House music frequently operates within its own microclimate, and arguably therein lays not only its beauty, but also the key to its longevity. And let's face it, in this dispiriting 24-hour rolling newsreel of a world in which we now live, that urge to be part of a secret society, that ability to escape to a better place, remains irresistible.

There are times when we still poke our head over the parapet to sniff the air in the wider music-verse, conscious that we have valuable knowledge to share. Every so often, a superstar looks our way for an injection of cultural je ne sais quoi and borrows the keys to the magic kingdom. And now and again, the whole kit and caboodle benefits from a bit of a shake-up.

Enter stage left Channel Tres.