Hot Picks: Ethan Walsh Shares 10 Tracks Soundtracking His Breakthrough Year
Ethan Walsh’s rise over the past year has been rapid. The UK DJ and producer broke through with ‘Look Good’, which has amassed more than nine million streams and picked up a remix from Franky Rizardo, while support from Max Dean, Interplanetary Criminal, Obskur and L.P. Rhythm has helped carry his sound from social platforms onto increasingly bigger dancefloors.
That momentum continues with ‘Loving You’, his debut on Creamfields Recordings. Zipping synths, an uplifting vocal and commanding low-end bring together two sides of Walsh’s developing sound, balancing darker, resonant basslines with the melodic hooks that have become increasingly prominent across his productions.
For his Hot Picks, Ethan looks back across a whirlwind year through ten tracks connected to memorable sets, changing tastes and his own releases along the way. From the darker club records that have dominated his listening to melodic closing moments and productions of his own, the selection offers a snapshot of where his sound sits today.
Josh Baker – Bass Up To The Top
“This track represents the summer of 2025 for me, just before I started releasing music under my name, Ethan Walsh. There was something about the dark, groovy bassline that really resonated with me and, looking back, it played a big part in helping me find the sound I wanted to sit within. It had that perfect balance of groove and darkness without losing the energy that makes a track work on a dancefloor. Those elements are still a big part of my production style today.”
Gigsta – Try Change Me
“By October, I was becoming more drawn towards a darker and more raw sound, and ‘Try Change Me’ was a big part of that. The track gave me a lot of ideas and inspiration when I was working on my own productions. I loved how stripped-back and direct it felt, while still having plenty of character. It was another track that helped me understand the kind of bass-driven sound I wanted to develop.”
Cam Stockman – Fascination
“In November 2025, I went to the Warehouse Project for Nexup, and this track really stood out to me when Obskur played it. At the time, it was still unreleased, which made hearing it in that environment even more memorable. ‘Fascination’ sits firmly within that darker sound that I was becoming obsessed with at the time. The synth work and catchy melody really caught my attention, and it showed me how you could combine a darker, heavier foundation with melodic elements that stick with you.”
Ethan Walsh – Look Good
“This one is obviously a little different. ‘Look Good’ was my first release under the name Ethan Walsh, and it will forever have some of the best memories attached to it. I owe a lot to this track. It was the release that really kick-started my career and gave me the confidence to continue pushing the sound I had been developing. The darker, resonant bass that features throughout the track can be traced back to the kind of music I was listening to earlier in the year, including ‘Bass Up To The Top’ and ‘Try Change Me’. More than anything, though, this track marked the beginning of what has become a pretty crazy journey.”
Harry Romero – Don’t You Want Some More
“I closed my first-ever DJ set with this tune, so it’s always going to have a special place in my collection. The huge builds into each drop create such a crazy level of energy, while the infectious vocal makes the track instantly memorable. There’s something about a record that can completely change the atmosphere of a room, and this was one of those tracks for me. Closing my first set with it felt like the perfect way to finish what was a pretty surreal experience.”
TeeDee – I Been Goin' Crazy
“This track was one of the highlights of my New Year’s Eve set in 2025. The crowd absolutely loved it, and it was one of those moments where you know you’ve picked the right track at exactly the right time. I also think it’s a great representation of the modern tech house sound that has been blowing up across TikTok and social media. It’s energetic, instantly recognisable and built around the kind of hook that gets stuck in your head after one listen. Most importantly, though, it worked on the dancefloor - and that’s what matters.”
Ethan Walsh – Too In Love With You
“My second release under the Ethan Walsh name, ‘Too In Love With You’ continued a lot of the ideas I introduced with ‘Look Good’, but pushed things in a slightly more melodic direction. The track still has that deep, resonant bass that has become a core part of my sound, but this time I paired it with an undeniably catchy vocal sample and a more melodic approach. It’s been amazing to see this one perform both on the dancefloor and across streaming platforms. For me, it showed that I could keep the darker, bass-heavy elements that define my sound while still creating something that connects with a wider audience.”
Lovebirds – Want You In My Soul
“June 2026 was a pretty special month for me. I played my longest set to date, warming up for Cloonee at The Cause in London for three hours during peak summer, with Canary Wharf providing the backdrop. I closed the set with ‘Want You In My Soul’ by Lovebirds, and it was one of those moments that felt slightly surreal. After three hours behind the decks, the more melodic and chilled-out feel of the track was the perfect way to bring things to a close. It was a completely different energy to some of the darker, heavier records earlier in this list, but it showed another side of what I love about electronic music.”
Idemi – Reflections
“The final track of that set was ‘Reflections’ by Idemi. Playing this alongside ‘Want You In My Soul’ created the perfect ending to what was an incredible evening. Both tracks have that more melodic and chilled quality that made sense after three hours of playing, but there was still enough atmosphere to make the ending feel special. Looking out across London, with Canary Wharf behind the venue, and closing the longest set I had ever played was a moment I definitely won’t forget.”
Ethan Walsh – Loving You
“My latest release, ‘Loving You’, brings the journey up to today. Once again, I’ve stuck with the core elements that have gradually become synonymous with my sound: a catchy, melodic vocal sitting over a dark, gritty and resonant bassline. It feels like a natural progression from ‘Look Good’ and ‘Too In Love With You’, while still pushing things forward. What’s probably the most exciting thing for me is that, despite everything that has happened over the last year, I’m still just as excited to produce new music and play records to dancefloors as I was when this whole journey started. Looking back at these 10 tracks, you can almost hear the evolution of my sound — from the records that first inspired me, through my first releases, to the moments I’ve experienced behind the decks.”
Taken together, Ethan Walsh’s selections capture a year spent rapidly developing both in the studio and behind the decks. Dark, resonant basslines remain a constant, but increasingly sit alongside bigger melodies, memorable vocals and moments of restraint. ‘Loving You’ brings those threads together, offering the latest snapshot of a sound that continues to evolve as his profile grows.
