- Does Ron Morelli's net know no bounds? Long Island Electrical Systems, the widely-acclaimed label he runs from Brooklyn, owes much of its success to his skill for ferreting out talented but previously obscure producers―Svengalisghost and XOSAR, for example―and bringing them to the public. Add Simoncino, one of Morelli's latest signings, to the pile. (Sure, releases on Mathematics and Skylax mean this new addition is not exactly obscure, but his discography really only got underway last year.)
Dreams is one of the most aptly-titled records you may ever encounter. All four of its cuts are shot over with the most limpid of analogue synths. There are no nightmares here. Underneath these tranquil overlays, some pretty slavishly vintage house resides, but it's incredibly executed. (The way the title track's chiming bassline bumps against its whispered "Thank you for the dreams," vocal is superb.) "Enigma" plays at similar games, but replaces the vocal with a spooky, piping motif. And in "Mystic Motion," the animal calls and hand drums which fill out its background somehow sound wholly enticing. The key is Simoncino's basslines. Part sandpaper, part gelatin, they seem to chafe and caress at the same time. But then, his synths are pretty tight too. Even in "On a Journey," the massively clichéd use of a Martin Luther King recording can't quite spoil the mood created by grubby bass and genteel chords.
Tracklist A1 Dreams
A2 Mystic Motion
B1 On A Journey
B2 Enigma