Vitalik: A Retrospective Of One

Vitalik Recordings pulls together the likes of Mark Henning & j u g, Appleblim, Frankline De Costa & more with remixes from Gerd, Ehtly & Luv Jam for its ‘Vitalik A Retrospective Of One’ compilation this December.

Ryan O Gorman and Henry Rumour set up Vitalik Recordings back in 2009 with a plan to translate the ethos and aesthetic of the parties Ryan had run in Ibiza under the same name with partner Joe Upton. Having clocked up twenty-five releases on Vitalik the pair felt it was the ideal time to put out a traditional milestone and document the output of the label in one punchy retrospective package.
 
The collection presented here is a 12-track compilation that deftly reflects the influence the label has made on house and techno over the last five years. Picking past contributions from the likes of Gerd, Appleblim, Mark Henning & j u g, Ethyl, Luv Jam and Soulade the head honchos have delivered a sublime assortment in this well-profiled package.
  
Agnès ‘Silence & Snow’ kicks off the Vitalik compilation in dynamic fashion, building over shifting percussion and buttery synths the first offering is a smooth house cut laced with irrefutable groove. Soulade follows suit with his deep and dreamy remix of Mark Henning & j u g ‘Moors’. Submerged tones and swollen bass characterise Luv Jam’s infectious remix of Such A Saint ‘St. System’ and 4Lux boss Gerd dishes up a synth laden remix for Jamie Lloyd ‘Last Drive’ which truly packs a punch.

The second half of the compilation get’s underway with another re-hash of Henning & j u g ‘Moors’ from Agnès who jacks things up to deliver a raw and stripped back re-imagining after which he follows with the smooth grooves of his own ‘Ancient Methods’.

Franklin De Costa works out cosmic vibes in ‘Belongings’ before we’re treated to another Soulade delivery in ‘Fora Da Chuva’ that manages to fuse deep tones and ethereal modulations into a hypnotising rhythm to superb effect. Mark Chambers & Maura ‘Without You’ is a stripped back affair comprised of melodic synths and shifting percussion while Ethyl’s take on Hugo Barrit’s ‘Lilly Hole’ is a no nonsense house cut raw and ready of those late night dance floors.

UK lads Blackhall & Bookless edge things to a close with the well-polished warmth of the penultimate offering ‘Esoj’ while Appleblim’s rippling drums and groove-laden rhythms of ‘Moonlight’ finally bring this excellent compilation to a suitably captivating close.
 
Various Artists ‘Vitalik A Retrospective Of One’ is out on Vitalik Records on 22nd December 2014.