Synths, synths, synths. They seem to rule the roost within electronic music and for good reason.

Let’s hark back to May 2014, when New York duo Mood II Swing released “Ohh” via South African label Groove On Recordings—a record with one of the yummiest synth melodies of all time.

John Ciafone and Lem Springsteen, the masters behind the project, are pioneers of dance in New York City. There’s really no other way to put it. Rising to god status in the early 90’s when the city’s club culture was at fever-pitch. I can imagine the walls of iconic venues like Paradise Garage, Sound Factory and Twilo reverberating from morning to night to morning once more.

John and Lem introduced New Yorkers to space and restraint, letting just a handful of musical elements do all the heavy lifting. Unlike a host of others making house at the time, Mood II Swing prioritised songwriting over looping samples, weaving in toplines and structured verses. Add to the mixture gospel-leaning vocals, jazzy chord progressions and subtle basslines, and you’ve got yourself compositions oozing with groove. And “Ohh” for my mind is the finest proof of this musical approach.

Beginning with a leisurely kick and a vocal that feels like it’s spinning on a lazy Susan, it doesn’t take long for those keystrokes to pop up for air. There’s an easy levity and warmth to it, coaxing you in rather than yanking. Steady snares hold the pace throughout, before smudged synths drift in on the backend. Together, it locks you into a gentle hypnosis—I picture bathwater circling, slowly tightening into a whirlpool as it disappears down the drain.

A strange connection, but Billie Eilish’s last album is called Hit Me Hard and Soft. “Ohh”, and really, all of Mood II Swing’s catalogue does exactly that and will keep folks in motion long after I’m gone.