The Gradient

Yousef’s Circus Recordings has been the heartbeat of Liverpool’s house and techno scene since 2004, so it’s fitting that the label kicks off 2021 with its most heavyweight collaboration in recent memory. The Gradient brings together the Circus boss himself, techno workhorse Alan Fitzpatrick and up-and-comer Avision for a lean two-track EP—the flagship release of the week from Merseyside’s most dependable stable, and it wastes no time making its intentions clear.

It’s a pairing that makes immediate sense. Yousef anchors the record with his deep, club-first sensibility; Fitzpatrick brings the muscle and the driving, peak-time propulsion he’s honed across a decade on labels like Drumcode and Hotflush; and Avision—the youngest of the three—supplies the melodic lightness that gives the EP its name. The division of labour is audible from the first bars: these are records that feel considered, every element pulling in the same direction.

Title track Gradient opens with a soft, airy pad that hangs above a crisp four-to-the-floor kick, gradually gaining momentum as filtered stabs and a warm, rolling bassline lock into place. It’s a masterclass in measured build—by the time the main melody arrives around the two-minute mark, the tension is already primed, and the track rides it out to its 4:21 close with real grace, balancing its melodic Techno leanings against a solidly physical groove. Twilight Dance is the more urgent of the pair, its hats tighter and its energy more insistent, though the track keeps its cool throughout: hypnotic, FX-laden and built for the late hours, it rounds out the EP with a darker, more heads-down take on the same palette.

At just over eight minutes in total, The Gradient is a compact, focused affair, but it never feels slight. The chemistry between the three producers is evident in every bar—nothing is overworked, nothing is wasted—and the result is a record that should find its way into plenty of sets this winter. For a label celebrating nearly two decades at the top of its game, it’s a welcome reminder that Circus can still drop a floor weapon with the best of them.