Frits Wentink

Review: Frits Wentink delivers a third volume in his ongoing "Two Bar House Music & Chord Stuff" series, offering up another quartet of numerically titled "themes".The Bobby Donny supremo hits the ground running with "Theme 09", a swirling, smoky and dusty workout that sits somewhere between the horizontal haziness of Vancouver deep house and the bustling grooviness of basement-bothering mid-90s US house. "Theme 10" is a little more loose and lo-fi in tone, with Wentink utilizing all manner of cheap vintage synths and drum machines, while "Theme 11" is slower and jazzier with distinctive '80s synth-funk influences. "Theme 12", meanwhile, is dubby, driving and low-slung whilst retaining a hint of off-kilter jazz-funk.

Review: The first volume in Frits Wentink's Two Bar House Music and Chord Stuff series won plenty of plaudits when Wolf Music slung it out last summer. Happily, the eccentric Dutch producer seems to have raised his game even further on this fine follow-up. Check, for example, deliciously trippy opener "Theme 5", where vocal snippets, organ riffs and sci-fi synth sounds are drenched in tape delay and wrapped around a skewed deep house groove, and the bolder, bass-heavy bustle of saucer-eyed peak-time wobbler "Theme 7". Elsewhere, he combines the dreamy dustiness of Mood Hut style deep house with the cheeriness of Italian piano house on "Theme 8" and gets locked into a soulful, deep and bass-heavy vibe on the similarly impeccable "Theme 6".

Review: First in a three part series by Dutch producer Frits Wentink, presented in a hand stamped picture sleeve. Wentink has been one of The Netherlands' most steady artists since his first release in 2012. As the head honcho of both Will & Ink and Bobby Donny, he is known for pushing quality house music. Starting off with with the neon-lit late night groove of "Theme 01", the slo-mo boogie down groove of "Theme 02" is equally impressive and had us reminiscing of classic Metro Area. On the flip, "Theme 03" is the EP's most straight up moment: this kind of dusty deep house with sexy retro synths and sleek vox samples are right up our street. "Theme 04" is a woozy and disjointed groove, with its broken beats and skittering melodies getting and inventive groove on: that's for sure.

Review: It's no surprise to see Amsterdam man Fritz Wentink issuing his debut album through Wolf Music, as the London label have been staunch supporters of his work with two 12" contributions over the past two years. The wonderfully named Rarely Pure, Never Simple adds to Wolf Music's growing artist album profile following long players from main men Medlar and Greymatter and further develops the all encompassing production style Wentink has displayed so eloquently for Detroit Swindle's Heist Recordings and others. He seems most impressive on the more downbeat tracks done in collaboration with Loes Jongerling who possesses a quite astounding vocal delivery, though those craving some proper house will totally dig on cuts like "The Excitement Happens At Page 320".

Review: Here's something to get the blood pumping: a surprise collaboration that brings together Dutch stalwart Frits Wentink and rising star DJ Boring (E-Beamz, Lost Palms) for the very first time. The pair are in fine form on cheeky A-side "Oli Coony", a bustling, dub-fired fusion of shuffling early UK breakbeat, dreamy deep house and quirky cut-up madness that's as funky and floor-friendly as it is unusual. On the flipside they get busy with strange, vari-speed synthesizer tones and a bustling, bass-heavy, UKG-influenced deep house rhythm on "Derek Anthony", before opting for a chunkier groove and intricately edited stabs on head-mangling late night roller "Chad Brothers", which also boasts a seriously addictive bassline.