ILIJA RUDMAN レコード& CD

Review: Croatian producer and DJ Ilija Rudman, is among the leaders in Balearic style of deep house and downtempo and has released on a who's who of some of the strongest labels in the genre like Is It Balearic? Recordings, International Feel Recordings and NuNorthernSoul. For the Retrospective EP, Ilija steps up to produce a bit more dancefloor focused works for the Maze label. 'Foolish Way's has an 80s electro pop funky feel that we really appreciate while the Grem edit of 'Where Do We Go' is great late-night driving music. For the B-side, 'How Many Ways' is almost like a mix of German and Chicago house music. 'The Last Action Hero' is perhaps out favourite on here for being the deeper and more melodic cut of the bunch. A strong dance EP.

Review: Ilija Rudman has made some magical music over the years, with the Croatian producer frequently blurring the boundaries between dusty synth-disco, Balearic nu-disco and colourful downtempo synth-funk. On 'What Am I Gonna Do', he investigates the lo-fi and Street Soul-soaked end of the boogie spectrum, laying Tafuri's sweet lead vocals over unfussy drum machine beats, elastic synth-bass, tactile chords and chiming synthesiser lead lines. Over on side B, Rudman strips out most of Tafuri's vocals on a more skeletal but no less impactful 'dub' mix. It's good, but the superb full vocal version is our pick of a predictably strong pair of tracks.

Review: Fresh from releasing his "Sagittarii" album on Bear Funk, the ever-prolific Ilija Rudman is back on his own label Imogen with two stellar remixes from the mighty Ron Trent. First up is the vocal mix of the track, keeping Andre Espeut's passionate voice front and centre around a classy cascade of pattering rhythm and swirling deeper than deep keys. On the flip you get treated to the Imogen Soundsystem edit of Trent's instrumental, which finds the track charting a course for the stars in the most delicate and elegant of ways. Truly life affirming, soul-soaked stuff.

Review: Ilija Rudman struts out once again on his own turf with this latest slab of sizzling discoid delectability, shaping out all manner of warm and fuzzy grooves across varying tempos and intensities. "Metronomia" is a laid back workout, but it's the bombastic funk of "So Much" that steals the show on the A-side with its crafty construction and killer bass hooks. "Hibiscus Theatre" meanwhile ploughs deeper into the soil with its swirling pads and shimmering percussion lines, and then "If You Change Your Mind" rounds the EP off with some exemplary deep house for the more reflective souls to get down to.

Review: Croatian mainstay Ilija Rudman had a productive 2016 thanks to turns on Chit Chat, Burek and Double Deer, and he turns to his own Imogen Recordings to kick off the new year with a brooding, drum-focused hit of oddball house music for the trippy, paranoid end of the night. The "Presence Deep Dub" mix of "In Her Eyes" is a multi-faceted jam, using high-end processing matched with organic, instinctive percussion to make for the kind of workout that will inspire all manner of curious reactions from the floor. It's a track more than strong enough to stand proud as a one-sided 12", with the crossover appeal to land in a whole host of different bags.