Lerosa: Killester
A Touch of Class
Similar to Design, Leopoldo Rosa's previous LeRosa 12-inch on A Touch of Class, Killester offers a warm, organic vibe in its fusion of electronic and acoustic sounds. In the new EP's four tracks, the Dublin-based Italian producer adopts a somewhat sparse and rough-edged style that's dramatically different from the sleek polish that characterizes the output of many other producers.
The emphasis in the opener “Dark Knight” is primarily groove, specifically mid-tempo, syncopated rhythms that Rosa imbues with Latin flavour by adding congas. He ornaments the pulse with a rich array of sounds—handclaps, Rhodes accents, synth spatter—and grounds it all with an ostinato synth bass figure. “Demon” slows the pace to a slinkier BPM, all the better to soak in its seductive atmosphere. The focus here is more the rich enveloping melodic weave that Rosa creates from jazzy Rhodes noodling and shimmering synth chords. The considerably more driving “Contamination” is a snappy, almost spasmodic jam built from voice croaks, ringing cymbal patterns, and the jittery punctuation of staccato piano chords and snares. Though “Blinkerskate Her” returns the release to a slower, seductive zone, the closing track's persona is now as much dub-inflected as it is house-based: beats lurch and echoing stabs flare while acidy synth melodies rise to the surface.March 2008