of the podcast. They're currently traveling up and down the west coast for their "Dreams at Dusk" tour, where they're playing two-hour sets at twilight, and then again (in select cities) playing later in the night for some peak time energy. We saw them first in Portland for a lovely and chill Sunday day party at White Owl Social Club and then again the following Friday in San Francisco for a wild, energetic show at Audio.

This mix showcases their sound really well: melodic, dancy, sometimes a little haunting, but always musically interesting with a tasteful amount of vocals. There's even a surprise Beatles remix that I had completely forgotten about and it delighted me again when I re-listened to the set this past week. This 2-hour journey is a little softer than their club appearances, but that's also what makes it a great listen.

The broadcast is no longer available through the official BBC iPlayer and the only official posting I could find is a YouTube upload with a janky video: literally a camera pointed out a hotel window (presumably in Los Angeles). In other words, this was tailor made for the podcast. Enjoy!

1. Joep Mencke & Ben Juno - Rain

Original post: https://youtu.be/ivfUikhgRww?si=_Txg2f33j57dzijS

Fahlberg is a name that I've been noticing more and more in the past couple of years and it seems like maybe now he's finally breaking through a bit. Case in point: this set that 1001Tracklists posted a few weeks ago from a warm-up party for Tomorrowland Brazil. The genre is hard to nail down here; if pressed, I would have to call it something like "melodic deep progressive house". Fahlberg is from Sweden, so I've seen the term "Nordic Melodic" thrown around recently, which strikes me as more of a dance music inside joke than an actual genre. That said, he does sound like fellow Swede Jeremy Olander, though I would call Fahlberg's style a tad softer.

This set seems to be tailor-made for the podcast because the video adds almost nothing here: the shots of the crowd are kind of boring and the video is mostly just Fahlberg lightly bopping around behind the decks. The set, however, is a wonderful 90-minute "night driving" soundtrack, so do yourself a favor and play this in the car the next time you're hitting the road for a long evening drive.

1. Fahlberg - Transition

Original post: https://youtu.be/JSSYPYL8OsU?si=j1wD0ueICf5O2LnL

Yesterday, Above & Beyond released their first new album (of dance music) in 7 years, so to honor that, let's revisit their set from Coachella this year. It's fairly brief compared to their usual shows since Coachella time slots are usually 50 minutes or so, but it's still a notable performance for a couple of reasons: they hadn't been to the desert in a very long time (17 years!) and about half of this set was new music.

Given the short duration of the show (and the mix of old and new songs), this set can serve as a nice primer for A&B newcomers. And since the best four songs from the album make an appearance here, this set is also a great "Bigger Than All Of Us" mini-mix. No matter if you're a new listener or a long-time fan, this set packs a really nice punch in a short amount of time.

1. Above & Beyond - Stepping In

Original post: https://youtu.be/eZL4AgKNvVI?si=G51X_FQHTIyR9VKR

In honor of Anjunadeep Explorations (happening right now in Dhermi, Albania!), and because we just saw him two weeks ago at Anjunadeep Open Air LA, ...and... because Anjunadeep just released this set last week, it seems only appropriate to post Marsh's set from last year's Explorations festival. This 3-hour gem is what he played at Empire (the main stage) from 3:00 am to 6:00 am; it's exactly what you want from a Marsh set - very melodic, occasionally bangin', and very classy - with a special treat for the last hour...

Now, for those of you who saw Marsh at Explorations in 2023, hearing "the last hour is a surprise!" might trigger some PTSD: that year, Marsh played drum and bass for the last hour, which was - hmm, how do I put this politely? - highly polarizing, to say the least. However, I can confidently say that any fan of dance music will enjoy the twist here and really appreciate the final act of this set. Enjoy!

1. Marsh - Endless (Dave DK Ambient Mix)

Original post: https://www.youtube.com/live/JkYcUZ-mmok?si=9PzvveBCL4cs427U

Deep Dish is back! The duo - consisting of Iranian-American artists Dubfire and DJ Sharam - was influential in the 90s and early 2000s with their album Junk Science and a long streak of remixes. They had their biggest hit in 2006 with "Say Hello" and recorded a BBC Essential Mix in 2014, but have been relatively quiet since. This year, they've suddenly resurfaced, with a new single and a calendar of tour dates.

This 3-hour set is pulled from their appearance at The Concourse Project in Austin back in January. Their sound here is hard to summarize concisely: some melodic techno, some minimal deep house, some hip-hop vocals, some hypnotic grooves. Similar to a Guy J set, the beat never stops, and it's a steady, groovy train ride the entire time. Fire this up while you're deep in work or on a night drive and you won't be disappointed!

1. Tom Baker - Natural Intelligence (Electrypnose Remix)

Original post: https://youtu.be/E3eds2a5RcI?si=F0wOnmqRqtRDRlmC

Keinemusik - a deep house collective/label out of Germany - is having a moment. Much like their music, their rise in recent years has been gentle and steady, and the world has taken notice. Comprised of Adam Port, &ME, Rampa, and Reznik, their gigs - especially those that end up on YouTube - are usually helmed by the three former, though any permutation of the crew might show up. Online their sound is labelled as melodic deep house or Afro house, though I'd describe it as "organic house meets world music". However you want to label it, it's always smooth, consistent, accessible, and fun, with plenty of kerchiefs and oversized t-shirts, since I guess this is the look now.

In recognition of their current impact and importance, Coachella granted the boys an amazing primetime slot: closing out Saturday night in Sahara, the huge hangar that hosts the largest dance music acts. We were there in person and can attest that the vibes were immaculate for the entire hour and a half. It was full without being overly crowded, and everyone in attendance was really into the music.

1. Rex The Dog - Not Going Home (Rampa Remix)

Original post: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1SZLFzqEPu

After a (not so) brief hiatus, we're back! Now that spring - and the start of festival season - is upon us, it feels appropriate to pick up where we left off. Last week, a few friends went to Dreamstate San Francisco (actual location: Daly City) and the Friday headliner is the inspiration for today's episode.

Back before HOLO became an international sensation, Eric Prydz was just a lowly progressive house DJ, quietly establishing himself as a true master of dark and hypnotic melody. Even though he's most known for "Call On Me", that track sounds nothing like the rest of his catalog; fans who go to one of his shows expecting that kind of sound from will be sorely disappointed. His productions and live sets are a masterclass in melodic subtlety, but he can still bring the hammer down just as effectively. When that incredibly iconic snare first starts to hit, you know you're in for a wild ride.

This 2018 set from Tomorrowland includes all the classic Eric Prydz elements, plus a rather large number of unreleased tracks, works in progress, and bootlegs (see the track listing below). It has a slow, tantalizing build for the first 40 minutes, in a very linear way that only he can pull off. Once you're at the top of the climb though, it's a fantastic plateau all the way until the end.

The video is really well done and the show had a ton of amazing visuals, so I highly recommend actually watching the video at some point. But you know, sometimes you just want the music (please).

1. Cirez D - Echostage NYE ID 01 (Working Title)

Original post: https://youtu.be/p_rXt7sWn_E?si=lLhVLIOk9gyUYjmq