TSHA - Capricorn Sun (2LP) - Red Marbled Vinyl

TSHA’s debut album arrives with the confidence of a producer who knows exactly where her heart sits on the dancefloor. Capricorn Sun landed on Ninja Tune in October 2022, and it sounds like a long, sunlit afternoon that stretches into a euphoric night, all stitched together by a keen ear for melody and a love of percussion that feels tactile rather than clinical. TSHA has been building to this for a while through EPs and singles, but the full-length format lets her lean into the contrast between wide-eyed warmth and club-ready release.

The opening stretch sets the tone with glistening synths and tight, rubbery drums that nod to classic house and UK club lineage without living in the past. You can hear how carefully each kick and clap is placed, yet nothing feels fussy. There’s a live, breathing quality to the production, as if the tracks were built with bodies in the room instead of stems in a hard drive. Even when she goes for a peak-time build, the music keeps its lightness and emotional pull intact.

“Giving Up,” made with partner and frequent collaborator Mafro, still hits like a sudden rush of colour. It’s a proper single in the old sense, designed to cut through on first listen, but it works inside the album’s flow too, a bright flare that deepens the mood rather than breaking it. TSHA’s gift is in how she threads vocal hooks through shifting rhythms and sunburst chords, trusting space and repetition to do the heavy lifting. She never clutters the frame. A few well-chosen sounds, a groove with a bit of bounce, a melodic phrase that lingers in your head on the tram home. It’s deceptively simple and very hard to pull off.

What keeps Capricorn Sun engaging front to back is TSHA’s feel for contrast. She’ll give you a track that glows with Balearic shimmer, then put a tougher drum pattern underneath the next one so the sweetness has something to push against. The low end is round and friendly rather than aggressive, which makes the album unusually playable at home. You could put this on while cooking dinner and then find yourself moving the table to the side by track six. There are ambient breaths and gentle comedowns tucked between the heaters, the kind of breathers that would have sounded right on a mid-2000s Ninja Tune comp, which ties the record nicely to its label’s history.

TSHA has spoken in interviews about making music that balances vulnerability with joy, and you can hear that tug all over the runtime. Even at its most club-facing, the album wears its feelings plainly. Melodies rise like a hopeful thought you don’t want to lose, and the percussion often has a hand-played feel that adds a human spine to the grooves. It’s easy to imagine these cuts opening a festival set just after sundown, the moment when people stop checking their phones and give in.

The wider world clearly noticed. Capricorn Sun drew strong support across UK radio and the dance press, and it didn’t take long for these tracks to lodge themselves in DJ sets well beyond London. You can sense why. There’s a generosity here that DJs love, the kind that gives you a clean mix-in and a story to tell without forcing the blend. It’s also why the record has been a steady seller in shops. As an object, the Capricorn Sun vinyl is a neat fit next to your favourite house 12s, and the mastering keeps the sparkle on top without dulling the kick. If you’re crate-digging at a Melbourne record store, it’s the kind of sleeve that pops out of the bin, promising a good time that doesn’t leave you wrung out.

If you’re looking to buy TSHA records online, this is the one to start with, then branch out to earlier singles once you’ve lived with it. TSHA albums on vinyl tend to hold their value because they get played rather than shelved, and this debut explains why. It’s bright, heartfelt dance music with enough detail to reward repeat listens and enough punch to lift a crowd. For anyone building a modern house collection in vinyl records Australia circles, Capricorn Sun is an easy recommendation.

There’s plenty of electronic music that confuses heaviness for importance. TSHA takes the opposite path. Capricorn Sun invites you in, lets you feel things, and trusts that groove and melody can carry the weight. That trust pays off, again and again.