More quality gear from Retromigration following his excellent album release from earlier this year, the Dead Tech EP delivers four finely-wrought, soulish/jazzy house cuts along with a distinctly un-house, gorgeous slow-paced piano and sax soul-jazz excursion for the title track. The jazz feel is present through much of the EP, Retromigration’s particular talent being the ability to mix and meld jazz and deep house without it, to be frank, sounding shit.
EP opener “BO” is a laid back deep house jam with fuzzy Rhodes keys, crispy beats, blurred vocal samples and a hazy, jazzy flute breakdown, while “Lapras” is a similar affair at a slightly higher tempo, both of them highly serviceable dance floor equipment. “Half Pure” is has a bit more heft to it and a little more syncopation in the rhythms moving it slightly into more broken beat territory before it busts out a totally unexpected and very nicely executed downtempo trip hop coda. Da Poet’s “Half Pure” remix makes it a little more 4/4 and adds some finely chopped vocal samples while maintaining the jazz feel. Then there’s the aforementioned title track, made up of little more than keys, bass, beats and sax, a minimalist soul jazz after-hours track to perfectly round off a classy EP.
⚪️ Dead Tech Tracklisting
Retromigration: Dead Tech EP (Last Year At Marienbad / Digital / October 2023)
1. B.O (05:46)
2. Lapras (05:15)
3. Dead Tech (02:34)
4. Half Pure (05:21)
5. Half Pure (Da Poet Remix) (03:55)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement
This record was submitted as a promo.
⚪️ Previous Coverage
⚪️ Album Review: Retromigration brings jazz & house together on Straight Foxin’ (2023)
⚪️ Dos: Two Years of Aterral Records (2023)
⚪️ Jimpster turns in a pair of predictably great remixes of Retromigration’s “Secret of a Pimp” (2022)
⚪️ Amsterdam duo Makèz drop Holy Sun on Heist (2022)
5 Mag Issue 209
Out September 2023
SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #209 featuring Alinka, Laseech, Being, Marco Lenzi, the sordid story of the Goldman Sachs CEO’s DJ career and more. Help keep our vibe alive by becoming a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right away!
