ORTELLA レコード& CD

Review: Operating out of Rennes in France, Rutilance has worked hard to establish itself as a label of note in the deep house field of interest, whilst sticking to a close network of artists such as Sunny Galaxy and Jay Shaw as well as label boss DJ Steaw. This double pack release celebrates what has been achieved in two years of operations with a diverse selection that ranges from the dubby tones of Kicks' "Pipeline" to the even dubbier tones of Ortella's "Heartbeat", and then on to the bassy simmer of John Jastszebski's "Downtown" or the garage bump and calming tones of MArotti's "Pressure". If you're a lover of quality deep house played from the heart then there's more than enough to satisfy your appetite here.

Review: French producer Ortella is a staple of the Lyon based Mad Records and is also known for releasing on Rennes based imprint Rutilance. There's more dusty and reduced deep house here on the Believe EP. The A side features two sexy and swinging cuts such as "It's Good To Be Lost" (with its bouncy Juno bassline) and the rather Derrick Carter styled boompty business of "Attitude". On the flip, the funky disco loops of the title track are a bit of an afterthought when compared to the next track "Ass-ID" - undeniably the EP's highlight. This euphoric 303 acid journey jacks good and proper and will take you back to the days at The Warehouse circa '86 - when the likes of DJ Pierre and Adonis reigned supreme.

Review: The Kerri Chandler tributes still continue, courtesy of French imprint Mad Recordings here. Their main man Fabrizio Ortella returns with his fourth release on the imprint and he's certainly got some pumpin' throwback sounds going on. Like the name may not so subtly suggest: he's taking you to the sweaty basements of NYC circa '93. If tough and swingin' Jersey house is your thing you'll be all over this one kids! "Music Is My Shelter" (original De Luxe) is what it's all about here and there's a bunch of other versions to suit whatever the occasion. "Intro De Luxe" does exactly what it says on the tin: working those euphoric (classic!) house organs and DX pianos over two minutes until he drops the power. Then of course is the mandatory dub version that strips things back and lets those skippy rhythms and that chunky bassline do most of the talking.The Lyonnaise monsieur has also presented in recent times for local imprints Imported, Art Feast and Paris based Rutilance.

Review: Rutilance affiliate Fabrizio Ortella has been steering his own Mad In Lyon ship for three EPs now. A thugged out cruise over the most jacking oceans, he continually sinks his anchor into the deepest, most authentic seas; the Trax-style piano licks and tickles of "Song For Umara", the instant MAW sexuality of "69ers", the blocky warehouse minimalism of "Echec Et Mad" right through to the Detroit Grand Pubahs-style "Work It"... Ortella has translated years of classic in pure, unbridled form right here.

Review: Fabrizio Ortella loops back to very first notes of his groove-laden career so far as he completes the inaugural "Made In Lyon" series that he launched with on Rutilance. Once again it's a wide-berth, chop-slapping house affair with broad drums palettes and hooky loops: "Energy" is straight out of the Kenny Dope playbook - thundering drums and jazzy chords while the brilliantly titled "Squirt The House" slips into something more Detroitian with its icy dub synths and concrete blasting kicks. "Get It" is a smooth operator, unhurried in its build and persistent with its pads while "Wrong House" closes on a shifty rolling tech note, nodding at the legacy of Plus8 and paying homage to the greatest nation on earth... house nation.

Review: Since launching with an EP from co-founder DJ Steaw, Rennes outpost Rutilance Recordings has steered a course through the Deep House waters that doffs it's cap to both the classic sounds of French house and the deepness of Kerri Chandler. Their fifth release casts the spotlight on Lyon and budding production talent Fabrizio Ortella whose Mad In Lyon EP falls snugly into Rutilance's defined aesthetic. Lead track "Reflex" sets the tone, with classy pads oozing out over some indecipherable field recordings and snappy drum programming, whilst "X Rated" ups the energy and heads into classic groove territory augmented by little vocal samples that you can guess the tone of from the title. Steaward opens the flip with a ghetto flecked dub of "Work That Shit" which shows his production confidence right now, whilst "Track For Aya" rounds out the release on a more chunky house vibe.

Review: Fabrizio Ortella, or simply Ortella as most house aficionados know him, bounces his way through with the second chapter of the Mad In Lyon series for DJ Steaw and Gunnter's Rutilance Recordings. Much like the first instalment, the EP opens with heavy licks and laid-back trips in the form of "Suck My Deep" and the faster, more dubbed-out "Dirty Mindz". Over on the flip, "This Beat" swings and grinds its way through gun-toting kick drums and funky swirls of melody, whereas "What's Your Nem" goes in deeper and takes out the classic deep house chords for a spin. Quality output.

Review: 124 Recordings are always a safe bet for true school deep house business, and they're also dab hands at putting together killer compilations as evidenced with the "Levels EP" last year. They're back at it again with this crucial double pack, which kicks off in fine style with bright and bold vocal bumper "She's On Fire" (feat Francois A)" by Ortella. There's a deeper, trippier vibe to Chocky's "Lower Synth", while Rotty's "Secrets" chops the samples up and ramps the swing up to 11. Heat Alliance has a tough, freaky NYC touch on "Got The Groove," while Reece Johnson piles the organs on heavy on "I Like The Way You", and that's just half the set. A whole lot of house goodness to chew on, with every track purpose built for maximum dancefloor damage.