- The Dublin-based artist Lerosa, AKA Leopoldo Rosa, takes a magpie's approach to production and DJing. He might be best known for low-slung deep house, but Rosa's catalog also takes in acid, electro and Metro Area-style disco. He even played the harmonica in a blues band before being pulled back into electronic music. In interviews, Rosa stresses how hip-hop and Jamaican dub have influenced his music. On his first 12-inch for Idle Hands, Rosa is at the peak of his genre-splicing powers.
Subcouture begins with the snappy and positive "Maryelen," a track that splits the difference between broken beat and wiggly acid. Though Rosa claims to lack instrumental expertise, an array of playful keyboard lines suggest otherwise. "Line Bass" hinges on the sort of swaggering bassline Omar-S has built his career on. "Scruffy" remains in a dusky FXHE-style zone, albeit in the sub-110 BPM range Rosa has explored before. Most of the track's personality comes from a bittersweet pad that creates a mood similar to the one on Linkwood's 2015 album, Expressions. "Subcouture" borders on a homage to Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus. Its stabs are treated with long delays and peppered with subdued Rhythm & Sound-esque toasting.
TracklistA1 Maryelen
A2 Line Bass
B1 Scruffy
B2 Subcouture