Friday Recap for the week of Dec 15, 2025. Daniel and Lily run through the week: Monday's "Family Set" by Lucati (mid-set glue), Tuesday's "Raw" by Tony Romera (mid-to-late set escalator), Wednesday's "Everyone" by Wheats (early-mid set foundation), and Thursday's Sola Records label spotlight. Plus a shoutout to "Flashback" by General Moses—dropped in 2024, still doing damage.

Thursday Label Spotlight: Sola Records. Daniel and Lily break down the Manchester label founded in 2017 by Solardo (Mark Richards & James Eliot). From launching CamelPhat, Eli Brown, SOSA, Shermanology, Piero Pirupa, Hannah Wants, Franky Rizardo, and Secondcity to the 2023 BEAT Music Fund acquisition—Sola leveled up without losing its sound. 2025 highlights: Solardo's "Eclipse" EP (#8 Beatport Tech House), "Sola Presents Ibiza 2025," and "Best of Sola Mini Mix Vol. 1." Current Beatport Top 10: Hector Couto, Mason Talbot, SOSA, Tom Nolan, Castion, Late Replies. Sound DNA: punchy drums, rolling basslines, vocal hooks as rhythm weapons, patient builds. A trust label for working DJs.

Wednesday Strategic Positioning: "Everyone (Original Mix)" by Wheats [Toolroom]. Daniel and Lily break down how to deploy this 2018 Toolroom workhorse—124 BPM, A Major, 5:57 runtime. We cover the strategic tempo advantage (control over chaos), structure (functional intro, rolling bassline, vocal chops as rhythm glue), and deployment (early-mid set foundation, bridge builder from deep groovers to heavier weapons). Production intel: percussion layering for hypnosis without clutter, bass owning the low-end, and why patient grooves outlast hype. Your floor control weapon when you need momentum without fireworks.

Tuesday Technicals: "Raw (Tony Romera Extended Mix)" by David Amo, Julio Navas, Gustavo Bravetti & Tony Romera. Daniel and Lily dissect the remix that hit #1 on Beatport Overall in 2022 and still holds weight today. We cover the specs (128 BPM, F Major, 5:00 runtime), break down the structure—stripped intro, growling bassline, vocal stab as punctuation—and explain why the breakdown works through subtraction, not addition. From a mixing standpoint, it's plug-and-play utility. From a production standpoint, it's a lesson in restraint: the bassline does the work, tension and release beats complexity. A mid-to-late set escalator for DJs who want to raise intensity without going full main-stage cheese.

Monday Record Highlight: “Family Set” by Lucati. Daniel and Lily unpack Lucati’s signature drums, bounce, and attitude—classic shuffle on the hats, chunky low-end, and a hook built on pattern and pocket rather than big cheesy leads. We talk about why “Family Set” is a mid-set glue record for working DJs: how to mix into it from more minimal or drum tools, ride the bounce, and then step into louder, hookier weapons. From a production standpoint, we pull out the lesson that swing and sound choice beat complexity, and why this track belongs in your ‘trust’ crate when you need to reset the floor’s focus back to groove.

Friday Song Feature: “Downpipe” by Mark Knight & D. Ramirez feat. Underworld. Daniel and Lily unpack why this Toolroom classic is a DJ’s record, not a streamer’s record—long-form arrangement, mechanical rolling groove, patient tension, and a vocal that cuts through rather than carries. We talk about where to deploy it in a set (mid-to-late control record), how to mix into and out of it, and what it teaches about restraint, progression, and building timeless weapons in a world of disposable bangers.

Thursday Label Spotlight: House Of Hustle — a decade-deep label pushing raw, party-first house music since 2014. Daniel and Lily unpack the mission (energy over genre), the sound (tech house meets bass house and Latin flavor), and the current top-performing weapons: Nem & Davani’s “Doordasher,” “Step Up,” “Tell Me Watcha Want,” and “Move Sumn” (with 3xCrenshaw), plus Holt 88’s “Dancing,” “Play The Bass Loud,” “Malu’s Dream,” and standouts from Lucci Minati (“My Body”), Nokari (“Limited”), and SUDI APOLLO (“Pimpin’”). We frame House Of Hustle as a working-DJ label with an ecosystem that includes Hustleworx sample packs, and show why their catalog still matters in December 2025.

Wednesday Strategic Positioning: "Get Wrecked" by D. Ramirez (Toolroom 2018). 123 BPM Gb Minor—dark, hypnotic tension in the slower pocket. 6:03 runtime lets the groove breathe. Rolling sub-heavy bassline, minimal percussion, no vocal distractions. Early set builder or late-night anchor. Camelot 11A pairs with F Minor, Db Major. The lesson: slower BPM = more control. Controlled destruction.