Sistrum is one of our most essential labels and I’ve just been marking time waiting for another black jewel from Patrice Scott’s Detroit diamond mine. Riccardo Masi aka Reekee is at the controls and they’re set for the heart of the sun, or at least the skirt edge of its corona. Sunshine is his new four track EP and his bag is bursting with rare treasures and treats.
The title track doesn’t so much play as unwind. Dry snares and spit-polished cymbals draw you in slowly and spring the trap. This is gorgeous deep house that builds like a classic jazz jam — one after another they all join in until they’re all hammering at it together. In places it sounds like the surviving instrumental version of a lost vocal track; maybe Reekee couldn’t find the right voices and instead populated his song with piano chords and shiny brass that sing.
The virtuoso work continues on “Livin’,” with its de Clive-Lowe-esque solo on keys and broken beats evocative of Phil Asher. All the jazz references here are appropriate — like the best of Reekee (and Patrice Scott for that matter), these could be jazz tracks covered by the funkiest house band in New York just as much as the reverse. If you need soul, these will give you life.
Reekee: Sunshine (Sistrum Recordings / 12″ Vinyl + Digital)
1. Reekee: Sunshine (06:03)
2. Reekee: Livin’ (06:52)
3. Reekee: Never As It Seems (05:21)
4. Reekee: In This Place (05:51)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was not submitted as a promo.
