Cleveland-raised, New York-based house producer
Galcher Lustwerk
was virtually unknown when he was asked to provide a mix for podcast series Blowing Up the Workshop in 2013. His submission was
100% Galcher
, an hour-long continuous mix of previously unreleased originals. Blending laid-back deep house with calmly rapped yet hedonistic vocals and warm ambient interludes, the mix was a breath of fresh air, and it instantly became an underground sensation. Several tracks from the mix were subsequently released on vinyl EPs due to high demand, and artists such as
Yaeji
and
Channel Tres
rose to fame with comparable hip-house fusions. After
Lustwerk
signed to
Ghostly International
and expanded his sound with the jazzy full-length
Information
, the label gave
a long-awaited official release, mastered and separated into unmixed tracks for the first time.
Considering that the original mix featured dance cuts separated by stretches of beatless ambience (all titled "Stem") which somewhat stilted the momentum,
arguably works better as a proper album, with each track given room to breathe. After the intro "Stem," "Parlay" matches its bright chords and steady beats with the words "The sun is shining through," as
ushers listeners into the club. "I Neva Seen," the set's catchiest and most notorious track, is a breathless drug escapade set to smoothly rolling waves and front-and-center kick drums. "In the Place" is another obvious standout, with commanding, party-inclusive lyrics and a slowly rocking rhythm. Elsewhere, instrumentals like "Enterprise" and the
Other People Place
-esque "Lil Bit o Chocolit" explore submerged electro which feels equally pleasant and melancholic.
was a game-changer when it first appeared, and it's remained a late-night staple ever since. ~ Paul Simpson