Continuing to prove its a label with two fingers very much on the pulse, the fast-divers-ifying Retrofit imprint offers up a thoroughly varied EP from French producer DJ Steef aka Frederic Berthet. The Marseille based producer crafts everything from deep, sample laden disco to warm grooving house for labels like Gomma and Toy Tonics while picking up ample support from DJs like James Murphy, Andrew Weatherall, and Tim Sweeney.
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Steef’s Retrofit debut kicks off with ‘Ghost Producer.’ Infectious motown-esque vocals, energetic piano and a stripped but jacking groove make it ripe for summer dancefloors. ‘Como Un Dios Del Olimpo’ takes things down a much deeper road - a hypnotic Spanish chant is the guide while a disco bassline chugs under soaring pads and arpeggios.
Australian producer Mic Newman (aka Fantastic Man) of FINA, Freerange, and Murmur takes the original vox and pads, and weaves them into a shuffling, melodic number that manages to sound lazy and low slung while maintaining a direct-to-the-dancefloor feel. On ‘Soul of Calypso,’ Steef rounds out the package with a percussive workout that still retains an understated musicality about it.