Roscius - WMD 2

After impressing with his first release, French born, London based producer Roscius delivers once more with a second EP on MUTA. His considered sounds come with a remix from label boss Zebidiah.

Roscius combines live performance, vocal loops and production intricacies to make engrossing sounds that are as innovative as they are emotional.

First up here is ‘Villa Paolo’ – recorded in Italy, the track takes on a romantic tone revolving around recorded dialogue between a boy and a girl. Accompanied by an improvised marimba riff and some rich bass and percussion, it is a joyous, loose limbed and rugged house ride with lots of real world emotions.

Next is ‘Petrol’, which began as a collection of field recordings Roscius captured during a stop at the famous Tebay Petrol station in the Lake District. Two of the prominent sounds heard are the door to the petrol station being opened, and a series of rhythmic noises being made on the restaurant table. The resulting track is eerie and sombre, hollowed out and absorbing as it bumps along on an insular kick drum layered with melancholic piano.

‘Velo Patrol’ is an organic mix of sounds from both tracks (Villa Paolo and Petrol) complimented with an improvised Arabic guitar solo, which takes lead of the tracks narrative. Deeply linked to a recent live collaboration with the electronic Tunisian artist Mettani, Roscius says it is ‘a homage and support to his country’.

Finally, Zebidiah reworks ‘Villa Paolo’ into a late night tapestry of watery sounds, resonant chords, murmured vocals and squelchy synths that demands and rewards close listening.

Electronic music is rarely this evocative, based in the real world and emotional, but Roscius is a master of his art, as this EP proves.

Tracklist:
1.    Roscius – Villa Paolo
2.    Roscius – Petrol
3.    Roscius – Villa Paolo (Zebidiah Remix)
4.    Roscius – Velo Petrol (Roscius Rework)