- Among the dozens of little-known Romanian producers who put out records each year, a few always stand out. In late 2016 it was Sublee, who dazzled with an intergalactic brand of tech house. Before him it was Melodie, who blended classic deep house with artful restraint. Cosmin Grigoriu, who producers as Diferit, is the latest to strike from obscurity with a killer EP.
Ways To Dream, Diferit's second vinyl release, is all about the ten-minute A-side, "Dreamscapes." Played by Raresh, Barac and plenty of others in that league, it finds a perfect balance between colour and groove, packed with melodic details—synth squiggles, what sounds like a detuned flute—that squirm above the heaving low-end. When the extended breakdown hits, the mood goes from blissful to teary. "Timepiece" and "Dust" are less poignant but similarly detailed. Built around ticking high-end sounds and faint melody lines, the former is percussive with plenty of clicks and whistles. "Dust" is deeper and more abstract, with unfussy keys and that fat, crunchy clap so often heard in minimal tracks. Ways To Dream is an EP that doesn't sacrifice groove for emotion.
TracklistA1 Dreamscapes
B1 Timepiece
B2 Dust