Review: Although he made his name with some genuinely boisterous and noisy workouts during the "electro-house" years, Riva Starr has recently become an advocate for effortlessly funky, disco-sampling gems - as well as cuts that are far more soulful and sensuous than his early works. 'How It Feels', his latest missive on Defected offshoot Glitterbox, sounds like an anthem in the making - a stomping treat that wraps swirling organ motifs, sampled 1960s soul vocals, clipped guitar licks and pots-and-pans percussion around tough house beats and the funkiest bassline known to humanity. Chances are you've already heard it a festival this summer, but if not, you surely soon will. This edition of the EP boasts the original mix and the arguably superior 'Extended Mix'.
Review: Riva Starr and Mark Broom are both huge names in their respective scenes, but put them together and they've got real Star potential. Star B potential that is, the name of their collaborative project which debuted in 2020 returns with an incendiary fusion of house, disco and techno! Pumping up two recognisable dance classics for today's Ibiza inspired dancefloor - "Fire" looks to early-2000s Hed Kandi compilation gold, with "Gotta Have You" full of '70s disco flex and modern day techno heat. Hi-hats for days.
Review: Although he still makes occasional outings on larger independent labels - think Hot Creations, Crosstown Rebels, Dirtybird and Defected's DFTD offshoot - Riva Starr saves most of his most colossal cuts for the Snatch label he set up at the dawn of the last decade. Predictably, the two tracks showcased on his latest single for his label are typically big, bold and peak-time ready. He hits the ground running with 'Find Your Strenth in the Sound', where tight acid lines, horn samples and warehouse-ready riffs ride a deep, booming bassline and tough-as-teak drums. He moves further towards a revivalist, Derrick Carter-friendly "boompty" house sound on 'I Want You To', a deeper and hazier but no less weighty early morning workout that comes complete with impassioned spoken word snippets and restless percussion fills.
Review: Italian house producer Riva Starr arrived towards the end of the fidget boom and has been slaying dancefloors ever since. He's not been afraid to tackle different styles too and this bravado has captured the attention of Defected how have signed him up for this latest three tracker. "Raw Feel" is very much that - a low-slung, raw, vintage groove with hypnotic vocals (can you guess the classic sample?). Elsewhere the title track recalls Groove Armada at their moodiest and finally "Body Movin" is all about rolling, almost tribal, funky house fun.
Review: Back in 2020, Stefano Miele (better known for his productions as Riva Starr) joined forces with UK techno veteran Mark Broom as Star B, serving up a celebratory chunk of string-laden disco-techno on Snatch (the excitable and energetic 'Gotta Have You'. They explore similar funk-fuelled, disco-tech territory on this belated sequel for Radio Slave's Rekids imprint. Full to bursting with scintillating stabs crafted from disco samples, thumping beats, sampled party atmos, hazy spoken word snippets and restless walking bass, 'Love Will Remain' sounds like a retro-futurist peak-time anthem in the making. They flip the script on 'I've Got Joy', peppering a sweat-soaked, bottom-heavy groove with effects-laden female vocal samples and nagging organ stabs.
Review: More party techno from Italian A.M. specialist Riva Starr, who takes time out from his respected Snatch! Records for a top release on Damian Lazarus' esteemed imprint. The rolling main room people mover "Afrika" kicks things off in fine fashion. This bass heavy exercise reaches near tribal moments with its syncopated rhythmic grooves. He returns to the sound that made him popular in London (his hometown these days) in the mid noughties on the druggy afterhours minimal of "Eurovoodoo" channelling the vibe of those early m_nus records - but with some spooky witch doctor vocals atop. Finally on the flip, get ready for some spiritual life music that's probably aimed more at an African raindance rather than sun kissed White Isle hedonism that he's most usually affiliated with on "El Sonido". However, we are pretty sure it would equally go down well at Lazarus' regular appearances in Tulum and the Black Rock Desert.
Review: Since his first productions, which surfaced in 2007, Italy's Riva Starr (otherwise known under his Christian name of Stefano Miele) has climbed up the success ladder thanks to a collection of commercially successful EPs for the likes of Claude Von Stroke's Dirtybird, 100% Pure and Southern Fried Records. It was only a matter of time before he's pop up on Jamie Jones' Hot Creations label, an outlet reserved strictly for the more club-minded house productions out there. His debut for the label comes in the form of a three-tracker: first we have his own original mix of "Fallin' On You", a driving deep house belter surrounded by low toms and expertly placed vocals, and the techno servings come from Starr's compatriot Davide Squillace who drops a dash of LFO and some nastier percussion to the framework. Last but not least, legend DJ Pierre remixes "Acid Train" into a pulsating drum machine flex with bubbling 303 sequences and seductive vocal shots. Bang!
Review: Riva Starr's back everyone: look out! Our favourite Italian tech house prankster appears again on Jamie Jones and Lee Foss' esteemed Hot Creations imprint and it's tech house that's as punchy and as funky as you like it. "Dippina Side" is the kind of rolling main room groove for hedonists that'd make a Gruuv or Saved record pale in comparison. The remix by Neapolitan techno hero Joseph Capriati isn't as ferocious as you'd think, but definitely tougher with some big druggy breakdowns. Finally "Owls & Toucans (feat Haiku 575)" features some sexy and exotic Latin flair with those steel drums but then that adrenalised bump and shuffle comes rushing in complete with wacky synth lead and pitch shifted vocals; all the good stuff!
Review: Turning in a fresh slice of funk for the 2020-21 turn over period is Riva Star in collaboration with London-based singer Gavin Holligan. With Riva Starr adding a small cut up technique to the bebop skat style hats of Holligan's jazz style, flashed of strings dance with filtered house synths and a skipping groove in the disco entwined "Scat Dub". Moving on, a set of percussion pieces give a tropical vibe to the beefy drums and rollicking country, soul and western dance tip of "If I Could Only Be Sure (club mix)" - think Django Unchained deep in the club. Yee-haw!
Review: Genghis Clan is another alias of the mighty Riva Starr who after releases for Dirtybird, Simma Black and This Ain't Bristol in the past is back on his very own Snatch! label here. He delivers two brand new cuts on this one: "I Am Brotherhood" is an expansive jam featuring one seriously bombastic bass and steely rhythms, supported by an enlightened vocal mantra. Second offering "Outta Control' is equally large but more minimalist but with a tough, boompty swagger throughout that's suitable for the warm-up or afterhours alike.
Review: Snatch! is Riva Starr's first label project and the aim behind it is to push new talents and well established forward thinking producers. Expect slamming fresh house cuts from some of the most exciting talent in the scene. For its 89th edition, he presents a collaboration with Spanish tech house hero and Chicago deep house legend Gene Farris on the druggy and rolling mani room tech house of "Play" which absolutely reeks of White Isle hedonism this Summer. Second offering "A Jem Be" is much more deep and rhythmic with its sexy latin influence that is perfect to the set the mood early on the terrace on a Sunday afternoon before launching into the harder stuff.
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