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12"
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AMAM 025-1EP
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Renato Figoli and Alessio Mereu have curated a remix package from top producers to contextualize the deep, aquatic qualities of some of the tracks off of Figoli's Funkoholic (AMAM 025CD). Sascha Dive plunges into deeper vibes, accentuating the atmosphere without neglecting the driving rhythm, summoning mermaid ghosts in its wake. Christopher Rau shifts the once-smooth "...Anymore" into a swirl of uppity energy, subverting the spoken-word vocals of Neville Attree into a mere whisper amongst myriad other interplaying elements.
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12"
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AMAM 025-2EP
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For the second part of Renato Figoli's Funkoholic (AMAM 025CD) remix series, LoSoul takes the downbeat dub-techno-jazz of "Underpool" and turns it into an anthemic deep house number that's 12 minutes long and 20,000 leagues under the sea, yet full of bounce. Finally, Ed Davenport takes "...Anymore" and gives it an entirely different edge -- a naval onslaught of crashing, jacking breakbeats, while sonar frequencies gently circle outward like the sirens' call, rounding out the Funkoholic Remixes voyage.
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CD
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AMAM 025CD
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AMAM presents an album by Sardinian producer Renato Figoli. Figoli has been drifting on and off the electronic radar since a flurry of releases on Lo Fi Stereo, Gumption, and Trapez launched him into prominence. During this timeframe, he also linked up with a teenage Alessio Mereu who, under Renato's guidance, learned the ins and outs of production with Logic. Now that Alessio's label AMAM has built up an international audience over the past few years, it seemed the perfect home for Renato's new full-length record, his first since 2008. Funkoholic closes the loop in a musical sense, merging deep techno, funk, dub, jazz and ambient in a truly idiosyncratic manner. The album consists of nine tracks, each linked by elegantly-crafted ambient transitions that leave the listener in a state of suspended animation. This constant alternation between inner space and outer space is one of the album's defining features, balancing style and content in equal measures. It also allows Renato to patiently strip down his arrangements. His music has always sung in a language of its own: the chord progressions, fat, rolling bass lines and quirky rhythms instantly recognizable to anyone acquainted with his sound. Here, though, he takes the formula one step further, inviting jazz guitarist Carlo Ditta and trumpeter Mario Massa to add their virtuosity to the proceedings. In fact, their classy improvisations dominate the opening section of the album, adding an additional dimension to the epic soundscapes of "Underpool" and the raw, shuffling title-track, while Neville Attree's commentary on the double-edged nature of obsession lends "...Anymore" a dark, brooding energy. "And Again" is a fine example of how peripheral elements from one track can slowly move to the foreground to become the central focus of the next, while "Buck a Guy" returns to classic Figoli territory, turning the screw with a twisting acid loop. "Call One" slows things down to a deep, throbbing groove, again utilizing Ditta's deft fingerwork in a spontaneous merging of minds. "Super Lemon Vapor" dives even deeper into the subconscious with tripped-out metallic FX. This all sets the scene for one final push as the twin forces of "Morning" and "Night Express" up the tempo in a powerful burst of cyclic energy. When Renato's at the controls, the crowd will be out of their seats and dancing in the aisles.
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12"
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TRAPEZ 068EP
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Renato Figoli from Sardinia is up for some fine minimal techno -- cool and at the same time kicking. Renato can steer the engine of techno in virtually every direction without loosing dynamic, fearing nothing and never risking too much. Renato loves the bass and that always makes the track, although he also loves the long noisy breaks. With this release, we witness both Renato's strong bass and his extreme breaks. The A-side is stripped down in a Chicago fashion, whereas the flipside is more up-tempo and techno. BMW luxury car spirits going wild!
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12"
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GUMP 004EP
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"Long before he began dabbling in electronic music, Renato Figoli fought his way to the title of Sardinian Fencing champion dispatching opponents at will, through a combination of dead-eye accuracy and razor sharp reflexes. Those same precision movements are on display again in his latest offering, Serotonin Smile. Deeper and darker than last November's bombs Ocho al Puma and E'arrivato L'arrotino, Serotonin Smile plays a seductive game of cat and mouse with the dance floor, patiently building from the first booming kick drum to its awesome conclusion, unleashing wave after wave of infectious bleeps, beats and basslines in the process. Subtle distortion FX and perfectly crafted delays add further dimensions to a unique track that will turn up the heat this summer. Over on the flip side, Gumption welcomes Mathias Schaffhäuser as its first special guest remixer, and the man behind Ware Records is on top form, adding some Colognial swing and reworking the track into a real burner. Whereas the original unfolds slowly, the remix not only hits the floor running but is jam packed with intricate new rhythms, dirty analogue basses and a long twisted breakdown that's worth the entrance fee alone."
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12"
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GUMP 001EP
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"For Gumption 001, Renato is operating left of centre, somewhere between the realms of house and techno. Taking the best of both worlds, he cooks up a real storm through a skillful combination of patient build-ups, funky rolling basslines, splintered percussion loops and dramatic breakdowns. Out of a long, snaking intro the 'Ocho La Puma' suddenly takes off with an urgent, driving bassline followed by a hypnotic synth riff that twists and turns before slowly morphing into a cavernous breakdown of epic proportions. 'E'arrivato L'arrotino' (The Knives Arrive) is equally twisted and infectious. Renato is on top form with his first two Gumption trax, moving away from the more thoughtful, minimal grooves he's been producing for LoFi into peak time territory."
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12"
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LOFI 032EP
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"Two slabs of sublime 'soulful minimalism' from a totally unexpected source, but I suppose that's the beauty of this kind of music and just goes to enhance its global appeal. Renato has been sending us 'small frisbees from Sardinia' (as he puts it), for the last few months, leaving us with the difficult task of deciding which to release first -- a nice problem to have. First up -- 'Tanto Quanto' taps right into the subconscious, creating a surreal soundscape that's punctuated with fractured Latin rhythms and quirky laptopped sounds in a slight Monne Automne style. Distant filtered chords and a thumping kick hold the track together as the arrangement drifts through several different moods. It's a fantastic track in it's own right but works equally well as a mixing tool. 'Oftalmic' on the other hand is reminiscent of earlier, soulful Underground Resistance or Global Communication releases. Sparse, jerky rhythms and hesitant melodies slowly gel together, building over a full 8 minutes to arousing climax complete with pounding bass and rocking percussion."
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