Chrissy - Physical Release (2021)

For Hooversound’s debut album release, Sherelle and Naina welcome San Francisco-based DJ and producer Chrissy to the family. ‘Physical Release’ blends elements of ravey techno, house, and jungle that have run through his previous work. The final result is an exploration of what our scene’s physical spaces mean and how they feed into themes of politics, family, connection and joy.

Speaking about the album Chrissy says,
​​"These songs were inspired by our scene's physical spaces: the warehouses, clubs, record stores, late night cafes, lofts, and friends' living rooms that let us connect to each other, experience the joy and wonder of dance music culture, and find our family.

I've seen these spaces gradually decimated by cops, property developers, cynical corporate brand partners, irresponsible promoters, and a global pandemic. The end result is a dance music culture that feels more online and disconnected, culminating in over a year without any physically shared spaces.
Encouragingly, I've seen many in our community finally acknowledge a painful reality: our scene has failed to live up to its utopian ideals, and to protect, value, and uplift all of our peers. No matter how fondly we remember our first raves, the culture was and is broken, and it's our job to fix it.

So while this album may feel like a paean to a bygone era, it is more a reflection of optimism about the future: a hope that we can rebuild our scene and our communal physical spaces with better priorities and better values, so that everybody can experience the euphoria, joy, transcendence, and physical release of the dancefloor."

The album opens with a quote from artist, author, and transgender activist Edie Fake, who also designed the artwork for ‘Physical Release’. A fellow Chicago-to-California transplant, Edie’s previous work has dealt largely with physical spaces, including historical queer nightlife spaces.

With previous releases on Chiwax, Dansu Discs, Super Rhythm Trax, and Pets Recordings, Chrissy’s two-decade career has ranged from jungle to footwork to freestyle, with gigs at Panorama Bar, Smartbar (where he held a residency from 2015-2018), and his residency at San Francisco’s oldest and most storied queer club, The Stud.

Launched in March 2020, Sherelle and Naina's Hooversound imprint has become one of the most important platforms within the global dance music community. Over the last year, they have released stand-out records from Special Request x Tim Reaper, Mani Festo, Sinistarr, Deft, Prayer, NOVA CHEQ and more.