Thanks to the popularity of labels like L.I.E.S., live-to-tape, hardware-only jams remain a prevalent commodity. This uncut aesthetic has its roots in various older scenes, from Chicago ghetto house to the “graffiti techno” of New Yorkers Adam X and Frankie Bones, and historically minded producer Jerome Derradji is surely understanding of the sound’s roots. His Still Music label has been re-releasing quite a few small-label raw gems lately, with the Bang The Box! and Kill Yourself Dancing compilations archiving forgotten corners of Chicago’s house scene. A Bump in Da Raw, his latest 12″, is not overtly influenced by those compilations, but its two tracks do show an awareness of motifs that, while trendy now, have always worked.

These are exercises in repetition. “Getloose” leans toward the mid-’90s Chicago sounds of producers like Paul Johnson or Parris Mitchell, but with a bit of added depth—its kicks are more cushioned than those on the average Dance Mania release. The track is highlighted by brief, slightly off-kilter bass and bell patterns and vocal exclamations, while those steady kicks and brush-like open hi-hats maintain a narrow, constant forward motion. The more caustic flip “Raw Bump” might be more palatable for fans of mid-’90s New York, as it is comparatively industrial. Its coarse, distorted rhythm melds with croaking acid stabs, and unstably lumbers toward its conclusion. Neither breaks any new ground, but these studies fit in just fine alongside their influences.