Exclusive Song Premiere: ‘Out of Time,’ Glass Theory feat. Sage

ABOVE: JACK DUFF, AKA GLASS THEORY. IMAGE COURTESY OF SHERVIN LAINEZ

LA-based songwriter and producer Jack Duff counts a number of different influences on his new solo act, Glass Theory—house music, Euro-pop, and nu-disco among them—but they all have one thing in common: they make good party music. Duff, who previously performed with other local SoCal acts, has been working on the project since early last year, and the product of his efforts is an incredibly focused experiment in blending some of his favorite genres. Over the course of the six tracks on his EP Hang Up (out July 31), he marries the fun of chart-topping pop music with the edge and intensity of the underground club scene where he first made his mark.

Duff’s look is as integral to the act as his sound, and just as much of a study in hybridization. Part high fashion, part grime, his aesthetic cleverly echoes the concept behind Glass Theory: the glam factor of commercial pop laced with the primal grittiness of the backroom dance circuit. The whole package comes together for a record that encourages sitting down to listen as much as it does getting up to dance.

Above, we’re pleased to debut the EP’s single “Out of Time,” featuring New-York-based songstress Sage as the moody, synth-y accompaniment to Duff’s pulsating production. In the ethos of Glass Theory, the track has a certain late-night urgency, as Sage and Duff chant in the chorus, “I wanna make you mine before daylight.” But if the dancehall flirtation that motivates pop music is a reference for Duff, it’s not the gushing, clamoring, faux-sentimental sort that populates prom playlists. Evened out by the esoteric character of house and electro, Glass Theory’s tone is confident: in pursuit of a good time, but definitely already having one.

FOR MORE ON GLASS THEORY, VISIT THE ARTIST’S WEBSITE.