The Other Side

Since the late 2010s, MoMa Ready (Wyatt Stevens) and his HAUS of ALTR label have been at the center of New York’s underground dance music renaissance. One of their contributions has been to reassert the importance of the scene’s Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ roots; another, no less crucial, has been to look beyond the intra-scene sniping and competition between subgenres, celebrating the beauty of dance music in all its forms. Despite its short length, *The Other Side* is a testament to this diversity, showcasing five different styles. Moody and introspective, “The Child Inside” is a dubby slow burner that flashes back to New York house at its deepest and most enveloping. No less dreamy, “Fall Out” finds common cause between New Jersey house and UK garage, while “The Other Side” films similarly melancholy sonics into bruising old-school jungle. The closing pair venture even further afield: “Hi Tek Breaks” is half downtempo, half drum ’n’ bass, while “If I’m in Love” puts the pedal to the metal, accelerating a loop of dusky R&B into high-speed juke, cymbals flashing like high beams. What ties all five tracks together is MoMa Ready’s unmistakably soulful touch; this is club music at its most emotive.