Reviewed: Dennis Cruz delivers a personal & telling debut album on Crosstown Rebels – ‘Roots’

Influential is one of many words you could use to describe MÜSE co-founder Dennis Cruz. His distinctive style comprises raw grooves and cultural sustenance, often leading to tangible influence within his blisteringly dynamic creativity. An artist that has done and will continue to stand the test of time, Cruz’s unwavering dedication to individuality is and always should be a firm lesson for aspiring artists – never compromising his identity for relevance. 

His latest offering is a stark reminder of just how far Dennis has come, with ‘Roots’ being an amalgamation of the steps on his musical journey:  

“I wanted to work on a broader project, the cornerstone of my artist career, and this is what Roots is. The album is a convergence of influences taken from music that I’ve been listening to all my life, from funk, salsa, and flamenco to house and disco. I am so happy this project could finally come to life. I want to thank the several friends and artists that worked on it with me; Damian Lazarus, for believing in it from the beginning and helping it reach the world on Crosstown Rebels.” – Dennis Cruz 

Put simply, ‘Roots’ is an album similar to a great novel. You can pick it up and put it down, or you can get lost in it for hours. Made in such a way that it plays on your propensity for well-structured music with variation and individual tales to tell, it truly is a testament to Dennis’ hard-earned standing within the world of house and techno. It also reminds us that as much as the absorption of music is very much in the moment, we must always celebrate the defining factors that contribute to the fact.

From the pleasantly Latin-influenced gusto of La Ratonera, Los Tamales, Ecua, Bend, Ahora Toda Va & Te Quiero Cantar, through to the club-geared sounds of Good Old Days, What U Doing & Back Again, Cruz’s perception of danceable house music genres flourishes both singularly and in collaboration with other revered artists – Ian Ludvig & Josh Butler.

Providing a play by play style review of this kind of work would only detract any of the magic of consuming it for yourself in an unbiased way. After all, what is art if it doesn’t remain subjective to some extent?

The term “long-awaited” gets thrown around all too loosely these days. Not often does the subject deliver in a way that retains an element of ‘wow’. Dennis Cruz’s ‘Roots’ LP is a collection of records that do just that, and thankfully they are all available now on Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels imprint. 

Buy/stream: https://lnk.to/denniscruzroots