Album: Duke of Weird EP
Artist: Renato Cohen
Genre: #RPM
Sub-genre: #DiscoHouse
Label: Sincopat
Non-Airable Tracks: NONE
Description: In my opinion, after Justice abandoned the sound that they created for their Grammy nominated debut album, Cross, it seemed like they left an empty space that no one has been able to fill. After 11 years of waiting, I think that a possible contender has come along to fill that void. Renato Cohen’s new EP, Duke of Weird, establishes the Brazilian DJ as someone to look out for.
The EP opens with the title track, which sounds like an updated version of deadmau5 and Steve Duda’s collab, “This Is The Hook,” which is a track that is entertaining albeit repetitive. Unlike “This Is The Hook,” however, “Duke of Weird” makes a mistake in choosing a bass that doesn’t elevate the complex bass line. Although the opening track may have had a couple missteps, the other two originals help make up for it. “Morse Song” takes a larger leap of faith by experimenting with offbeat synth patterns reminiscient to Hot Chip’s “Boy From School.”
“Morse Song” also avoids using too much repetition by subtly shifting the sound at a comfortable rate that makes the 7 and a half minutes fly by. There is also a remix of the track by Dave Seaman, but it doesn’t add anything new and feels like a downgrade from the original. The closing track, “Relinche,” may be the longest one, clocking in at around 9 minutes, but it is hands down the most entertaining of them all. With evolving drum patterns, twinkling synths, metallic chimes and a groovy bass guitar, “Relinche” definitely captures some of the magic that the old Justice had.
Overall, the Duke of Weird EP is a good effort. The title track may have made a couple mistakes, and I could’ve gone without Dave Seaman’s remix of “Morse Song”, but I believe that with a little more improvement, Renato Cohen will be able to fill in Justice’s old shoes and hopefully expand their original sound further.
Rating: 7/10
Sounds Like: Justice, deadmau5, Hot Chip
Recommended Tracks:
Morse Song
Relinche
Reviewer’s Name: Nick Ramos
Date Reviewed: 09/25/2018