- Spaghetti Western or slasher film? This new EP on Binh's label might bring both to mind.
- Between DJ'ing at venues like Hoppetosse and The Lion & Lamb and running several labels (Imprints, Amazing Stories, Elma Rivaga and Metropolita), Riccardo still finds time for a steady stream of new productions. Even so, it was a surprise when the Italian producer dropped five new albums on Bandcamp last June, running the gamut from bedroom electronica to certified bangers. This tonal range, however, has gotten him in trouble before. Mark Smith described Riccardo's meanderings away from the club as potentially alienating, needing the right DJ to reign in "treacherous journeys without clear destinations." Riccardo's new EP, Focus On Your Mind, proves he can split the difference, offering exploratory tracks that can make any dance floor go.
Where "Forghetheworld" has an impressive arpeggiated synth and Mortal Kombat-esque vocal samples, the B-side is the money maker. Both tracks are cinematic, but conjure different types of films. The reverb-doused bassline and minor chords that open "Cyclelife" suggest a slasher, but electro drum-programming with hints of '80s hair metal suggest you've made it to the closing montage. "Perception" is techno for a Spaghetti Western—the drums sound like the click of cowboy spurs coming into town. By the time the claps and synth arrive, the track hits high noon and it's all guns blazing.
トラックリストA1 Forghetheworld
B1 Cyclelife
B2 Perception