Detroit’s Scan 7 have been quietly wiring raw machine-funk into the city’s circuitry since the early nineties—a trio from the extended Three Chairs family whose records have always favoured function over fanfare. As It Should Be is their debut for new UK imprint House Of Underground, four tracks of classic Detroit techno and jacking house that sound as at home on a warehouse sound system as they do on a cracked car stereo.
The EP’s character is unmistakably Detroit: rolling, 808-driven basslines, syncopated percussion with a loose, almost live feel, and warm, saturated chords that sit just beneath the surface. Nothing here is showy—the drums are the story, and each groove locks in early and refuses to let go. It’s the machine-funk blueprint treated with exactly the right amount of respect: no fuss, no filler, just weight and momentum.
Keep It Funky (4:19) is the immediate standout, a jacking house cut built around a looped vocal hook and a bassline that swings harder than anything else here. Fort Street (6:28), named after the Detroit road, rolls out a hypnotic, minor-key groove that could run for twice its length without outlasting its welcome, whilst Slow Ride (6:12) lives up to its title, easing into a deeper, more patient swing and letting the chords breathe. Closer On Da One (5:50) rounds things off with a leaner, more percussive take on the formula, the hats tight and the mood unapologetically floor-focussed.
With As It Should Be, Scan 7 remind us exactly why their sound endures. This isn’t a reinvention—it’s a reaffirmation, four tracks of classic Detroit machine-funk delivered by people who have been doing it properly for three decades. It also makes a confident opening statement for House Of Underground, a label clearly happy to let the music do the talking.
