Rocco Universal - Assuage

Part Of: Planetarium EP Release Date: Buy Link: Rocco Universal SoundCloud | Cosmic Tiger Records SoundCloud | Bandcamp | Release Text: *Support & plays from artists including Daniele Baldelli, Glenn Underground, Colleen ’Cosmo’ Murphy, Fred Everything, DJ Aakmale, Eric Duncan, Bill Brewster, Charles Levine (Soul Clap), Kraak & Smaak, DJ Rocca, Justin Robertson, Sean Johnston, Craig Smith, Rayko, Pete Herbert, Pontchartrain, Franck Roger and many more* Cosmic Tiger follow on from their far-reaching ’Messages Volume One’ compilation with the psychedelically-charged ‘Planetarium EP’ from label founder, Rocco Universal. Fresh from his recent ‘Somewhere Else’ appearance on Soul Clap Records, DJ, producer and journalist Patrizio Cavaliere once again adopts his Rocco Universal production moniker, journeying deep into astral realms to serve a scintillating set of floor-focused grooves. His intriguingly eclectic DJ sets regularly veer into unexpected territory, and these diverse influences delicately infuse his varied and gently off-kilter productions. Planetarium EP arrives via the Cosmic Tiger label metamorphosed from the Southeast Asian music blog he launched back in 2019 – a platform poised to awaken from pandemic-enforced slumber this summer. The EP kicks off with the title track, ‘Planetarium’. Here, Rocco Universal embraces his Italo roots, channelling nocturnal Mediterranean heat into a heartfelt outpouring of hallucinogenic space disco. Thick Moog bass powers the cut over a tight disco rhythm as analogue chords and lead motifs intertwine. Detroit firebrand Scott Hess enlivens the cut with his funk-flecked rhythm guitar line, before a stirring middle section shoots for the stars over a rapturous, conga-led build up. Cosmically rooted and designed to move dancers, this is club-focused music with a contemplative core. Next, the mesmerising synth threads of ‘Assuage’ arrive as an opioid-fuelled slalom into deep house territory, with Rocco serving a mesmerising take on four/four profundity with a discreetly hallucinatory flourish. Flanging bass relentlessly rolls over crunching drums and loosely-woven synth patterns, with ethereal pads caressing altered vocal stabs as the tripped-out arrangement mischievously diverges. Forged in the psychic depths and steeped in cosmic intention, this hypnotic groove is built for backroom meditations. Finally, ‘Sleepwalking In Silom’ won over an esteemed selection of DJs and collectors when it appeared on last year’s ‘Messages Volume 1’ compilation, making it a fitting closing moment to the EP. Deep, low-slung and brimming with atmosphere, the altered state groove chugs through waves of tripped-out effects and funk-informed melodies, conjuring the mysterious electricity of the Bangkok neighbourhood after which it takes its name. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Berlin House Music Submit Your Music | Store | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | SoundCloud |