Roberto Rodriguez beguiles with another high-quality release of deep, sultry house

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Artist: Roberto Rodriguez
Title: Broken/Be Yourself
Label: Swedish Brandy Productions
Release Date: Out Now!
Genre: Deep House

Finnish veteran Roberto Rodriguez has released some compulsive deep cuts on labels such as FINA, Freerange and Compost over the years. Here he appears on the Stockholm-based imprint Swedish Brandy Productions for another high-quality release of deep, sultry house.

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The EP opens with the crisp snappy percussion and busy sub-bass of ‘Be Yourself’. The track rides along with thick squelching stabs and a catchy female vocal refrain providing ample dancefloor ammunition. Half way through there is a smartly programmed break, which strips the track back to an insistent cowbell pattern before launching back into the groove. This is neatly produced, modern house with a plenty of twists and turns to keep the listener engaged.

‘Broken’ comes next, a bumping garage house cut full of swirling deep-phased chords and clever vocal cut-ups. Soulful and solid the cut features some gloriously psychedelic, rising arpeggios and the unique deep sound which has helped Roberto Rodriguez establish a fine reputation for sophisticated and futuristic house. This one is definitely going in the box.

Berger and Young deliver a deeper remix on the flip, taking ‘Broken’ into even housier territory. They neatly loop up the original vocal and thread the track through a whole series of jazz chord changes. At times the track seems a little self-indulgent but the rising strings and shimmering pianos envelop the track in a lazy summer vibe that will prove perfect for terraces and deeper floors.

House aficionados who delve into deeper musical waters will no doubt lap this release up. ‘Broken’ is the pick for me with the subtle garage nods, phasing chords and sharp production skills keeping it fresh for the floor.


About the Author

Record collector, music maker and spurs fanatic Geraint Rees has been involved in DJing and club promotion for well over a decade. He is currently a promoter and DJ for the four:four project, a Manchester collective who organise club events that support a range of worthwhile charities and promote high quality music. Over the last few years he has produced techno as Acitone for labels such as Stripped and Hype Music. In his free time, he is found regularly inhabiting a dark box like hole known as ‘the studio’ and trying to rear his band of unruly cats.