Adam Vanzel Brings Late-Night Tech House Energy to “Reach”

Adam Vanzel steps into a darker side of his sound with “Reach,” his new single released August 14. Rooted in tech house, the track pairs a gritty club feel with the melodic elements that have been part of his production since he first started making electronic music.

Because much of the music Vanzel plays in his DJ sets falls into the tech house genre, he wanted more of his own productions that could work during the higher-energy moments later in the night. “Reach” grew from that idea, capturing the atmosphere of the peak late-night club sessions that have increasingly inspired his newer music.

The track also carries a more personal meaning. One of its lyrics, “back to where the light don’t reach,” reflects both a difficult period in Vanzel’s life a few years ago and the feeling of being inside a basement club, dancing in the dark and losing yourself in the moment. That double meaning gives the record an emotional layer beneath its dancefloor focus.

Vancouver producer Olly Watt also played an important role in bringing “Reach” together. Watt has been mentoring Vanzel over the past several months and helped with the song as well as its mixing and mastering, contributing to the final version of the record.

Vanzel’s path into production became serious relatively recently. He had loved electronic music since his teenage years, but seeing John Summit in Toronto in 2024 became the moment that pushed him to finally take the leap himself. After the show, he bought a new laptop, purchased Ableton and began putting his own ideas into production.

Summit remains one of his biggest influences, not only musically but also because of the way he changed his own career path and committed to pursuing music. Vanzel also grew up listening to Daft Punk, deadmau5, Armin van Buuren and Avicii, while describing his own sound today as melodic, groovy and energetic.

That development has continued through his live sets. Vanzel says every gig teaches him something about himself as an artist, with one of his biggest opportunities so far arriving recently in Muskoka, Ontario, where he played a two-hour direct support set for Loud Luxury during their pop-up before returning to close the evening at the venue where he currently holds a residency.

He is also part of Pulse District, an electronic music collective that organizes events in Hamilton, Ontario, with the goal of helping make the city a hub for electronic music in the province. Vanzel credits fellow members Adriano (Notté) and Jake (B-Sxy) as part of that community.

Looking ahead, Veld Music Festival in Toronto remains one of his biggest goals. Having attended the festival multiple times as a fan, he sees performing there as a potential full-circle moment. He still has three Saturdays remaining in his Muskoka residency along with occasional Hamilton shows before shifting more of his attention back toward production.

More music is already underway. Vanzel recently finished another original record that he is currently shopping to labels and is close to completing a remix of Basement Jaxx’s “Where’s Your Head At.” His approach remains centered on making the music he wants to make and following what feels right in the moment.

With “Reach,” Vanzel hopes listeners can connect with the emotion behind the record, but he is just as happy if it simply becomes part of a night out with friends and keeps the energy moving. As he continues building the project, his larger goal is to reach bigger stages, connect with people through music and encourage others not to let fear control the things they want to pursue.

“Reach” by Adam Vanzel is out now on all streaming platforms.

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