- You can't swing a stick in the European house scene without hitting artists paying homage to classic Chicago house. Sometimes the stuff is terrible, sometimes it's serviceable and, more rarely, it's fantastic. Marco Antonio Spaventi, an Italian in Amsterdam, has been straddling these last two categories for a few years now. He's put out breezy house singles for labels like Secretsundaze and Most Excellent Unlimited, and found a fitting home in Dutch imprint M>O>S>. His latest for the label, Balla!, which precedes an album, is one of his best records in recent memory.
Like an episode of Chopped, the EP shows what Spaventi can do with a handful of familiar ingredients. "Missing Sunlight" stays close to his adopted home of Amsterdam, namely its lush deep house sound, rather than looking to the American Midwest. A sleepy-eyed synth lead waddles leisurely, while sticky chords coat the background in warm sunset colours. It's propulsive but relaxed, something to soundtrack the easygoing vibes of a Sunday afternoon dance party.
For anyone craving a hearty Chicago dish, the flipside has you covered. The gliding, acid-flecked "Falla!" and "Balla!" are two peas in a pod: the former is more breezy, while the latter gets jacking without losing its chilled vibe. Even Spaventi's acid squelches feel svelte and shapely, with all the edges carefully rounded. Balla! sounds comfortable, the kind of record that feels too worn-in to be new. That, along with its cool confidence, is why Spaventi's traditionalist inclinations are more interesting than most.
TracklistA1 Missing Sunlight
B1 Falla! (Made Out)
B2 Balla! (Aho Balla)