- Must Have Records boss Jay Simon is a true believer. The Atlanta, Georgia, producer and DJ advocates a soulful, analog house sound that never really goes out of style, but is just as easily ignored. Simon has only dropped three records, which is less than one for each year of his label's existence, but for proof of his A&R skills you need only look back to Seven Davis Jr.'s One EP, an underground vocal house smash that launched his career. Though Simon seems unfussed with maintaining momentum, he keeps the quality up with Renato P's Untitled, introducing another unknown producer with a remarkably assured debut.
Though the EP's six tracks vary in style, its preferred zone is relaxed boogie-house that's perfect for driving or warming up a dance floor. Renato's diminished jazz chords have a wistful, nostalgic feel and his low-slung drums spur involuntary head nodding. But there's plenty of music like that—a lack of polish is what keeps this 12-inch interesting. "Response" pulls the listener in with a mellow, eight-chord progression and Renato's strong left hand. He improvises on fat Moog bass, works in subtle breakbeats and vocal samples and then strips it all back for an ethereal resolution. It sounds like a live jam in the best way.
While most of the cuts emphasize Renato's keyboard skills, "Fireworks" is a restrained house burner in the vein of Moomin's "Time Circle" or the eternal "Deep Burnt." Closer "Yes I Do"'s hip-hop beat reveals the producer as a Dilla apostle, as he works in blocky MPC drum programming, Rhodes and a pitched-down Brazilian sample. Untitled brings Renato into a wave of young producers—K15, Jay Daniel, Budgie—who make breezy, boogie-inflected house sound effortless, even though it's probably the result of endless hours in the studio.
TracklistA1 Havin' Fun Again
A2 Response
A3 Change The Mood
B1 Fireworks
B2 Lookin' 4 Jazz
B3 Yes I Do