Fio Fa’s latest outing on his own Sunset Drifters Label.

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Fio Fa hops back behind the wheel for Two Of Me, his second turn off Sunset Drifters boulevard. 4 timeless rollers shimmering with hi-NRG magic and prog-y glitz, hybridising vintage house sounds with his signature moods and grooves.

Drumcondra’s notorious nocturnal cruiser swerves back into view for the sequel to his inaugural Sunset Drifters’ test drive. This time round, Fio extends his sphere of dance influences to effortlessly absorb just about any era of electronic music into his confident rave-y stride.

First stop, SLYCLOPS IS BACK; a fairground ride through 80’s synth-pop glamour. Bass stabs, stadium drum fills and seductive rhythms all shepherded by Fio’s impeccable tech pump and drive. THE DUSTIEST OF THE DUST then speeds into view, an after hours rush of darkened prog menace braised in a kinetic wonderland of rave melodics. LOS MELLIZOS switches lanes, patiently stratifying a tense euphoria around its latin house core. A glorious headbangin’ switch-up then ensues, before thrusting us right back into the dastardly groove again. THE RAT BOSS greets us at our final destination, a brazen stepper meshing dub techno synthetics with a naughty flute line that bounces along its fiendish bass squelch with the wryest of grins.

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Fio Fa is back with another release exploring his finely tuned approach to effortlessly rolling, yet playful pumpers that have become characteristic of his sound. This time on his new imprint Sunset Drifters, the label launches with 4 devious dancefloor cuts that solidify his sonic relationship with the sounds of early dance music. Straightforward yet effective, the EP merges his many inspirations - the dynamic drums & flecks of acid in proto-house, the rolling basslines of progressive, and the mini melodies and synth stabs of EBM and early rave.

We start our journey on a ride through the Turquoise Kingdom - a track that pumps & pouts. The bassline skips playfully between a short acid line, while sassy whistles light the way. We are guided to a moment with familiar samples from a classic, given a tasteful touch. This sample is carefully placed for a hit of nostalgia as we switch gears - going full speed towards Dash the bouncer. A held note keeps the anticipation high while building the drums to a frenzy. A task in tension building, the mood is sneaky & scheming. The tension continues to tower over us before we encounter the final boss. The b (boss) side begins with Enter The Turtle; strutting in at sultry o-clock, it is a provocative yet punchy prance in prog paradise. The release culminates with title track Sunset Drifters - a euphoric release, channelling the continuity of the modern progressive pulse. A stunning choice for sunrise or sunset, the captivating & catchy melody resolves into elation, bringing us a feeling that one would associate with their best moments on the dancefloor.

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Pear’s co-founder Fio Fa marks his return with a couple more basement anthems in the form of Dead Money Groove, backed with on-point remixes from pals New Jackson & Fold.
Into The Groove; an all too brief soundcloud favourite given a new lease of life via this 12’. Propulsive & dark, it’ll get under your skin at the rave via wicked sampling and vocal voodooism. Local hero New Jackson cracks the shutters on his self described “highlife house” re-up. A looser more melodic reimagining, where the end results in some manic percussive frenzy reminisce of some Liquid Liquid/MU business.
The toms heavy Dead Money meets us on the flip, a powerful roller licked with a faint dubbed out wistfulness. Fio’s bassline work deservedly poised to soundtrack big tent season this summer. Fold strips it all back with his Toastie Re-rub, melting out the lower end to deliciously slippery effect emanating in an up-to-date mutant stomper. Fresh.

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Sweat Ur Prayers, the next wavy addition to Radiant Love’s catalogue, is the first solo-EP of Byron Yeates. In their messaging, their timbres and grooves, the 4 tracks speak faithfully to Yeates’ inclinations as a DJ and label-head: the playfulness and buoyancy, a constant nod to the roots of rave, and a faith in dance music’s transformative power.

Opening the release is the title track, a bubbling and breakbeat-laden 8 minutes. Mantric repetition is a running theme throughout the EP, and we hear “Raindrops falling all around, freeing me from other sounds; trickling down my weary eyes, bringing me back, I’m ready to fly” as an opening salvo. Yeates’ is known for his vast, enduring DJ sets, inducing sheens of sweat from all involved – with these tracks, it’s clear he’s unafraid to take his time to build tension as a producer as well. The percussive conversation between hi-hat and snare complexifies until a clap enters near the 2 minute mark and suddenly we’re in the main, driving groove.

“Waves” is a dial-back to downtempo, floatation and introspection. The dancer and writer Gabrielle Roth is sampled, speaking on her 5 Rhythms movement meditation technique – the term “sweat your prayers” comes from her texts on ecstatic physicality. The track shimmers and sways in bright pads and delayed-out drum breaks, setting the reflective tone for “Dreaming is Essential”, co-produced by Eoin DJ. Opening with Radiant Love co-founder Ruin, her candid vocals are perfectly aligned for the dancefloor’s vulnerability: “What am I avoiding? I wish I could hold myself, like the dance holds me.” The track unfolds through layers of percussion and shadowy texture, taking a pivot to optimism halfway through, as a warm synth-line accompanies Ruin’s repetition: “Dreaming is essential”.

Lawrence Lee’s remix of “Sweat Ur Prayers” adapts the bounce of the original’s bassline to a classic, stabby rave synth. Again there is a percussive focus, but force and warmth are foregrounded, rather than polyrhythm – a shot, rather than a spritz. We hear again the opening mantra, and although “I’m ready to fly” may seem in opposition to Ruin’s “Let the dance hold me”, Sweat Ur Prayers seems to say they are one in the same movement.

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For its second release, Radiant Love sticks to family values. Paying homage to the party and label’s co-director and resident Byron Yeates, Byron’s Theme comes from the likes of Vani-T (one half of Berlin’s forceful, femme party Climax) and D. Tiffany (who threw down a ruthless remix on the label’s first release by Fio Fa). Together, they take the name of Pillow Queen – a semi-pejorative term for the kind of sub who expects to receive pleasure like a well catches rainwater. No reciprocation, just a reign of sexual passivity.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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