Art Department occupies a sacred space in underground dance music — a project born from the creative partnership of Johnny D (Johnny Darrell) and Mashtronic (Kenny Glasgow), later reduced to Glasgow as the primary force carrying the project forward. Rooted in Toronto’s fertile underground scene, Art Department built their reputation on hauntingly beautiful deep house that blurs the boundaries between techno introspection and soulful dancefloor ecstasy. If you’ve ever wanted to explore truly immersive electronic music, these are the songs that define why Art Department remains untouchable.
Without You
“Without You” is arguably Art Department’s most iconic composition, a slow-burning deep house meditation that opens with shimmering chords and a melancholic vocal line that feels simultaneously intimate and cosmic. The production is masterfully restrained — every element earns its place in the mix, from the delicate hi-hat patterns to the subtle bassline that pulses beneath like a heartbeat you can’t ignore. Listening on headphones, you can catch the microscopic details that Kenny Glasgow layers throughout, the barely-there pads that shift color as the track evolves, making it one of those rare electronic records that rewards focused listening as much as dancefloor abandonment.
We Call Love (feat. Soul Clap & Osunlade)
When Art Department enlisted Soul Clap and the legendary Yoruban vocalist and producer Osunlade, the result was something genuinely transcendent. “We Call Love” carries the spiritual warmth that Osunlade brings to everything he touches, with his rich vocal performance giving the track an almost ceremonial quality. The production weaves Chicago soul house influences with Art Department’s more austere deep sensibility, creating a beautiful tension that keeps the track compelling across its full runtime. This is the kind of house music that reminds you the genre was always about more than just dancing — it was about communion.
Vampire Nightclub (feat. Seth Troxler)
The collaboration with Seth Troxler is one of Art Department’s most beloved pairings, and “Vampire Nightclub” demonstrates exactly why. Troxler’s deadpan, sardonic spoken-word delivery transforms the track into something theatrical — a nightlife vignette that captures the absurdity and seduction of club culture in equal measure. The production underneath is appropriately nocturnal: dense, slightly sinister textures that seem to breathe in the dark, with a groove that is hypnotic precisely because of its restraint. This track became a word-of-mouth anthem within the underground circuit and remains essential Art Department listening.
Much Too Much
“Much Too Much” showcases Art Department’s ability to write melancholy directly into the architecture of a track without relying on overly sentimental production choices. The vocal processing gives the record an ethereal, slightly detached quality — as though the emotion is being remembered rather than experienced in real time. Musically, the arrangement breathes beautifully, with atmospheric elements fading in and out like passing thoughts. It’s a perfect example of why Art Department resonated so deeply with listeners who found most commercial dance music emotionally hollow.
Living The Life (feat. Seth Troxler)
The second Art Department collaboration with Seth Troxler delivers a different energy to “Vampire Nightclub” — looser, more conversational, with Troxler’s vocal presence feeling like someone holding court at an after-hours gathering. The production is warm and enveloping, with analog synthesizer textures that feel lived-in and slightly imperfect in the best possible way. This track rewards listening in different environments — it works as a late-night driving record just as well as it does through a club system. The interplay between the music’s quiet confidence and Troxler’s wry persona makes “Living The Life” genuinely unique in the Art Department catalog.
Touch You Gently
There’s an intimacy to “Touch You Gently” that distinguishes it immediately within the discography. The chord progressions carry a distinctly romantic weight, and the production leans into softness without ever becoming saccharine — a difficult balance that many electronic producers fail to strike. The mix has a warmth that’s evident even on lower-quality playback, though through quality headphones the layered textures and subtle reverb tails create a genuinely enveloping listening experience. This is Art Department at their most openly tender.
Catch You By Surprise
“Catch You By Surprise” demonstrates Art Department’s command of groove in its most direct form. The track locks into a pocket early and never relinquishes it, with a bassline that is simultaneously functional and melodic — the kind that moves a dancefloor without announcing itself loudly. The subtle vocal chops woven throughout add a soulful dimension that elevates what could have been straightforward deep house into something distinctly Art Department. This is a track that DJs reach for when they need something reliable that never feels predictable.
Catch You By Surprise (Guy Gerber Remix)
Guy Gerber’s remix of “Catch You By Surprise” is a fascinating case study in how a reinterpretation can honor a source material while pulling it into an entirely different emotional territory. Gerber strips away some of the original’s soulful warmth and replaces it with his characteristic sense of cosmic melancholy, adding tension and release dynamics that make the remix feel more cinematic. The production choices are distinctly Gerber — elongated atmospheres, patient builds — but the core groove remains, creating an interesting dialogue between two artists who share deep house DNA while expressing it through very different temperaments.
Cruel Intentions
Art Department occasionally allows a harder, more ominous texture to creep into their sound, and “Cruel Intentions” is one of the most compelling examples. The track carries genuine menace without abandoning musicality, with a low-end presence that feels designed to rattle large sound systems. The title is earned — there’s something genuinely unsettling about the atmospherics here, a darkness that feels intentional rather than performative. For listeners who know Art Department primarily through their softer moments, this track provides crucial evidence of the project’s full emotional range.
Tell Me Why (Part I)
Art Department’s decision to split this composition across two parts was a bold artistic choice that pays off completely. “Tell Me Why (Part I)” functions as an extended question — a slow gathering of energy and emotional weight that never quite arrives at resolution. The production is characterized by patience, with melodic elements introduced and withdrawn in a way that keeps the listener perpetually engaged but never fully satisfied. This is deep house as narrative, and the construction speaks to Art Department’s genuine compositional sophistication.
Tell Me Why (Part II)
Where Part I poses the question, Part II begins to process it, with the production opening up and the emotional stakes becoming more explicit. The melodic development across both parts rewards listeners who experience them sequentially — ideas introduced in Part I return here transformed, given new context and weight. Together, the two tracks represent some of the most ambitious structural thinking in the Art Department catalog, demonstrating that Glasgow’s vision for the project extended well beyond individual tracks into something approaching suite-like composition.
What Does It Sound Like?
The self-questioning title reflects something genuine in the track’s character — “What Does It Sound Like?” has an experimental, exploratory quality that suggests music made in genuine discovery mode rather than working to a formula. The production moves through different textural zones, never fully settling into comfort. It’s a more challenging listen than many Art Department tracks, but the rewards are proportional to the attention invested.
I C U
“I C U” achieves something remarkable: genuine emotional nakedness through entirely abstract electronic means. The track communicates vulnerability through production choices rather than explicit lyrical content — the way certain chords are voiced, the fragility of the mix, the sense that the whole construction might dissolve at any moment. Whether through earbuds on a morning commute or through a quality earbuds setup, the intimacy translates, which speaks to how much genuine feeling is encoded in the production itself.
In The Mood
“In The Mood” is pure deep house craftsmanship — a track where every element has been considered in relation to every other element, producing a groove that feels inevitable in retrospect. The percussion work is particularly notable, with a complexity that reveals itself gradually over repeated listens. There’s a confidence to this track that comes from musicians who have deeply internalized the history of house music and are now contributing to it meaningfully.
Roberts Cry
The raw emotional quality of “Roberts Cry” sets it apart in the Art Department discography. Where most of their work maintains a certain aesthetic distance, this track feels more exposed — the sonic palette stripped back to essential elements that carry maximum emotional weight. It’s unclear whether this is a personal tribute or fiction, but the specificity of the title suggests real feeling behind the music, and that authenticity is audible in every element of the production.
Kisses For Roses (feat. Aquarius Heaven)
The vocal contribution of Aquarius Heaven brings a different kind of warmth to “Kisses For Roses” than the Troxler or Osunlade collaborations delivered. The track has a gentler, more romantically inclined energy — poetic imagery rendered in music. The production supports the vocal performance without competing with it, which is a credit to Glasgow’s instinct for knowing when restraint serves the collaboration better than density would.
Jazz Hours
“Jazz Hours” represents Art Department engaging directly with the jazz influences that have always informed deep house’s DNA. The track has a late-night atmospheric quality that evokes the feeling of hearing live music filter through from an adjacent room — something half-heard, partially experienced, which paradoxically makes it more affecting. The organic textures and fluid rhythmic sensibility here demonstrate Glasgow’s genuine connection to music that predates electronic production.
Walk With Me
There’s an inviting, companionable quality to “Walk With Me” that makes it one of the more accessible Art Department tracks without sacrificing depth. The groove is open and generous, the atmosphere warm rather than austere, and the overall feeling is of music that wants to accompany you rather than challenge you. This would be a perfect entry point for someone encountering Art Department for the first time.
Shame
“Shame” is one of the more emotionally complex tracks in the catalog — a title that implies confession, and a production that delivers on that implication through tonal choices that feel uncomfortable in productive ways. The harmonic language is darker than typical Art Department fare, and the arrangement feels deliberately unsettled, which creates a kind of emotional honesty that can be genuinely affecting when you are in the right headspace for it.
Paper Cuts
“Paper Cuts” closes this selection with quiet devastation — the title’s suggestion of small, surprisingly painful wounds is reflected in a production that is precise, subtle, and ultimately quite moving. The musical details accumulate gradually, and the full emotional impact only arrives after patient listening. It’s a fitting track to end on for a project that has always rewarded listeners willing to invest time and attention in return for music that genuinely repays that investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Art Department?
Art Department is a Canadian deep house project originally formed as a duo between Johnny Darrell and Kenny Glasgow in Toronto. After the duo eventually operated primarily under Glasgow’s creative direction, Art Department released music on No. 19 Music, a label co-founded with Seth Troxler, and became one of the defining acts of the early 2010s deep house underground movement.
What label does Art Department record for?
Art Department is closely associated with No. 19 Music, the imprint co-founded with Seth Troxler that became one of the most respected underground house labels of the decade. Their debut album The Drawing Board was released through No. 19 Music in 2011 and remains a landmark record in deep house.
What is Art Department’s best album?
The Drawing Board from 2011 is widely considered Art Department’s defining work — a debut album that captured the melancholic beauty and soulful depth of their sound in its most concentrated form. It features several of the tracks listed above and remains essential listening for anyone interested in modern deep house.
Who does Art Department collaborate with most frequently?
Seth Troxler is Art Department’s most frequent and most celebrated collaborator — the creative chemistry between Glasgow and Troxler is immediately audible on tracks like Vampire Nightclub and Living The Life, and their shared aesthetic sensibility extends to the No. 19 Music label they co-founded together.
Is Art Department still active?
Kenny Glasgow has continued producing and performing under the Art Department name, releasing music intermittently and maintaining a presence in the underground house circuit. The project’s output remains rooted in the same deep, introspective aesthetic that defined its early work.
What genre is Art Department?
Art Department operates primarily within deep house, but their sound incorporates elements of techno, minimal house, and at times ambient electronic music. The project is particularly associated with the emotionally sophisticated strand of deep house that emerged from Toronto and became globally influential through labels like No. 19 Music in the early 2010s.