Madrid’s Fran Zaragoza gets the nod for the latest release on the Depaart label and boy does he come up with the goods. After years of running his own parties, holding down various residencies and relaxing on lots of top labels, he has a fine collection of tools and an even better collection of ideas, as this EP proves. This release opens up with the grandly titled The King Stay The King, and is a spiritual bit of house music with lots of patient build up, some spacey atmospheres and carefully crafted melodies and synths that are truly artful and musical. The track really transports you somewhere and keeps your attention locked. Smeed is then even more stripped back, deeper and more patient. It has chilly chords and depth charged sonar sounds that really sooth mind, body and soul. It’s a fine track to drop right at the high point of your set and the dub diamond mix ups the spiritual, melodic ante by layering in even more rippling, spine tingling melodies. Overall this EP proves Zaragoza has a rare knack for melody and serve groove making that makes him a classy producer indeed.
4 out of 5
Reviewed by Ian Fleming
{http://soundcloud.com/depaart/01-fran-zaragoza-the-king-stay}
