Music Reviews

Track of the Moment: Ray Okpara’s “Gipsy”

Darren Ressler Leave a Comment

Ray Okpara Gipsy EP

Globetrotting German mixmaster Ray Okpara, who helms AMA Recordings and has recorded and remixed tracks for Anja Schneider’s Mobilee Records, Nick Curly’s 8Bit and Get Physical, has outdone himself on his three-track Gipsy EP, a release which serves as his debut on Nic Fancuilli’s Saved Records.

The refreshingly inventive title track is founded on a wicked groove accented by jangly guitar chords that meander in and out of the mix. After building momentum, “Gipsy” unfolds into a boiling-hot houser that simmers on its own, thankfully without the use of a clichéd breakdown.

But there’s more! With its pitched-down vocal samples (“oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!“) — is this a tip of the hat to Yello’s classic “Oh Yeah”? —  Okpara takes “Atlixco” into a deeper, somewhat darker direction, while “Buster,” a sinewy vocal 4/4 number, wields a massive kick drum that takes no prisoners.

If you’re one who thinks outside the musical box on the dance floor, you’ve just discovered your next DJ hero.

Ray Okpara’s Gipsy EP is released September 1 on Saved Records.

Track of the Moment: Roach Motel’s “Wild Luv” (Remixes)

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roach-motel-wild-luv-get-physical

Twenty years after Farley & Heller paid homage to DJ Pierre, Wild Pitch and the sound that emanated out of the New York/New Jersey area in the early ’90s with Roach Motel’s “Wild Luv,” the club anthem has come full circle with a triumphant re-release on Get Physical.

Already something of a summer anthem, John Aquaviva & Olivier Giacomotto’s remix keeps the drama level high with a driving 4/4 groove and strings that won’t stop ’til they get enough.

On his solo mix Giacomotto adds plenty of dramatic breakdowns and growling vocals. George Morel strips it all down to a kick and hi hat, building the track from its signature line “Wild Pitch, I think I love you but I wanna know for sure.”

For those looking to get their hands on the original mix, fear not because it’s available once again in all of its glory.

Track of the moment!

Review: Digitaria – ‘Night Falls Again’ (Hot Creations)

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digitaria-night-falls-again-hot-creations

★★★★☆

Formed originally as a quartet a decade ago, Brazil-based duo Digitaria — Daniela Caldellas and Daniel Albinati — present their third album, Night Falls Again, at a moment when there’s an appetite for dance-oriented songs that don’t appeal to the lowest common denominator.

In the same way that The Daou took dance-pop to a heady new level in the ’90s, Digitaria have honed their own evolving signature, though arguably without the eroticism engrained in much of the aforementioned twosome’s body of work.

Producing music for a multi-tasking, multi-screen generation, Digitaria know how to get your attention. Vocals are one of the most notable weapons in their musical arsenal: Caldellas’ voice is subtle and engaging without ever becoming too overpowering (“White Desert,” “Golden Leaves”), while Albinati uses his to take the party to the next level and add context (“1000 Friends”). And when it’s time to get down and dirty, “Shopping Centre Soundtrack” tips its hat to the influential sounds of Chicago and Detroit without getting too caught up in history.

Along their musical journey, Caldellas and Albinati get by with a little help from their friends on Night Falls Again: Clarian North fronts the infectious “Favourite Addiction”; Leeds-based producer and Hot Creations label mate Denney joins for the sexy, synth-tastic gem “Love Feeling,” and Argentinia’s Shall Ocin, of Ellum Audio, is featured on “Control.”

With an album that ticks all of the boxes without sacrificing its integrity, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to say Digitaria are poised for even greater things.

Track of the Moment: Robert Babicz’s ‘Rave Angel’ EP (Bedrock)

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Robert Babicz Rave Angel Bedrock

A dance floor journeyman whose work dates back to producing acid tracks in the ’90s, Cologne-based DJ/producer Robert Babicz has steadfastly blazed new trails in the realm of techno in recent years. Wielding a signature ranging from deep and minimal to tech-house, Babicz’s latest and greatest for Bedrock confirms his ascent to the top run of his chose genre’s ladder.

“Rave Angel” gets the party started right with a no-holds-barred assault of clanging hi-hats and a kick drum from heaven (or hell). This bad-ass, full-on assault is tailor-made for big rooms and festivals alike.

Babicz rounds out his EP with another sweat-inducing floor burner, “Wonderland,” crafted albeit in a housier mindset. He smoothly changes gears on the stripped down “Shifting Reality,” a comedown track featuring horns and piano melodies played over an effervescent soundscape, bringing to mind the majesty of The Beloved and its Balearic ilk.

A brilliantly well-rounded release, this is an EP you shouldn’t sleep on.