- A techno journeyman signs to Tale Of Us's label.
- The number of high-profile labels Benny Rodrigues has worked with is almost comical. Figure, Smallville, Suara, Desolat, Voyage Direct, Unknown To The Unknown and The Corner have all put out EPs by the Dutch artist—and that's just under his given name. (Soma, Drumcode, Klockworks and CLR are among those he's released with as ROD.) This probably shouldn't be a surprise. As he told Holly Dicker last year in relation to his DJing, he'd rather be "the guy that mingles in everywhere." His latest mingle finds him on Afterlife, the imprint of the wildly popular Italian duo Tale Of Us.
Brighten Up Bunny is a suitably melodic visit to Afterlife, a label that's built its appeal on resplendent synth melodies. Each of the three originals is constructed using a formula that counts a track like Mathew Jonson's "Marionette" as a classic example. A central synth line, its heart set on euphoria, is established and modulated over simple, direct drums. The synths' ducking and diving, swelling and fading, drives the arrangements onwards. The title track is the most likely to tickle Armin Van Buuren's interest, peaking with a laser-suited climax. "Welcome Back Mama" and "Melodi" both hold back a bit and show that Rodrigues has a real knack for twisting his synthesizers to emotional ends. On their remix, the German duo FJAAK place more emphasis on the drums, as they so often do, but lose something of the original's triumphant character.
TracklistA1 Brighten Up Bunny
A2 Welcome Back Mama
B1 Melodi
B2 Welcome Back Mama (FJAAK Remix)