Lerosa - Amanatto

Uzuri

Leopoldo Rosa returns on Uzuri with a milestone release for both producer and label as he drops his first widely available full length release. Much of the pre-release chatter has focused on Leo’s utilisation of the dulcet tones of The Oliverwho Factory who ended up sharing song-writing credits on the three tracks in question. In keeping with his production style, anybody expecting bombastic house vocals from yesteryear will be sorely disappointed as subtlety is the order of the day. Eschewing the temptation to veer away from the club and into the home or the streets on this LP, the nine tracks here are dancefloor orientated and very much in keeping with the Dublin-based Italian’s recent output.

‘In My Mind’ is a rollicking opener which has Shonie C’s lead vocal underpinned with an immutable arpeggiated bassline and is punctuated with a scattering of chopped vocal samples. A jacking drum beat drives ‘Substitute’ and is given some sonic oomph with a heavy funk bassline that interplays with a persistent melancholic piano line. ‘You Said Forever’ continues the lugubrious vibe and is the most Drexciyan of the cuts on display; a direction Leo dabbled in on his outrageously limited-edition, cassette-only ‘Dual Nature’ album.

‘Ordinary People’ & ‘Horizons’ feature Darryl & Shonie’s overlain vocals and both ooze Chicago with the latter on a more mellow tip than the exuberance of the former. ‘Hope’ meanwhile channels the spirit of Detroit whilst closer ‘Reflections’ brings the tempo right down with a slow-disco beat and a sonorous, rumbling sub-bass that provides a late highlight and some creaking speakers.

‘Amanatto’ is another solid, if not spectacular addition to what is a solid, if not spectacular label. Leo hasn’t tried to startle with a new musical direction and his production is highly tuned to the point of recognition; an admirable trait in a multitudinous field. The album reads as a cohesive piece with barely a hint of languor and it flagrantly conveys the producer’s well-versed knowledge of house, electro & techno. The record’s analogue glow is heightened by the welcome addition of vocals on the album’s stronger tracks that hints at future collaborations. It’s a captivating release that, to borrow the name of an Uzuri label-mate, revels in its slowburn ideology. This album won’t break new ground but it’s difficult not to marvel at the authenticity on show. Who said spectacular is always better anyway?

Paul Fanning