You can set your watch by the quality releases originating from the crew at Cosmic Rhythm, which I think we’ve reviewed more than anyone else (and maybe everyone else) in the last few years. November marked the return of Michele Lamacchia in the garb of “Rhythm of Paradise” on the rigorously dope four track EP Open Your Mind.
Like all Cosmic Rhythm records, this is built by DJs, for DJ, and that’s not exactly a description you take for granted these days. The four tracks here each serve a specific purpose, giving DJs a distinct flavor and moment in the context of a set when playing them would be most optimal. There’s a subtle art in these grooves, a wisdom that really only comes from playing 1000 sets and figuring it out by navigating disasters. It’s an art that some think is being lost but we have to admit that it’s an art that was never widely-known even in the best of times.
The title track has that floaty 808 State trill — you’ll know it when you hear it, and you’ll like it because it’s a sound that’s scientifically proven to elicit a reaction when played in dark rooms with strobing lights and good vibes. Lots of people try to pull off this vintage sound, often making tracks that sound like they were grown in a test tube or squeezed out of one like toothpaste. On “Open Your Mind” you don’t just hear the swing that comes from human hands working close to the metal, you can feel it.
“Think About” is one of those mid-set wonders that DJs hear and think “Maybe…” and wind up playing over and over again, a deep house workhorse. “Feel The Groove” is a slab of deep, jacking vibes, perfected by science and art as the perfect transition track, for moving from a slower BPM and quickening the pace and building the energy back up. The best track on Open Your Mind is simply called “Love,” and it’s a sleeper and secret weapon at once. Michele Lamacchia gives “Love” time and space to breathe — it takes two minutes to warm up and in that time you’ll breathe with it before it explodes in a lather of color and sound.
Just another month and another highly valued EP from an outfit dedicated to the preservation and proliferation of the groove.
Rhythm of Paradise: Open Your Mind (Cosmic Rhythm / 12″ Vinyl / November 2022)
A1. Rhythm of Paradise: Open Your Mind (5:39)
A2. Rhythm of Paradise: Think About (5:55)
B1. Rhythm of Paradise: Love (5:39)
B2. Rhythm of Paradise: Feel The Groove (5:15)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo.
Previous Coverage:
Feel the Magic with Spiritual Emphasi on Cosmic Rhythm (2022)
Choice cuts of Italian house from Cosmic Garden on “Come With Me” (2022)
