Like a bolt out of the blue, “Azzurro” by Australian producer Sondrio strikes you down where you stand before you even know what hit you. The title track of the three track EP released just before Christmas on Refuge Recordings get right to the point: within 10 seconds, that percussive groove had me, within 30 I knew I loved this track and within 60 seconds as the pads drift in and a rusty wah-wah squeezes out a funky honk I knew this was going right into the crate. “Azzurro” is blissful deep house of the sort that you have to knock around for awhile before you can make it — effects are present but sparse, and Sondrio drops them in to set up something else, rather than using effects as tinsel and set dressing for a producer that’s out of ideas.
“Flame” is more languorous, it luxuriates in a rubbery riff that’s just four notes long but gets you completely. “Through the Fog” collects what sound like slightly autotuned ambient noise from a forest or prairie or a damn good synthesis of them and stashes them in the background, surfacing from time to time when the vocal clips fall quiet.
These three tracks on the Azzurro EP go places, they convey fully formed ideas rather than kick about hoping to stir up a purpose, they’re as tightly plotted as a novel or an architectural blueprint. This is one of the finest deep house EPs of the year (though given its release date, I’m not sure which.)
⚪️ Azzurro EP Tracklisting
Sondrio: Azzurro EP (Refuge Recordings / Digital)
1. Sondrio - Azzurro (06:22)
2. Sondrio - Flame (05:40)
3. Sondrio - Through The Fog (05:26)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement
This record was submitted as a promo.
5 Mag Issue 211
Out January 2024
RESOLUTION: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #211 featuring Anané, Toribio, Black Eyes, Danny J Lewis, Beppe Loda and more. Help keep the vibe alive by becoming a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right away!