ZOPELAR Vinyl & CDs

Review: The third and final EP from the ten year anniversary series by French label D3 Elements is another one that offers a wide range of excellent grooves. To kick off, Jason Hogans takes us into woozy late night territory with muffled leads and lazy breaks, then Zopelar heads for the cosmos on his radiant synth laced house offering 'Resolution.' Malik Hendricks keeps it low key and slow with his intimate basement sounds on 'Green Mango' then Meftah rebuilds on a dusty Theo Parrish tip with 'Maha Shatki.' Damar Davis offers pure cosmic deep house lushness on closer 'Kiss In The Dark.'

Review: To keep it in the family is to imply things stay pure and untainted, but the irony with the Keep It In The Family 12” series is that every record sounds raw and unsheltered; though ‘Feel’ and ‘Move This Way’ cycle through unperturbed and dreamatic sounds, their finish is rough, suggesting a well-wrought processing chain, the music having seen through many a prodigal battle. Retromigration’s ‘Fret’ and Cem Mo’s ‘Rushmore’ continue the mood of vintage deep raspiness, with one-up arpeggios closing out the final track with special glee.

Review: Zopelar's 'Horizonte' is a captivating exploration of soulful house and jazzy influences, blending rich melodies with upbeat grooves. The title track, 'Horizonte', delivers a jazzy Detroit house vibe, setting the tone with smooth rhythm and deep bass. 'Let It Live' brings an uptempo energy, with a soulful saxophone that adds a distinctive layer of warmth. On the flip side, 'Pure Heart' strikes a perfect balance between house and techno, nostalgic yet fresh with its groovy, melodic appeal. 'Venus' stands out with its dreamy 90s-inspired piano, uplifting spirits and evoking an emotional connection. Closing with 'Serena (feat PR.A.DO)', the EP ends on a high note, leaving a lingering sense of euphoria. Each track blends beautifully crafted melodies with rhythmic intricacies, making 'Horizonte' a standout for anyone craving jazzy, soulful house with a modern twist.

Review: Freaky, playful synthwork from Sao Paolo's Zopelar on the ever-reliable Tartelet imprint. Over eight immensely juiced, irreverent meditations on synth funk, boogie, deep house, Italo disco and acid, Zope showcases a mastery of foregrounding unconventional musical forces, cheeky and envelope-pushing analogue synth programming and genre-mangling at its very best. Highlights include the heart-in-mouth sway of 'Distraction', which at times sounds like a lovechild of Marcellus Pittman and Genesis-era Larry Heard, the eerie, questing squelch of seductive B-side opener 'Safe In The Dark' and the queasy, euphoric alarmism of lost freestyle hit 'Free Your Spirit (Ritmo II). Very addictive.

Review: Brazilian producer Zopelar is a real wizard when at work in the studio. He has done disco-tinged full lengths, synth-laced house sounds, deeper than deep grooves and now steps up to Sudd Wax with another brilliantly musical EP. It opens with the shimmering pads and free-flowing keys of 'Papaia' which then gets a Byron The Aquarius Jazz Twist mix that cuts even more free and gets even more cosmic. 'Jazz Class' is a funky one with golden chords and astral pads and the flip brings three more house gems laced up with the sort of meaningful melodies you don't often hear in this genre.