- Deliberately faceless house music was probably always destined to be revived by a deliberately faceless series. The first of what is apparently going to be a number of Rootstrax releases on DJ Deep's Parisian label Deeply Rooted House, Rootstrax is by a Frenchman keeping him/herself anonymous. The press release drops F Communications and Fnac as perimeters of the Rootstrax sound, along with vintage Chicago house, leaving us to guess whether it's a veteran or a newcomer. Whoever it is, they did it right.
There's something East Coast about "Deep N Raw"—like very early New Jersey garage done up with an art-school matte finish, as well as the current Wolf + Lamb, et al., wave. It's mixed with immaculate care—not one sharp edge anywhere, the aural equivalent of a nylon over a camera lens. It gives the track (and EP) a blurry, alluring quality, making the synth strings and drum machines seem more "organic," like they're emanating from wood cabinets rather than Funktion Ones or earbuds.
"Harlequin" is more '80s Chicago gone jazz-funk, with twining keyboard parts (an insistent, mid-pitched one is reminiscent of a clavinet) building to a graceful tension that a Miles-ian trumpet cools off. But the real heat comes on "Harlequin 808 Dub," where the production gauze serves to soften a dauntingly crisp, dry arrangement that's also rather sexy—whoever is behind it.
Tracklist A1 Harlequin
A2 Harlequin (808 Dub)
B Deep N Raw