Croatian disco DJ/producer Ilija Rudman first appeared on my radar back in early 2007 with the After Midnight EP on Love Is War. Its killer cut bore a distinctly different lean than many records at the time, sounding like a mix between Steve Kotey’s Bear Funk productions and LFO’s rather exceptional electro. By this time he’d been kicking around for a number of years, releasing tracks on his own Red Music as early as 2003. Since then Rudman has slowly risen through the ranks, courting remixes from the likes of Pete Herbert, The Revenge and Mark E over the years. The original “Call Me Tonight,” which dropped in February, was a sharp turn for the boogie — all slapped bass, cowbells and 808 drums. Here, however, he teams passes this joint to a few of his old friends for a workout.
the revenge
Ryo Murakami, Just For This
February 1, 2010 – 11:01 PM
Since Steve Bug first discovered him in 2007, Ryo Murakami has been busy giving Japan’s techno scene a good name. Following close on the heels of his deep and dubby Lost It EP, the producer has delivered yet another aural treat from Tokyo. Rarely do house singles have the coherence and consistency found on this release. Put simply, this is just good stuff. The three tracks fit together like the matching pieces of a china set: the slow and sultry title track is the bulbous tea pot, steeping some seriously deep house grooves; the remix is the flare-rimmed teacup, delicately endowed with fresh organic drums; “Untitled” is the wide-mouthed sugar dish, full of party sweets. Each piece earns its distinctive place in the set.