“If I had another chance tonight…”, most fans of Roger Sanchez (or house music in general) will instantly know that line. Well, if you enjoyed that classic tune the first time round, Sanchez is back for more. His first new studio album in 20 years, a long time in the making. An expert house DJ, producer and remixer, Sanchez is no stranger to the dancefloor. Let’s hope that Spectrum can be another floor filler.
The opening track, ‘Temptation’, starts off with that simple yet iconic piano loop that is so familiar to house music. And the vocal on the track is pure house, it’s like a track straight out of the 90s. upbeat, energetic and groovy, that’s how you start a house album. ‘Midas Touch’ starts again with the bouncy, blocky beat that Sanchez is associated with, before Kelli-Leigh’s vocal lifts the track up to the heavens. The track feels so positive, it would definitely get the floor moving big time. The happy vibe continues through to ‘Love Like This’ with Kele Le Roc sounding amazing on the song. The bass loop in the background is funky too, super catchy.
‘El Gitano’ starts off fun, with a Spanish guitar intro before bursting into a Hispanic dance anthem. The great, husky vocal from Chico Castillo really helps this sound. It is a cool blend of house and traditional sounding music. Innovative. ‘Canto Al Amor’ starts with this dreamy vocal, before bursting into life behind the jumpy beat. A heavier house track for sure. The vibe changes a bit with ‘How Do We Say Goodbye’, it goes into a classic house sound. Karen Harding provides the vocals, and she does a superb job of matching the vibe of the track. ‘Come My Way’ is the only track on the album to credit Sanchez on his own, and you can tell this is his track. The pumping bass. The Summery sound that it gives, it’s a house DJ in his element. ‘I Don’t Wanna Know’ is very modern house, easy beat but still bouncy. Melanie C kills it in the vocal department. It works so well for the track.
‘Grinnin’ is an interesting one, with a vocal sample that reminds me of Tom Jones of all people. Mixing that with the tribal drum sounds on top of the beat, it makes for a pretty neat house track. ‘Clouds’ is a pretty standard sounding track, the beat is groovy, but then the synth riff works its way into it, and it gives a trance sound to the track, almost Chemical Brothers sounding. ‘Caught Feelings’ continues that organic house feeling. Some lovely keyboard flurries happen throughout the track, and Donae’o adds his vocal to it. ‘Falling’ feels like it has a pop element to it, and it’s a bit bland compared to the rest of the album. The vocal on the track leaves a lot to be desired, and the energy isn’t really there on this one. ‘Dark Days’ is the final track, and it brings us back into the strong house vibe that most of the album has carried. It’s uplifting, upbeat and a good outro track.
After 20 years, Roger Sanchez has delivered Spectrum, and the timing couldn’t have been better. With summer just around the corner, a classic house recorded with warm grooves and bouncy beats is just what we needed to soundtrack the heatwaves. For any fans of house music, this is a great record to listen to, and given another chance tonight, I’d do it all over again.
Roger Sanchez: Spectrum – Released 5 June 2026
