Review: Fresh from a fine solo EP on LYAM and a split release with Nephews on Ravenelli Disco Club, Retromigration appears in wewillalwaysbealovesong for the very first time. Predictably, it sees the Dutch producer continue his hot streak of form via two undeniably tasty cuts: the hypnotic, rolling, woozy and subtly soul-flecked late-night deep house gorgeousness of 'Secret of a Pimp' and the jauntier, jazz-funk-flecked peak-time bump of 'Flying Lotus', where jammed out electric piano solos, hip-hop vocal samples and organic instrumentation catch the ear. That track is turned into a dubbed-out, slow-motion Balearic house-goes-Beatdown treat by remixer Franc Spangler, while Freerange records co-founder Jimpster provides a slicker, more polished and defiantly bass-heavy deep house tweak of 'Secret of a Pimp'.
Review: On the label's 11th release, the reliable Ravenelli Disco Club stable has offered-up a double header featuring a track apiece (with accompanying remixes) from rising stars Retromigration and Nephews. The former steps up first with 'Jeffa', a deliciously loose, languid and summery chunk of jazz/deep house fusion in which warming, chunky, club-ready grooves come peppered with snaking sax, fluid pianos and colourful jazz-funk synth sounds. Ron Basejam (AKA Crazy P's Jim Baron) serves up a sparkly, slap-bass-sporting take on the same track that drags it firmly into 'organic nu-disco' territory. Nephews' 'Reingalaxed', meanwhile, is a dustier and woozier chunk of jazz-fired deep house loveliness, which Razor N Tape co-founder JKriv then turns into an even dubbier and hazier chunk of peak-time Latin house deepness.
Review: Fresh from the release of two tip-top 12" singles on Handy Records and Wolf Music, Malik Kassim brings his trademark Retromigration sound to the freshly minted LYAM label. Typically warm, woozy, bass-heavy and with plenty of musical details - think Ron Trent, with a dash of the Burrell Brothers and the Detroit deep house swing of Andres - all four cuts are superb examples of the Dutch producer's approach to dancefloor dynamics. Highlights include the laidback, club-ready bump of 'Heat it Up', where undulating acid lines and synth-sax catch the ear; the shuffling, broken house sparkle of 'You Want That' (a genuinely sumptuous late-night delight smothered in spacey synth solos); and the mid-tempo, jazz-funk style title track, where loose-limbed live instrumentation and emotive solos come to the fore.
Review: Malik Kassim has yet to receive many plaudits for his productions, despite so far releasing a string of impressive EPs for the likes of Handy and Wolf Music. Hopefully he'll get more props for his latest outing as Retromigration, which sees Kassim showcase his trademark take on U.S style deep house and J Dilla style instrumental hip-hop. Check first the echoing strings, synth chords and twinkling pianos of deep and steppin' house jam 'Hafenluft', before admiring the swirling deep house jazz of 'Mad Fox' and the more driving but similarly jazzy 'Tinger'. Elsewhere, 'Be Alright' is a mid-tempo number that combines deep house elements with flashes of '80s synth funk, while 'Disk Yard' and 'Nur Weir' are dusty, stoner-friendly head-nodders.
Review: Amsterdam-based Malik Kassim has been recording as Retromigration for some time, though his breakthrough came last summer via a high-profile EP on Wolf Music. Here he appears on home city label Handy for the first time, bringing with him a quartet of quality cuts. The headline attraction is 'Versace Sheets', a wonderfully breezy and warming slab of jazzy deep house/broken beat fusion rich in hazy trumpet solos, sun-kissed musical flourishes and huggable grooves. Byron the Aquarius brilliantly reframes it as a languid, synth solo-laden deep house jam, before Kassim returns with the techno-tempo deep garage weight of 'Where's The Mula'. 'T.E.F' is an 'Apache'-break driven peak-time house roller, while 'Frontline High' delivers woozy, bass-heavy techno/deep house fusion with added Yorkshire bleeps and tactile chords.
Review: Amsterdam hotness Retromigration can do no wrong at the moment following a succession of sweet joints for Wolf Music, Ravanelli Disco Club, Healthy Scratch and GLBDOM. Here, for Brookland Jams, he hooks up with Cem Mo for a jazz inspired, broken beat house session where you can essentially hear the bubbles of the bar man filling up your tonic. With saxxy jazz leading the way through the title-track alongside subtle funk guitar riffs, fluttering rhodes and techy drums fills, "Le Gini"keeps on a similar tip for that extra dose only simmered down oh-so-slighlty for that balearic, piano-tipped lounge time vibe. And for that wildcard number, check out the slowed down broken beat and soul-jazz tip in "What Makes Me". A rebirth of cool.
