Dylan Forbes is a man of sustained grooves. But for the next release on Haws, the Irish DJ producer deviates slightly from the sounds of his previous back-catalogue to investigate the idea of collective ideals from the solitary walls of his lockdown studio back in 2020. The resulting output is ‘Mind Expander’, an idiomatic release of club-orientated house and tech tracks marbled with introspection and the hopeful craving for dancefloor unity. The opening ‘Ride The Flange’ jumpstarts the engine with an emphatic house beat, sitting beneath swathes of misty synth lines that trip over each other in their eagerness to peer into the void beyond. ‘Mind Expander’ takes the pH back to 1, with acidic iterations, delicate chimes and a protracted build up that yields a sense of broadening thoughts and augmented senses. On the B-side, ‘Searching’ slots together gruff, probing basslines beside melodic contours that seem to dance together with a subtle rapport like two figures treading the verge between companionship and intimacy. ‘Take U Over’ intensifies the euphoria for the close, assembling a prog-inspired motley crew of synths, reverbed soul vocals and breaks to gently charm the traveller back down from the 4-track ride. It’s said that reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else - so let’s make the shared journey worthwhile.