German producer Ray Okpara has long been one of his homeland’s finest exports of raw, groove-driven house and one the driving forces in the Mannheim sound that he become known for alongside the likes of Nick Curly, Johnny D and Gorge amongst others, releasing material via own AMA Recordings, Mobilee and Stil Vor Talent. Here though we see him joining the roster of AJ Christou’s Celesta Recordings with a new EP, following recent material from Danny Ocean, Hermanez and Ezikiel.
Title-track ‘Kuta’ leads with shuffled drums, eerie bell-tone synth flourishes and a tripped-out, snaking bass groove throughout before ‘Rivera’ delves deeper with swinging drums, choppy bass licks and airy reverberated textures. Ray collaborates with Bunte Bummler for ‘Now’ next, this time round laying focus on bumpy snares, rumbling subs and modulating glitches.
Cocoon artist Markus Fix steps up to remix title-track ‘Kuta’ next, deliver a typically classy interpretation fuelled by bubbling synth tones, bumpy bass and a deftly flowing organic drum groove. Label-head AJ Christou’s ‘Dubby Dub Dub’ take on ‘Kuta’ then closes the package, on a more energetic up-tempo tip with skippy drums and cuts of the original ebbing and flowing throughout.
Tracklist:
1.Ray Okpara – Kuta
2.Ray Okpara – Rivera
3.Ray Okpara & Bunte Bummler – Now
4.Ray Okpara – Kuta (Markus Fix Remix)
5.Ray Okpara – Kuta (AJ Christou’s Dubby Dub Dub)
Ray Okpara’s Kuta EP is out on Celesta Recordings 1st June 2018
