Staying In (CD) by Stryke

CD. On Staying In, DJ Stryke, aka Greg Chin, brews a soothing mixture of house and techno, drawing listeners along on his gradual path of sonic builds and plateaus. The first track, recorded by Stryke and the Azul Project, is a softened, yet electrified cover of the Bill Withers classic "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" that sets a cooled-down tempo from the start. Slow and cool is certainly Chin's aim with Staying In as he progresses from track to track on a direct yet patient route. He eventually pushes things into full-gear with a series of jazzy downtempo pieces by Ian Pooley, Jamie Myerson, and his own work under the Stryke moniker, but he never lets the record get ahead of him. Nearer to the end, Stryke develops a bit more movement pulling out a laid-back set of Detroit-tinged minimal techno from his record crate. Finally Staying In bubbles over as Speedy J, Spacetime Continuum, and Indio help to tie the record off. Moody and subdued, Staying In creates the perfect tone for a quiet and pensive evening at home or in a not-too-hyped club atmosphere. ~ Ken Taylor, Rovi

Staying In (CD) by Stryke