With his debut album Chemistry, Chris Lake asserts full command over the genre he’s helped reshape over the years.
Spanning fifteen tracks and stitched together with a precise sense of artistic purpose, the long-awaited project from Lake is both highly collaborative and intentional in its storytelling. At a time when singles continue to dominate the dance music discourse, Chemistry is a welcome outlier.
Lake has always had an instinct for stoking movement, but on Chemistry, he pushes further, exploring the emotional and narrative potential of house music with a rare kind of clarity. The opening track “On and On” sets the tone with a splash of blissed-out piano house that lands with equal parts levity and lift.
Previously-released single “Savana” arrives early on as track number three, and it’s already one of Lake’s most resonant to date. The hypnotic track pulses with vibrant synths and a sing-along style chorus that distills the track’s thesis into a perfectly carefree mantra.
As the album unfolds, Lake operates like a director, pulling nuanced performances from every featured artist on the highly collaborative project. This is clearest on the title track, “Chemistry,” where Vera Blue’s falsetto shines across a restless, vocaloid-laced synth lead. Meanwhile, “Ease My Mind” offers a moment to deeply exhale midway through the record, pairing Lake with Abel Balder for one of the album’s most affecting moments.
Throughout Chemistry, Lake reveals his range within the genre, moving seamlessly from groove-driven floor-fillers to introspective, melodic pieces. Lake delivers a project that’s both wide in ambition and laser-focused in execution. Overall, Chemistry feels handcrafted as it leans into the legacy Lake has built, then pushes beyond it.
Listen to Chris Lake’s new album Chemistry below.
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