To be completely honest with you, I’ve not been digging deeper into the works of Bogota resident Felipe Gordon too much before I got hold of his new outing on Fluid Funk but thankfully I have-as it is an amazing EP with great remixes! The Colombian master has had an impressive release lineup on labels like Razor N Tape, Toy Tonics, Heist or Local Talk to date-and I still keep wondering how the guy has managed to not appear on my radar before. Shame on me.
Title track ‘Sincopa Liquida’ treats us to a carnival of soulful Rhodes stabs, jazz trumpet solos à la Saint-Germain and accordion-like groove, all infused with a subtle retro charm. ‘ Samplin’ N’ Slappin’ is treated to two contrasting reworks – the original leans on a syncopated swing, mangled vocals and strings, whilst Aroop Roy’s rework turns it into a more straightforward synth powered version which certainly will have its fans.
Flip sides to the deeper ‘Obtuso’, a vibrant throwback to Chicago house heyday, its rough shuffling rhythm and muscular bass beautifully contrasting with the brittleness of crystalline piano chords and trumpet echoes out into a smoky jazz-club backroom. The lush and dreamy ‘Evolving Textures’ heads in a more luminous, light-hearted direction, where bouncy piano chords dance along with discreet slap-bass riffs, as
Kai Alcé reworks the track into a more physical straight House Music direction. The NDATL honcho skillfully preserves the original’s weightless elegance, whilst breathing even more floor-ready character into the final cut.
Verdict: This is House Music with a funky twist, how we loved it back in the days-and still do.
HOUSE
4 out of 5
Reviewed by MANNIX