Released on May 9th 2025, A Deeper Life is the debut album from Chaos in the CBD, brothers Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales. Despite their light-hearted wingdings-fuelled social media presence, they have been making serious moves in the global house music scene. A Deeper Life is an amalgamation of places, inspirations, memories, nature, and nostalgia. The combination of house, Balearic, soul, R&B, funk, bossa nova and jazz make the album one you can both meditate and dance to, and whose timely release is sure to capture the essence of the upcoming summer – whether spent at a beach club or a Fallowfield garden.
The album is the perfect example of how house music prevails as a versatile and malleable genre. The release of Chaos in the CBD’s 2015 EP Midnight in Peckham defined their mellow jazz-infused deep house sound, saturated with essence of life in London. Peckham, to be exact, where, in their first week in the city, the duo first met friend and founder of Rhythm Section label Bradley Zero on a train, who later released that very EP. Now, the brothers now have their own label, In Dust We Trust, on which A Deeper Life was released, and have built upon that foundational jazz-house sound.
Place remains an important aspect for the pair. Scattered throughout the album and their discography, you can find references to their homes past and present. Even their name references the Central Business District the pair would quite literally cause chaos in as kids. A Deeper Life extends this sense of place. Described as their ‘’love letter to home,’’ we learn about the brothers’ idyllic Auckland upbringing through the record’s sonic and visual elements.
The use of ocean sounds and field recordings of the native Tūī bird taken in their hometown provide an authentic and personal touch, alongside anecdotally named tracks like ‘Tongariro Crossing,’ inspired by memories of hiking with their dad in the mountains, and ‘Ōtaki’ which references where their grandparents lived. Even the album cover, artwork by a childhood friend encapsulates the serenity and beauty of Devonport situated on Auckland’s North Shore, where they grew up. Somewhere within is a secret swimming spot the brothers went to as kids.
A Deeper Life begins with a two-track run of meditative ambience, that could easily be mistaken for a ten-minute morning meditation. A step away from the typical jazz-infused sound Chaos in the CBD are best known for, the sparkling frequencies of ‘Down By The Cove’ and ‘Mountain Mover’ are imbued with the sounds of nature which transport you to the duo’s idyllic Auckland upbringing: ‘’it was just the sun, the sand, the sea, waterfalls, birds and fish’’. The sound of water that ebbs and flows throughout the album anchors the listener to a clear image of sparkling oceans, picturesque beaches, rainforests, coastlines, and the childlike mystification that comes with growing up around natural beauty.
Yet, the brothers still give a big nod to city-life in London- the place that became home in 2012. Novelist’s feature alongside Stephanie Cooke on ‘Maintaining My Peace’ is sure to prick up the ears of any UK grime fan, connecting the album to a genre to which London and city-life is central. The track melds together the LA hip-hop and G-funk which Ben spent his teenage years listening to, graffitiing and skateboarding, with that distinctive nonchalant swagger of the UK grime sound.
Making the record could not have been possible without people: family, friends, inspirations, and collaborators. Recording the album meant embarking on a new adventure for the brothers, who previously adopted a solely two-man set up; this was the first time they had recorded live instruments and worked with vocalists. The album includes a myriad of features from the likes of Josh Milan, fellow Kiwi Nathan Haines, and the Lee Pearson Jr Collective, many of which are previous collaborators with the pair. Isaac Aesili’s echoing trumpet on ‘A Deeper Life’, is perhaps most recognisable from his feature on Chaos’ ‘Midnight in Peckham’, a jazz sound that has diffused from past to present releases.
The new album marks an intriguing new approach to house which seeks to evolve their beloved, nostalgic, jazz-infused house sound that long-time listeners have come to know and love. Despite being slower to get into than their more dance-focused releases like ‘Emotional Intelligence’ and the pacing feeling stifled at times, A Deeper Life certainly compensates in terms of the breadth of genres and features. The first half establishes a new nature-infused ambient house sound, while the energy picks up with the second, returning to that familiar jazz-infused house sound. Ben and Louis have done an excellent job at encapsulating a myriad of things into one 69-minute package: the sound of the city, suburbs, childhood, and nature, an ode to family, friends, and the brothers’ musical inspirations. Their distinctive sound will inevitably make them one of the modern greats of house music.
The pair celebrated the release of A Deeper Life with a day party held in Manchester’s own Progress Centre on May 10th, alongside PARAMIDA, Amaliah, Bobby Scallop b2b Sharples, and Francesco Del Garda. A Deeper Life can be streamed online, and the duo will perform at Parklife Festival in Heaton Park on Saturday 14th June as part of their international album tour.
