Purveyors of masterfully-crafted rhythms, old-school influenced house grooves, sick synth lines and romantic deep house, ROAR is a Marseille-based duo we’re quietly confident you’ll be hearing more from soon. Constantly on the hunt for new and often out-there sounds, theirs is a way of working that’s beginning to find favour aplenty among discerning house music heads. Their latest comes at us from France’s Work in Progress label, an imprint that naturally shares a similar ethos to the boys and one that displays the production dexterity with considerable nous. With the EP just dropping, we felt it a good time to ask the guys about their favourite Back TO Mine tracks. Here’s what they went for…
The Beatles – Within You Without You – Parlophone
This track has something special, something mystic, tribal, and is perfect for letting down the pressure of the night and getting some strength to rise up again. A masterpiece of world music (Indian in this case), it’s also mixed with British pop capabilities, the likes of which we often try to replicate in our own productions and mixes.
Shcaa – What Goes On – Sharingtones
Minimalist … jazzy … jerky rhythms. This one makes us want to sip an ice whiskey during a winter evening next to a fireplace and let this track loop. We love it!
Michael Forzza – Kahana – Ghoststyle
This hypnotic track works well after all these years and still sounds warm and analogue-heavy. Focused on dancefloor ryhthms, it’s not really typical of what we play but a great track that we still pull out sometimes.
DJ Koze – Nices Wölkchen feat. Apparat – Pampa Records
What a journey ! There is absolutely nothing more to say about this masterpiece, everything is there! There is nothing more to do but just close your eyes and let yourself be carried away.
Gil Scott-Heron – The Klan – Moonstew
We love so much the groove from the entire band here. A track made to bind people together and one that’s perfect to share with friends after a long and good party.
Ricardo Villalobos – Morephunk – For Disco Only 485 U
You have to include the master in a list like this! For us, ‘Morephunk’ represents the universe which tells the revelry of epoch in the forests.
Flavien Berger – La Fête Noire – Pan
Lovely France! This track gives an impression of old/new and is a real breath of fresh air, with its fairy atmosphere and a strong drive carried by a rapid bass line that makes you smile no matter where.
Treplec – Herr Jeminee – Milnormoderm
Treplec is the essence of German electronic music. “Her Jeminee” is for us, a cinematic sequence that reminds us of these old sophisticated detective movies of the 30s both confusing and sensual. Treplec is a true artist.
Talking Heads – Crosseyed and Painless – Sire
A gorgeous type of groove. Talking Heads with Brian Eno as the Sound Engineer. A big source of inspiration.
Hubble – Shadows – Archipel
A mix of world music accompanied by a slow and hypnotic electronic base is all we love. Very smooth without hurry in the length… What a trip!
ROAR’s Les Rodeurs EP is out soon via Work in Progress. Buy/listen to the release:
https://www.juno.co.uk/labels/Work+In+Progress
Be sure to keep up with ROAR on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/roartracks/