Two years can be an eternity in electronic music, but Claude VonStroke has returned as if he never left.
The Dirtybird label founder flew the coop back in 2023, announcing a hiatus from his VonStroke project to focus on his bass music alias, Barclay Crenshaw. But he’s now back in full force with a new house EP, I Was the Wolf.
Released independently today, the project marks VonStroke’s first original music since the fall of 2023. Featuring two tracks, it reaffirms why he remains an essential voice in house music’s evolving conversation.
c/o Press
The titular “I Am the Wolf” is vintage VonStroke with chunky drums and wonky synth stabs. The track’s thick, viscous bassline prowls beneath the surface with predatory intent, a fitting soundtrack for the EP’s lupine theme.
“Move with the Pack” reveals VonStroke’s more contemplative side. Here, jazzy keyboard flourishes drift across a hypnotic, loungey four-on-the-floor rhythm that wouldn’t feel out of place in a smoke-filled Tokyo listening bar. The track breathes with remarkable restraint, suggesting he has spent his hiatus expanding his emotional palette.
Together, these tracks form a compelling statement from a producer who understands that true longevity comes not from chasing trends, but from periodically returning to your roots—and finding they’ve grown deeper in your absence.
In other VonStroke news, he recently announced a comeback tour, “Life of Leisure,” which takes flight today at an I Was the Wolf release party at New York’s Knockdown Center. The DJ has said he’s debuting his “2.0 brand” by virtue of the tour, which is set to hit a number of his favorite venues and festivals, including Miami’s Club Space, SoCal’s Lightning in a Bottle and Detroit’s iconic Movement.
You can listen to I Was the Wolf below and find the new EP on streaming platforms here.
Follow Claude VonStroke:
X: x.com/vonstroke
Instagram: instagram.com/vonstroke
Facebook: facebook.com/claude.vonstroke
TikTok: tiktok.com/@claudevonstroke
Spotify: spoti.fi/2YLMy82
