“After forty years of carrying house music in his bloodstream, BRUNOTONES finally turned the loop inside into a song—and it still wants to dance.”
There is something wonderfully lived-in about BRUNOTONES’ “Lust for Life.” This is Deep House made by someone who has been carrying the music around for decades, rather than someone simply discovering the sound from a distance. At 125 BPM, the track settles into a hypnotic groove driven by deep rolling bass, restrained percussion and warm chords carrying hints of jazz and gospel. But the production wisely leaves room for its most distinctive element: a raspy female vocal that moves between spoken-word intimacy, soulful singing and something resembling a late-night sermon. She sounds both playful and completely serious, especially as the song circles around its central idea of wanting to experience life rather than simply watch it happen.
The writing gives “Lust for Life” much of its personality. Lines about love, loss, pleasure and pain are delivered without pretending that life needs to be neat or comfortable, and the playful moments keep the track from becoming overly serious. The push and pull between the head and the body is particularly effective—the mind might be telling you to behave, but the groove has other plans. When the vocal reaches the repeated “LUST FOR LIFE!” hook, the track opens up into something made for a dancefloor, but there is still a personal story underneath it. BRUNOTONES has been connected to house music since the 1980s, and that history is audible without the song becoming a nostalgia exercise. The arrangement understands the importance of space, repetition and movement, allowing the groove to do its work instead of constantly trying to impress.
What makes the story behind “Lust for Life” just as interesting as the track itself is that BRUNOTONES waited until later in life to finally start making these deep house records with his own lyrics. After decades of creative work, the idea was encouraged by his friend and business partner Dennis, who essentially asked what he was waiting for. The answer was to make the music—and the result was several tracks that kept the creative loop moving. Even with AI-assisted elements involved in the production, the heart of “Lust for Life” began in the most traditional way possible: with an idea and lyrics written on paper. That balance between experience, technology and instinct gives the track its character. It sounds like music made by someone who has no interest in acting their age—just someone who still wants to feel the beat, follow the groove and keep dancing when everyone else has gone home.
Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, Spotify