- There's been many a passionate discussion on RA these past 12 months, but none has stirred up more debate than the outbreak of early '90s house revivalism that reared its head in 2012. Some enjoy it for what it is, others order you to sod off and buy some old Strictly records instead. Music—from Peggy Lee to Amy Winehouse, Prince Buster to The Specials—has always come in cycles, hasn't it? It's merely a generational thing.
Cardiff's Cayne Ramos—in The Organ Grinder guise—has been around long enough to know this, as does Gerd. The Dutchman dropped The Organ Grinder's 2011 breakthrough track "Obsession" in his set at Panorama Bar back in September; having snapped up Ramos for 4lux, that same early 90s mood pervades much of the music here.
"Smiley Face" grafts squeaky, ravey keys to a brief, jabbing vocal sample and underpins it with thigh-slapping toms before "Project" dials back the mood with windswept synths, sparkly hi-hats and Jessy Allen's sweet, Duffy-like warble. "Universe" is a pumping, old school serving of stabbing analogue keys, cheesy/cheeky vocal sample and snappy garagey snares, while "Heaven" is firmly in the Bicep school of soulful vocal sample meets yawning swells meets hammering bass synths.
Tracklist A1 Smiley Face
A2 Project feat. Jessy Allen
B1 Universe
B2 Heaven