- Stefan Z heads up Rhombus, a promoter and label in Vancouver whose taste leans towards the minimal end of house. He's also released EPs for Toronto's My Favorite Robot, a label that largely trades in tech house. Z avoids that genre's zoned-out clichés by embellishing his tracks with his vocals or extra melodic elements. Sometimes it turns out hokey, but it can also work out pretty well. Care, his strong new EP for Rhombus, is firmly in the latter camp.
The title track dangles its toes over the precipice of cheese for its entire ten-minute duration, which works well for its grand intentions. Once its whining synth riff comes in you know you're in for a journey. "Care" takes you higher and higher into the reaches of euphoria, settling into a gorgeous extended breakdown that feels like Sasha's "Xpander" in slow motion. Like the comedown after that outpouring of serotonin, "Besides" plods along with a grumbling bassline, and the flattened drums and ghostly piano give it an antiquated sort of elegance. "A Place To Be," a more by-the-numbers club track, rounds off the EP, and though it's less intriguing than the other two, its sultry smoulder is nice enough.
Tracklist01. Care
02. A Place To Be
03. Besides