Alessio Collina’s Shades of Me E.P feels like a fitting title for a label boss finally stepping into his own limited series. Out September 24, 2026 via Trend Records Limited, TRLTD007 is a four-track vinyl-only release that moves across garage-leaning house, deep and tribal pressure, techier club movement, and darker Chicago-rooted house without losing the thread between them.
That range is the point since Collina is not using the EP to introduce one narrow version of his sound but is, in fact, doing something a bit more clever I think.
He lays out four related sides of the same musical identity, rooted in house music and vinyl culture, then lets each track occupy its own corner of the record. The release is limited to 200 copies, mastered by Spectrum Studio in Bologna, and distributed by Basic Frame Distribution, which gives it the same collector-minded feel as the label’s format choice.
The A-side opens with “Bloom in the Garage,” a track built around old-school movement, a fat bassline, dirty drums, garage stabs, and the swing of an MPC1000.
It is a strong opening statement because it immediately frames the record around physical groove and hardware feel. This is not house music polished into sterility. It has dust, pressure, and a little attitude in the drums.
That vinyl-only decision has real meaning here.
I covered that subject before in my interview on how to run a vinyl-only record label with I Love Acid, and Collina’s EP sits in that same mindset. The format is not an accessory. It shapes the way the release is heard, bought, and played.
The A-Side Moves From Garage Swing to Deep Heat
“Bloom in the Garage” is the most immediate cut on the A-side. The track pulls from garage-house muscle without sounding like a nostalgia exercise, using the MPC swing and rougher drum feel to keep the rhythm loose. It has that useful opening-track quality for DJs: direct enough to move quickly, textured enough to avoid sounding disposable.
“Back to the Real” shifts the energy inward. Described as a sexy, mental deep and tribal tune, it feels built for warm-up hours, smaller rooms, and intimate afterhours sets where the record does not need to shout to take control. The groove is more restrained, the mood is warmer, and the track seems designed to deepen a room instead of forcing it forward too early.
That contrast makes the A-side work. One track has more garage bite, the other leans into deeper hypnosis. Together, they show Collina thinking like a DJ as much as a producer. The record gives you options without making the EP feel split in half.
That kind of curation is exactly what a label-head release should do. Collina has spent years using Trend Records to release young talent and established house names, including Terry Farley, Paul Johnson, Ricky Montanari, and Paul Cut. On Shades of Me, he applies that same ear to his own music.
The B-Side Gets Tougher and Darker
The B-side opens with “Spring Equinox,” a techier roller centered around a killer bassline, dreamy melodic touches, and a dynamic stab that gives the track its dancefloor edge. It is probably the most peak-time-leaning moment on the EP, the one that feels ready to move from record bag to booth with the least explanation.
“The Party” closes the record from a darker angle.
The source point is old Chicago house, but Collina filters that influence through an alternative lens instead of treating it like a museum piece. It has a rawer spirit, and that closing-slot placement works because it leaves the EP feeling a little stranger than where it began.
The B-side also clarifies the title. Shades of Me is not trying to be a single mood repeated four times. It is Collina showing how much room he can find inside house music while staying close to the same school. Garage swing, deep tribal mood, tech-house drive, dark Chicago pressure. Four shades, one record.
For readers interested in the larger process of turning label taste into an actual release identity, my article on how to start a record label is a relevant companion. Trend Records Limited is a good reminder that the label is often strongest when the founder’s own taste remains visible.
Collina’s Catalog Gives the EP Context
Alessio Collina has built his career around house music, vinyl, and a steady search for original ideas inside familiar forms. Through Trend Records, he has released young artists and international names, while his own tracks have been supported by Jimpster, Kerri Chandler, DJ Sneak, Doc Martin, Honey Dijon, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Slam, and others.
His DJ path has also taken him through Italy and into cities including Berlin, Zurich, Barcelona, Ibiza, London, and Tunis. In 2017, he started the HILL alias as a parallel release outlet, with music appearing on Skylax Records, Wilson Records, and Bosconi Records, gaining support from Secretsundaze, Move D, and Apollonia. In 2019, he debuted a live set built around edits and reinterpretations of records released under the HILL alias.
That history makes Shades of Me feel less like a one-off label-owner appearance and more like a summary of the instincts Collina has been developing for years. The record is personal because it does not choose one lane. It lets him speak in four related dialects of house.
Shades of Me E.P lands September 24, 2026 via Trend Records Limited, vinyl-only and limited to 200 copies.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
