8 Tracks: Of Euphoria In Dance Music With Helix

 
Music

Atlanta-based DJ Helix finally returns to Night Slugs this year after a long hiatus. Thankfully he's back in a big way, with a trilogy of releases titled Greatest Hits. Fusing modern sci-fi sonics with classic time-tested dance music archetypes, it showcases the full range of his sound, from house and techno to rap and grime, all cut through with funk and euphoria.

Helix has put together this great 8 Tracks selection of his top euphoric moments in dance music – and even found the time to put a mix together for us. Bonus! Listen below and then scroll down to read about his selections.


Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2 are out now via Night Slugs. The third edition is due out 27th April.

Helix plays Corsica Studios as part of Night Slugs 10 on 14th April.

Maurizio - Domina (Carl Craig Mind Mix)

It’s definitely been played before and probably put on many lists, but there’s definitely a reason for that. This record exemplifies the euphoria that good dance music can give you. Every time I hear this record, it’s just pure bliss. There’s honestly no comparison, but it sets the stage nicely for the next track in my revue…

  • Maurizio - Domina (Carl Craig Mind Mix)

    It’s definitely been played before and probably put on many lists, but there’s definitely a reason for that. This record exemplifies the euphoria that good dance music can give you. Every time I hear this record, it’s just pure bliss. There’s honestly no comparison, but it sets the stage nicely for the next track in my revue…

  • Matrixxman - Soul M8

    My friend DJ Roy put me onto this one and it’s just pure E from start to finish. Something about the way it moves from staple jackin’ house drums to the most euphoric, disco ball, hands to the sky string bliss… The track always feels like a curveball if you don’t recognise the intro, but the smooth jazz outro brings me down to earth to really start dancing, which leads into my next track…

  • Soundstream - Live Goes On

    If you’ve been a fan of Night Slugs for a while, you know we love Soundstream. I don’t know if this is the most played Soundstream record on NS radio shows of a certain era, but it’s the one I remember the most. I love the way the 808s and pianos command your feet to move, but the strings in the background have this beautiful ethereal quality to them that sets off the track so uniquely. That soft touch helps ease the way into the hard driving funk of track four…

  • G-Man - K2

    Gez Varley has been an inspiration to me for such a long time, and this record even inspired the name of one of my own records (Knight Trax, meet Porsche Trax). It’s such a versatile record for me because I can play it at a hi-nrg moment and drive the vibe of the floor into a frenzy, or I can use the floating chords to open people up for deeper or more soulful fare later in the night. The way these chords are so airy and singular really helps crystalize the focus on the floor to let track five take over…

  • Alan Braxe - Vertigo (Thomas Bangalter Virgo Edit)

    Bringing the focus of K2 to an even sharper point is one of my all time favourite French house records. The way this track does ONE THING, and nothing else is such an inspiration to me. After something like the intensity of this track, my mind often wanders to something much more subdued, giving me the next record…

  • Morphosis - Dirty Matter (Nwaq Via Mezzacapo Dub)

    I first heard this in a Peter Van Hoesen mix for minimal sausages and it was the standout record in the mix. The way K2 starts to crystalize time, this track outright freezes it. If there’s anything that could be called trance music, this is 1000% it. As deep as I like to take the music though, I can’t help but play a 100% pop music certified HOT record…

  • Daft Punk - One More Time

    This was one of the first dance records I heard that wasnt in the Bill Nye intro or a video game. The whole ‘Discovery’ album really set off my love for dance music and the euphoria that comes with it, which led me to dig deeper to find more records I love, which leads to my final euphoria moment in dance music…

  • Those Guys - Love Love Love

    This track by Basement Boys and DJ Spen is a record I found relatively recently when I was living in California. The Jean-Luc Ponty sample just bangs, and the record takes you on a full ride from one to a thousand and back down to earth, making it a fitting end to this 8 Tracks entry. I like messing with people though, so obviously I fade it out at the climax.

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