Shades of Play join us on the Spotlight mix

Some mixes take their time. This one earns it.

This week’s Spotlight Mix comes from Shades of Play, the project led by Derreuq out of Washington DC, and it moves exactly how you’d expect from someone who’s been deep in the craft. No rush, no filler, just a steady build through groove, tone, and space.

There’s a clear thread running through it. Records like Leaf Flying (Traumer Remix) and Metal Dreams set the early pace, locking into that deep, hypnotic pocket. Then it stretches out, pulling in moments from Blooming Fields, Rivaldo and Hired State Of Unconsciousness, the kind of cuts that don’t shout but stay with you.

Derreuq’s style sits somewhere between deep house, progressive and techno, but it’s not boxed in. You can hear the range in the selections, from the warmth of Always is Never (Greener Grass Version) to the heavier pull of Hottrak. It’s controlled, patient, and built for long sets where the room is locked, and the lights are low.

As one half of Shades of Play, alongside producer Felipe Rivera, he brings that selector mindset front and centre. You can tell this is someone who’s played proper rooms, Flash, Halcyon, TBA Brooklyn, and understands how to hold a floor without overplaying it.

This isn’t about big drops. It’s about flow. The kind of mix that works just as well at home as it does in a basement at 3am.

Lock in and run it front to back.

Tracklist

Francesco Maddalena – Leaf Flying (Traumer Remix)
TRVE – Me & You
TRVE – I Can Do
Maya Jane Coles – Not Listening (DJ-Kicks)
Guy J – Metal Dreams (Original Mix)
Kevin Yost – Always is Never (Greener Grass Version)
Kevin Yost – Nothing You Ever Do
Halo Varga – Future (Guy J Remix)
Yann Solo and Karl Jefferson – Big Bud
Guy Mantzur – Blooming Fields
Dmitry Molosh – 2702 (Original Mix)
Verses GT – Forever (Tom VR Remix)
Tom VR – Heart Can Still Somersault
Sasha – Rivaldo
Bedrock – Heaven Scent (Dance Spirit’s Hyperspace Portal Remix)
Dave Seaman – Hired State Of Unconsciousness (Original Mix)
Seb Zen – Hottrak (Original Mix)
Leonardo Gonnelli feat. Forrest – Get Back To Sunrise (Original Mix)
Markus Homm – My Lead (Dario D’Attis Remix)
Mari Kvien Brunvoll – Everywhere You Go (Villalobos Celestial Voice Resurrection Mix)