![Jon Hester - Through the Smoke [RSPX84] @rekids](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xNETan8tCBw/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Out now: orcd.co/rspx84
Participation boss Jon Hester is back on Radio Slave’s RSPX with the four-track ‘Here and Present’ EP on 6th March 2026. Releasing under his given name since 2009 and first appearing on Rekids’ Techno sublabel in 2018, Hester released two further EPs on RSPX and contributed to a compilation in 2023, making him a core part of the label.
"On the surface, these are four tracks for the dance floor. Conceptually, this EP explores themes of being here and present within yourself, and allowing yourself to embrace the present moment, a practice that feels more important now than ever. The title track's vocal is my own voice repeating "I'm here". In its intended purpose, this phrase has nothing to do with me personally; rather, it serves as a meditative mantra for the listener to repeat within themselves.
"I'm here". Ideally, on a dance floor in good spirits, sharing special times with loved ones around you, or otherwise under any circumstances, you are here and present and keeping on! We move through the smoke and darkness with glances to one another, into the warm togetherness of the morning fog." Jon Hester
Starting with the title track, Jon Hester’s ‘Here and Present’ EP unfolds as a finely balanced blend of techno with warmth, groove, and soul. Taut, rolling drums lay the foundation, with echoing blasts of noise dancing around rhythmic vocal snippets.
‘Through the Smoke’ follows, pairing sharp percussive sounds with moody atmospherics, its siren-like melodies rising and falling, before ‘Glance’ locks into a robust organic groove under shimmering tonal stabs. Closing things out, ‘Fog’ slips into deeper territory, delivering refined, hypnotic minimalism at its best, served over an insistent bouncing bassline.
Raised in the Midwest US, and early years in Chicago and Minneapolis to his current base in Berlin, Jon Hester has built an international profile as a DJ, producer, musician, and dancer, with music released on labels including Klockworks and Tresor, and performances at institutions such as Berghain, fabric, Rex Club, Shelter, Hï Ibiza, and more.
In recent years, he has expanded his output through his label, Participation, a platform for his own productions and collaborations with artists including Cassy, Tadeo, DJ Shufflemaster, Joel Mull, The Advent, Exos, Lady Starlight, and William Arist, while continuing to evolve the dancefloor-driven expression that first inspired him in the ’90s.
Out now: orcd.co/rspx84
Participation boss Jon Hester is back on Radio Slave’s RSPX with the four-track ‘Here and Present’ EP on 6th March 2026. Releasing under his given name since 2009 and first appearing on Rekids’ Techno sublabel in 2018, Hester released two further EPs on RSPX and contributed to a compilation in 2023, making him a core part of the label.
"On the surface, these are four tracks for the dance floor. Conceptually, this EP explores themes of being here and present within yourself, and allowing yourself to embrace the present moment, a practice that feels more important now than ever. The title track's vocal is my own voice repeating "I'm here". In its intended purpose, this phrase has nothing to do with me personally; rather, it serves as a meditative mantra for the listener to repeat within themselves.
"I'm here". Ideally, on a dance floor in good spirits, sharing special times with loved ones around you, or otherwise under any circumstances, you are here and present and keeping on! We move through the smoke and darkness with glances to one another, into the warm togetherness of the morning fog." Jon Hester
Starting with the title track, Jon Hester’s ‘Here and Present’ EP unfolds as a finely balanced blend of techno with warmth, groove, and soul. Taut, rolling drums lay the foundation, with echoing blasts of noise dancing around rhythmic vocal snippets.
‘Through the Smoke’ follows, pairing sharp percussive sounds with moody atmospherics, its siren-like melodies rising and falling, before ‘Glance’ locks into a robust organic groove under shimmering tonal stabs. Closing things out, ‘Fog’ slips into deeper territory, delivering refined, hypnotic minimalism at its best, served over an insistent bouncing bassline.
Raised in the Midwest US, and early years in Chicago and Minneapolis to his current base in Berlin, Jon Hester has built an international profile as a DJ, producer, musician, and dancer, with music released on labels including Klockworks and Tresor, and performances at institutions such as Berghain, fabric, Rex Club, Shelter, Hï Ibiza, and more.
In recent years, he has expanded his output through his label, Participation, a platform for his own productions and collaborations with artists including Cassy, Tadeo, DJ Shufflemaster, Joel Mull, The Advent, Exos, Lady Starlight, and William Arist, while continuing to evolve the dancefloor-driven expression that first inspired him in the ’90s.
![Jon Hester - Through the Smoke [RSPX84]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xNETan8tCBw/mqdefault.jpg "Jon Hester - Through the Smoke [RSPX84]
Out now: orcd.co/rspx84
Participation boss Jon Hester is back on Radio Slave’s RSPX with the four-track ‘Here and Present’ EP on 6th March 2026. Releasing under his given name since 2009 and first appearing on Rekids’ Techno sublabel in 2018, Hester released two further EPs on RSPX and contributed to a compilation in 2023, making him a core part of the label.
On the surface, these are four tracks for the dance floor. Conceptually, this EP explores themes of being here and present within yourself, and allowing yourself to embrace the present moment, a practice that feels more important now than ever. The title tracks vocal is my own voice repeating Im here. In its intended purpose, this phrase has nothing to do with me personally; rather, it serves as a meditative mantra for the listener to repeat within themselves.
Im here. Ideally, on a dance floor in good spirits, sharing special times with loved ones around you, or otherwise under any circumstances, you are here and present and keeping on! We move through the smoke and darkness with glances to one another, into the warm togetherness of the morning fog. Jon Hester
Starting with the title track, Jon Hester’s ‘Here and Present’ EP unfolds as a finely balanced blend of techno with warmth, groove, and soul. Taut, rolling drums lay the foundation, with echoing blasts of noise dancing around rhythmic vocal snippets.
‘Through the Smoke’ follows, pairing sharp percussive sounds with moody atmospherics, its siren-like melodies rising and falling, before ‘Glance’ locks into a robust organic groove under shimmering tonal stabs. Closing things out, ‘Fog’ slips into deeper territory, delivering refined, hypnotic minimalism at its best, served over an insistent bouncing bassline.
Raised in the Midwest US, and early years in Chicago and Minneapolis to his current base in Berlin, Jon Hester has built an international profile as a DJ, producer, musician, and dancer, with music released on labels including Klockworks and Tresor, and performances at institutions such as Berghain, fabric, Rex Club, Shelter, Hï Ibiza, and more.
In recent years, he has expanded his output through his label, Participation, a platform for his own productions and collaborations with artists including Cassy, Tadeo, DJ Shufflemaster, Joel Mull, The Advent, Exos, Lady Starlight, and William Arist, while continuing to evolve the dancefloor-driven expression that first inspired him in the ’90s.")
![Azo - Astral Combination [RSPX82]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ylbEYnEheiY/mqdefault.jpg "Azo - Astral Combination [RSPX82]
Out now: orcd.co/rspx82
Belgium-based artist Azo debuts on Radio Slave’s Rekids Special Projects with the ‘Aries Constellation’ EP, arriving 28th November 2025. The DJ, producer, live act, Kiosk Radio resident, and Queer Future Club founder kicks things off with the title track, its subtle Electro groove taking the backseat to its ambient, expansive pads and lush synth lines.
‘Astral Combination’ follows, featuring an earworm melody at its centre, as crisp 909 drums underpin a soft acid line, just before ‘Healing in Space’ concludes with ecstatic energy, trading the previous tracks’ mystery for high-energy, intergalactic dancefloor action.
“The Aries Constellation, one of the oldest known, represents the ram, a symbol of courage, energy, and new beginnings. Its brightest stars, Hamal, Sheratan, Mesarthim, and 41 Ari, mark the head, shoulders, and body of the ram, while smaller stars trace the horns and outline, forming a luminous guide across the night sky. The EP unfolds like a journey through sound and space. Aries Constellation brings electro and ambient textures for a spatial journey, Astral Combination flows through nostalgic house rhythms, and Healing in Space draws on Detroit-inspired hopeful waves with subtle acid lines. Each track moves between intensity and calm, taking the listener on a journey through sound. The music captures the expansive feeling of floating through a stellar landscape, inspired by the power and mystique of the Aries constellation. - Azo
With the ‘Aries Constellation’ EP on RSPX, Correspondant and Duality Trax artist Azo follows up her recent ‘Echoes of Infinity’ EP on London’s Manual Smiles imprint, supported by the likes of DJ Rolando, Amanda Mussi, HAAi, Jen Cardini, Alinka, and Gerd Janson. As a DJ, Azo appears regularly at institutions such as Fuse, Nuits Sonores, Listen Festival, and more, while her Queer Future Club events tour Europe, and her radio presence includes shows on The Lot, Rinse France, as well as her Kiosk Radio residency.")
![Rocco Rodamaal - The Loft [RKD014]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zPrffPU6s6k/mqdefault.jpg "Rocco Rodamaal - The Loft [RKD014]
Out now: orcd.co/rkd014
House lynchpin Rocco Rodamaal debuts on REK’D with ‘The NYC Chronicle’ EP, a two-tracker paying homage to two of New York’s most iconic clubs, The Loft and The Tunnel, landing 12th December 2025. Active as a producer and DJ for three decades, Rodamaal belongs to a circle of innovators who continue to shape the scene through releases on COD3-QR, Defected, Freerange, his own Memories label, and now Radio Slave’s Rekids offshoot, REK’D.
With ‘The NYC Chronicle’, the French artist delivers two opposites in minimalism: the heads-down, early-hours loopiness of ‘The Loft and the bright, uplifting arps that bring daylight to the former arches of ‘The Tunnel’.
“These two tracks were born from a deep emotional connection to two legendary venues in New York—places I never had the chance to experience firsthand, yet whose spirit has long resonated with me. Through the countless artists who performed there and the timeless music that echoed within their walls, I imagined the atmosphere, the energy, the soul of those spaces. This project is more than just music; it’s a tribute. A tribute to the legacy of these cultural landmarks, to the artists who shaped them, and to the inspiration they continue to offer. Each version reflects my personal interpretation of that legacy—blending my own sonic language with the echoes of a past I never lived, but deeply feel. For me, creation is about honoring memory while pushing forward. These tracks are my way of bridging eras, of channeling the essence of house music’s roots into something that speaks to today.” -Rocco Rodamaal
Matt Edwards launched REK’D in October 2024 to release no-nonsense house music without the limitations of parent label Rekids. It has since become a home for dancefloor-focused EPs from artists including Avision, Ketiov & Edvvin, Uncertain, James Curd, Denney, and more.")
![Pig&Dan - Chemical Imbalance [RSPX87]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zbu-nM47RD4/mqdefault.jpg "Pig&Dan - Chemical Imbalance [RSPX87]
Out now: https://orcd.co/rspx87s")
