Cyphon Recordings welcome DJ, producer, musician and D.KO co-owner Flabaire for the fourth outing on the label.

At just 29, the Parisian artist -real name Ralph Maruani- already has a fair share of victories under his belt. On his acclaimed D.KO imprint, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, he’s released three albums and several EPs, as well as charting releases for Organic-Music, Deeppa Records and South Street. On top of his solo pursuits, you can find him playing bass with five-piece house band Secret Value Orchestra, and more recently he’s been exploring his formative love of psych-rock with his Aboukir project and readying a second album.

For his next solo EP he brings his beautifully affecting and nostalgic blend of electro, IDM and deep house to Cyphon. If there’s one thing Flabaire knows a thing or two about, it’s creating music that’s full of emotion and atmosphere, and that’s exactly what he does on ‘Entre-Deux’.

Wasting no time pulling at heartstrings, on opener ‘In Between’ he layers an electro drum beat over lush pads that beckon an iridescent synth line to rise up out of the haze. At the half-way mark a cowbell swings into action and the pads swell and glisten, making way for a squelchy 303 to bubble underneath the surface. ‘No Minding’ moves into softer realms, giving us a moment for contemplation. A serene blend of deep house and electronica, it’s paced by a warm bass bounce and shuffling percussion sprinkled with chopped vocal samples and bright keys.

Flabaire’s bass mastery continues on ‘Click Plok’, as does his deftness at producing delicate, gliding pads, which this time are punctuated by tight bleeps, gentle open hats and a meandering synth solo. The atmosphere is still just as palpable on closing track ‘FBG’. A balmy syncopated groove leads the charge, joined harmoniously by twinkling synth melodies that dance over dusty breakbeats and hushed vocal stutters.

DJ Feedback:

MAD MATS
Click Plok is really nice, small hours house music :)

DOMENIC CAPPELLO/ SUB CLUB
Click clock is a tune

MASSIMILIANO PAGLIARA / OSTGUT TON
Groovy!!

GREG WILSON
This is a bit spesh! X

KEVIN REYNOLDS
Click Plok is an absolute jam! That 909 shuffle, the pad and lead line are killer. Love it

RICHARD DORFMEISTER
The Flabaire-no minding version is the one for me …

RED RACK’EM
Digging the last 2 tracks on this - cosmic!

JASON KENDIG/ HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM
No Minding is the highlight here for me. FBG rounds things out with a wonky shuffle that seems like it will be fun to play out.

LARS BEHRENROTH/ DEEPER SHADES
Click Plok is a jam.

HECTOR ROMERO/ DEF MIX
Solid deep grooves on this EP.

CRAIG SMITH/ 6TH BOROUGH PROJECT
Solid EP. Clik Plok is the one on the selection

FRANK ROGER/ REAL TONE
Great release :-). No Minding is the 1 for me

LEE FOSS / FORRINER
Clik Plok is doing it for me!

SHANE JOHNSON / FISH GO DEEP
Love the big, wide sound going on here. All four tracks are working but the emotional electro of In Between and bright and breezy groove of No Minding are really grabbing me.

RALPH SESSION / HALF ASSED RECORDS
Interesting stuff. Diggin it.

DANNY ASHENDEN / SLOTHBOOGIE
Loving the first track!!

DAN COOK / POTATO HEAD BALI
Wow! Top notch E.P! Intricate and delicate production - Stand out track for me is definitely 'Click Plok'