- Sometimes it takes an outsider to spice up the sound of the moment. New Frankfurt label Gosu has found one in Thomas Rooge, a little-known producer apparently based "somewhere in Michigan." On Fake ID Entry, which is said to be his first release, Rooge offers a welcome take on the increasingly breaks- and electro-focused sound many producers rooted in minimalist dance music have recently turned to. Eschewing complex breakbeats and zipping synths, Rooge lays down three pumping, peak-time bombs, all as functional as they are enchanting.
That Fake ID Entry is so clearly aimed at a busy dance floor sets it apart from much of the music being released by labels in Gosu's sphere (check the slinky electro of fellow Frankfurt outlet Traffic's latest release for a more abstract example). Across the EP, beats are swung but slamming, matched with heaving basslines and cheery melodies. It's fun music that retains an experimental edge, a combination that rarely comes together so effectively. (If you've never danced to the sound of a dial-up modem, "404 Not Found" will give you the chance.) Whether Rooge is a real outsider or someone familiar in disguise, Fake ID Entry signals the arrival of yet another Frankfurt label helping shape the sound of an increasingly exciting corner of dance music.
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