STEFAN RINGER レコード& CD

Review: You always knew that when Norm Talley started his Upstairs Asylum label is was going to be pure quality. The Detroit man is one of the many contemporary flag bearers for the much loved original 313 house sound and as his DJ sets attest, heinous how to pick out the best work from others on a similar tip. He does that here with a various artists four tracker that kicks off with a brace of soul fuelled and jazz laced deep house cuts from Felipe Gordon. Stefan Ringer then brings that lo-fi house goodness and exquisite synth craft with 'You Know' while Deepset's 'U Got Dat' is a late night number with a low slung sense of sleaze.

Review: The Nitecap EP is the first collection of music created by jazz multi-instrumentalist Marquinn Mason and FWM Entertainment mastermind Stefan Ringer. This 6 track EP is striking to say the least. One can tell from the artwork this is something different. The stand out track for the DJs is "The Light". This one is straight forward space funk in a dance track. It has that big room sound reminscent of "Sexual Obsession". The title track "Nitecap" has to be the true stand out. Mason's jazz influence stands out over the organic broken beat rhythm section. The tone of this one is deep and introspective. "Pulling Closer" and "Falling Notes" are both unique cuts in their own right. Both tunes really show a different take on rhythm, bounce and energy and how those elements interact with melody to create something unlike most music you hear in the dance music space. The last two cuts, "Tiny Keys" and "Cocomango" are down tempo grooves with some soul and sauce thrown in. Perfect for background vibes for a kickback or just listening around the house.

Review: Also known for his work as Al Hype or Black Suede, Atlanta's finest Stefan Ringer is back. Hot off an awesome remix for his homeboy Stranded on local imprint Homage, he's on-point with this new one for London's Quintessentials. Ringer delivers a real pearl here on The Difference EP: beginning with the lean and subtle groove dynamics of opening track "OTW", it's quite evident that Ringer's M.O. here is pure form mood music, and that is exemplified again, brilliantly, on the expressive deepness of "Shakyabody" up next. On the flip, it's all about the emotive and soulful wonder of "Evolution" reminiscent of previous appearances on Kai Alce's NDATL Muzik.

Review: Second Hand has made solid moves over the course of its first five Eps and the sixth is another dazzler. Atalanta's hotly tipped Stefan Ringer is the man on the buttons and brings with him a breezy house. 'Get Rite' is a balmy opener with nice warped synths and gentle chords over scuffed kicks and hits. 'Body Language' gets more steamy with its muffled vocal sounds and skipping beats and 'Freethought' then unhinged itself from reality with a melange of loose Rhodes noodling, off-grid has and beats and alate night charm that you cannot resist. The roughed up but late night house of 'Trysheen' is the icing on the cake.

Review: Again, Stefan Ringer brings forth that heat! Four tracks made for the floor. The A1 "DoU?" begins with the classic phrase "she loves me, she loves me not". A nod to the tunneling vocals throughout the track. Hard hitting drums and percussion get you pumped and ready to take the journey. Deep emotional chords press on; as a thumping sub bass line connects everything together. A2 is "The Loop". Crispy 808 claps and hats lure your ears, while deeper chord stabs wrap everything in a package you can't refuse. The real star is the fat almost hollow bass line that hypnotizes you. The angelic synth harmonica solos throughout leave you begging for more. B1, "Reach", features the silk-like vocals of Detroit's own Javonntte. The chord stabs, drums, and bass line really show out on this track. Proven to work in clubs across the world, by the likes of Kai Alce, JT Donaldson, Ash Lauryn, ByronThe Aquarius, Wajeed, Patrice Scott, and Touching Bass, this one is definitely for the floor. Finally the B2, "Love2U", showcases Stefan's ability to slow things down without missing a step. Smooth, simple, and intelligent, the melody is the star of this track. Sensual and expressive vocals convey the message of this tune. The solo provided near the end articulates how much more there is to come from Stefan and this label. You need this.

Review: Atlanta-based Stefan Ringer may not be one of the highest profile deep house producer's around, but over the last six years he's quietly amassed a decent discography. "Feels Rite" is his first outing of 2020 and sees him appear on People Of Earth for the very first time. Opener "Be Myself" is particularly potent, with Ringer offering up a loose, languid and soulful take on MPC-made house full of distant male vocals, rich chords and sci-fi synths. "Club Bang", a trippy late night affair that sounds like a future basement-bothering classic, is another standout cut, though the warm and toasty, funk-tinged deep house jazziness of closing cut "Fired Up" is almost as inspired.

Review: Mr Black Suede returns to his own FWM controls with another disarming dispatch of loose-limbed deep house cuts landing just in time for another warm summer. "SO: Sexual Obsession" takes the lead with obsessive charm; there's a driving four-to-the-floor but it's laced with a percussive charm and shimmering hip-shaking arpeggio. Elsewhere "Afrotine" takes a much deeper perspective with its spacious beats and light-touch kalimba wafting into the ether before the deep-nodding "Time" brings things home for a deliciously hazy finale. Ringer the bell, we have another winner right here.

Review: Overseen by Mike Simonetti and his Captured Tracks namesake Sniper, 2MR has been pleasantly unpredictable to date with the Fader-friendly electronic pop of Russian artist Kedr Livanksiy complemented by an album from Bushwick art-techno troupe Dust. The latest 2MR addition is Stefan Ringer, the Atlanta DJ and producer whose recent double drop on PPU as REKchampa remains a highlight of 2016 so far for the Juno review crew. This 4-track 12" sees Ringer showcasing his diversity as a producer, offing up a pair of straight up bangers in the shape of "Can't Stop" and "Bounce #3" (wait for the Kyle Hall style organs to drop on the latter) which are complemented by the heady deepness of "Feeling It" and "The Come Down".

Review: Monty Luke's Black Catalogue label has been building up an impressive discography over the last few years, largely featuring a mix of local Detroit artists and hand picked international talents. Here, he hands a label debut to Atlanta's Stefan Ringer, whose previous credits include outings on NDATL Muzik and The Love Below. He's in fine form here, delivering a quartet of deep house gems built around rubbery synths, Motor City style deep space electronics, and deep, jazz-flecked drum machine grooves. He adds his own spoken vocals to release highlights "Fri/Sat Nite" and "Body", with the latter's darting bass, swirling pads and jazzy cymbals making a genuinely long lasting impression. Closer "Overtone" - a kind of futurist take on soulful broken beat - is also superb.