From the Balkan accordion meandering of ‘I Was Drunk’ to the filthy follow on of ‘China Gum’, Italian upstart Riva Starr (AKA Stefano Miele) isn’t afraid to showcase his dexterity from the off.
Tipped by Claude Von Stroke and Jesse Rose as the man to watch in 2010, Riva Starr’s pickpocket mixing style constantly throws up surprises. The Trim collaboration on ‘Dance Me’ meets dirty bass wamps with clean ragga rhythms, ‘Black Cat, White Cat’ takes us back to the halcyon days of Chicago House, and ‘Maria’ drops you deep into the carnival with fidgety, floor filling Latin rhythms.
Alive with the eclectic, playful pomp we’d expect from the Made To Play stable, it’s an early benchmark for 2010.
8/10
Words by Reef Younis
