By any measure, Ron Trent has enjoyed a career worth celebrating. Over the course of a career that has so far spanned three decades, the Chicagoan has done more than anyone bar his Windy City contemporary Larry Heard to define the sound of deep house. He’s done this while challenging himself, constantly evolving musically and developing a trademark sonic palette the makes the most of his training as a percussionist and a lover of all things immersive, atmospheric, spiritual and soulful.

As you may have read, Trent recently dropped a rather significant release: his first album for over a decade. Credited to Ron Trent presents WARM – a project first unveiled in 2019, which utilises guest musicians and a wider range of organic instrumentation – What Do The Stars Say To You is an absolute peach of a full-length: a set designed to be listened to from start to finish that sees the Prescription Records co-founder and Word & Power chief pay tribute to the imaginative, adventurous, hybrid electronic/acoustic albums of the early 1980s. It was created with the cooperation of a raft of high-profile collaborators including Alex Malheiros and Ivan Conti of Azymuth, Khruangbin, ambient hero Gigi Masin and legendary violinist and composer Jean-Luc Ponty.

Last month, Trent took time out from his busy schedule to speak to Join The Future’s Matt Anniss about the project, his career to date, issues with Chicago house history and his future plans. Matt then delivered a swathe of content based on this conversation and his love of Trent’s impeccable back catalogue.

Read: Juno Daily – Ron Trent Interview: ‘Music has helped us get through many hard times’
Based on the interview for the July edition of Join The Future on Noods Radio (see below), this written feature offers a quick introduction to the themes explored in the longer radio show conversation. Click here to read.

Read: Noods Editorial – Ron Trent in 20 Tracks
Matt Anniss takes a chronological trip through Trent’s back catalogue, flagging up a mix of classic cuts, killer remixes, forgotten gems and personal favourites. Click here to read.

Listen: Join The Future on Noods: S2E6 – Ron Trent in Conversation
A feature-length chat, with the Chicago legend discussing his career, new album, Chicago house history and much more besides. Listen via the embedded Mixcloud player below, or click here to listen on the Noods Radio website. A track listing is available below the Mixcloud player.

Ron Trent – In Love (Ron’s Soulful Mix)
Harks & Mudd – Shusta (Ron Trent Dub Mix)
Ron Trent – The Rhythm
Ron Trent – Strings (remix for Dominick Von Eckhert)
Chez N Trent – Morning Factory
Ron Trent presents WARM featuring Alex Malheiros – Melt Into You
Ron Trent featuring Anthony Nicholson – Soul Samba Express
Ron Trent presents Cinematic Travels – Our Sunrise