#41 Feat. Staff Picks in Progressive House

A South American duo of considerable repute, Ric Niels & Tiefstone join forces to display their combined talents on Opposite / Mannheim. From the nature-rich Chaco province in northeast Argentina, Ric Niels has carved out a sizeable reputation with his dramatic and charismatic brand of progressive house. With a triple century of production credits to his name after a 2020 debut on Clinique Recordings, Rics work has been a staple of such blue-chip imprints as Praveen Acharys Juicebox Music, Paul Thomas UV and a half-century of credits for Mangos eponymously titled, Mango Alley. Moreover, May 2023 saw the Argentinean hit impressive heights with his Psyncopath / Pirate EP on Proportion. A select portfolio of immaculately crafted music has seen Juan Carlos Villalba flourish with his Tiefstone production moniker after early high-profile releases on John Digweeds Bedrock Records and Hernan Cattaneos Sudbeat Music in 2016 and 2017. Since then, the Brazilian artist has gone on to showcase his work on TFT Musik, Dear Deer White and fellow countryman D-Noxs Sprout, in July 2024. Joining forces for the first time on Marchs 2024s Abby EP, Sudbeat Music was the perfect vehicle for the duos flowing production style with the title track championed by El Maestro himself. Now returning for their first collaborative outing on Dmitry Moloshs label, Opposite is characterised by a deep flowing groove and hefty beat that provides the perfect vehicle for a cavernous and growling bassline to power through the low-end. Rising and falling with open-filtered aggression, a searing lead-line adds vibrancy aplenty alongside white-noise washes. A pause for breath at the breakdown sees the introduction of smooth and pulsating waves of textured pads make their presence felt before the track drops back into the sublime dancefloor cadence of early phases. Continuing the strong rhythmic narrative of its counterpart, Mannheim is another chunky bass-fuelled affair that drives relentlessly forward with chest-thumping kick and percussive groove. Before long, the rhythmic collage is juxtaposed with an array of effects and pad layers while a central melodic theme enters the fray at the mid-point with an immaculate and spine-tingling accent that is sure to provide dancefloor appeal. Layered with the metrical poise of earlier phrasing, the combination of melody, rhythm and deep bass sequence then plays out in the second half to mesmerising effect.

Tiefstone, Ric Niels