Interview: UK producer TCTS discusses his creative evolution

TCTS has always had a gift for melody, but his latest release, Masquerade, takes that instinct to a new level. Built around Jem Cooke’s powerhouse vocal and anchored by crisp piano chords, it’s a track that feels both anthemic and emotionally charged.

In this interview, TCTS discusses how Masquerade came together, the challenge of balancing club energy with vocal impact, and how the record serves as the heart of his new EP. He also reflects on creative evolution, from the tougher beats of Take Me (Favourite Place) to the next chapter of his sound.

Masquerade is a clear shift toward something more euphoric and uplifting. How did the idea for the track come together, and at what point did Jem Cooke get involved?

I’ve been a massive fan of Jem’s for ages, and we’d been talking about doing something together for a while. Masquerade felt like the perfect moment, her vocal makes it sound so big – we recorded it at my studio in London and at that point the production was abit different. I took it away and came up with the piano chords and immediately everything clicked into place.

You’ve always had a strong melodic sense in your productions, but Masquerade feels especially piano-driven and emotionally open. Was there a conscious decision to lean into that more classic house feel on this one?

Definitely. I knew I really wanted to lean into the pianos on this one, and make it piano driven but not cheesy, keep it classic feeling. Recently I’ve been really enjoying getting the pianos front and centre, same with my recent record Daylight with Hayley May too.

Jem Cooke’s vocal is a standout – raw, powerful, but also really intimate. What was it about her voice that felt like the right fit for this track, and how collaborative was the process between you two?

Jem is one of the essential voices in modern house music, there is something very special about her tone and delivery. It was a really collaborative process in the studio, we recorded the vocal much slower and sped it back up to 125bpm to give it that slightly sampled feeling.

There’s a fine line between accessibility and formula in vocal house music – how do you approach that balance in your work, especially with a track like Masquerade which feels primed for big rooms but still emotionally resonant?

Its a balance I’m always trying to be conscious of, its so easy for a vocal to make a record become too pop for the club, and too club for the radio. My main approach is to keep things simple and keep it classic – one hooky repeating piano riff, big vocal and a driven beat, don’t overproduce it or overcomplicate it. Let the vocal shine, but also make it punchy enough to play in a set.

Masquerade is the title track for your new EP. In what ways do you feel it captures the mood or direction of the wider project? Is it a centrepiece, or more of a jumping-off point?

The EP is very much a collection of records that represent where I’ve been at creatively recently. There are a variety of moods on there, but Masquerade feels like a centrepiece. Its one of my favourite records I’ve done, and really encapsulates a sound I love.

Your previous single Take Me (Favourite Place) leaned into a more propulsive, club-focused sound. Was the contrast with Masquerade intentional in terms of showing range, or did it just evolve that way naturally?

I wanted the EP to be a journey through the different flavours of house music I produce – sometimes tougher and clubbier, sometimes more vocal lead and melodic. Take Me naturally felt like the EP opener, its got a real statement of intent about it – hinged around that single repeating synth pluck, to me it feels like a call to action type of record.

How has the response to Masquerade compared to your expectations? Have you been surprised by how quickly it’s connected with listeners, especially in DJ sets and radio?

Its always very humbling seeing a positive response to the music. I’ve been blown away by the support so far, it feels like Masquerade has connected nicely with people who’ve heard it. Hopefully it’ll keep growing!

Looking ahead, what can we expect from the rest of the EP rollout? Are you continuing in this vocal-heavy, melodic direction, or exploring other corners of your sound palette?

Its going to be a mixture, the next one is a vocal track but much tougher on the production and a bit darker!