RON TRENT Vinyl & CDs

Review: We all know and love Ron Trent as a house music maestro, but as his elevated productions have betrayed over the years, his chops reach well beyond the simple demands of functional club stuff. In line with his more eclectic output, What Do The Stars Say To You heralds his WARM project in a frankly stunning burst of musicality that harks back to the glory days of 70s and 80s studio prowess. This is still music driven by a groove, but it's certainly not a house by numbers affair. Instead you get soaring violin solos (from Jean Luc Ponty no less), infinte threads of nimble keys work and enough downtempo, slinky grooves to buffet a yacht from the Balearics to the Florida Keys and back again. Featuring members of Azymuth, Gigi Masin and Khruangbin amongst others, this is a return to the craft of exquisite album making, as handled by a true master in his field.

Review: Over the years, Ron Trent has released some fine albums, all of which have subtly expanded on his trademark soul-flecked, percussion-rich deep house sound. On What Do The Stars Say To You, his first new full-length excursion in 11 years, the Chicago native has taken a different approach, utilising his occasional WARM alias on a stunning set that abandons dancefloor-pleasing in favour of immersive, evocative and ultra-deep blends of ambient, downtempo, jazz-funk and electronica. It's a genuinely brilliant album all told, with a string of impressive guest musicians - including Ivan Conti and Alex Malheiros of Azymuth, electric jazz pioneer Jean-Luc Ponty, psychedelic Balearic specialists Khrungbin and Italian ambient maestro Gigi Masin - all making brilliant contributions. In a word: exceptional!

Review: Ron Trent's 'Sensual' is a deep dive into evocative house music, filled with rich textures and a smooth, atmospheric vibe. The track epitomises Trent's mastery of blending soulful rhythms with hypnotic grooves. Its subtle layers and lush melodies create an immersive listening experience, balancing sensuality and funk with effortless grace. The track's warmth and smoothness allows you to drift into a state of relaxed euphoria. Trent's impeccable production shines through, creating an ambient yet driving energy that perfectly captures the essence of modern house music.

Review: Sacred Medicine, the carefully-honed joint project and label of Joaquin "Joe" Claussell and Ron Trent, deliver the second instalment in the label's soon-to-be bulging discography. The much-anticipated 'Magic Carnival', a song heavily programmed and tested by repetitious inclusion in their many DJ sets over the years, has finally been completed here and comes finalized in the form of this single-sided record; the format suggests we marvel at its singular majesty, which should not profess to be comparable to any alleged counterpart or B-side. 'Magic Carnival' builds and builds in a musical crescendo with signature musical elements pulsating all over the song to full impact. A relentless spiritual groove, and a special single-sided 12"

Review: The arrival of fresh material from Prescription co-founder Ron Trent is always cause for celebration. Happily, this new two track missive from the Chicago deep house legend more than delivers on its promise. A-side "Kinky City" is as melodious and musically rich as you'd expect, with Trent layering evocative vocals, spacey chords, tumbling synth-strings and bubbly electronic motifs on top of a snappy, analogue drum machine groove. He shows off his impeccable piano playing skills on the warm, rich and soulful flipside cut "Omi Tutu", which boasts slightly more organic sounding drum hits and a bassline that evokes memories of "Sueno Latino" and other similarly minded Italian dream house gems.

Review: While many have imitated, no one has ever really come close to crafting the sort of spiritually affective deep house that Ron Trent kicks out with apparent ease. 'Black Magic Woman' is a prime example - an ode to the power of the feminine form with vocals from Harry Dennis, most known for his previous work with Larry Heard. The original is a deep house epic with jazzy chords and organic drums, lashing of bass and spoken word musings from Dennis. The Joaquin edit & Overdubs version is more intense and bright and the Coflo remix is more soft, mellifluous and warm. Epic stuff with great artwork, too.

Review: LA-based band ASHRR picked up plenty of new fans with their recent Sunshine Low album and now they're back with the sixth single from it and it comes with some seriously heavyweight names on the remix. Chicago house pioneer Ron Trent does his thing to 'Please Don't Stop The Rain' by going super deep, spine tingling and heady with some lush arps and distant guitar twangs adding a Balearic feel. Dub treatments come from the Prescription boss himself, while ASHRR's alter ego, ASHRR Soundsystem, offer up an instrumental and a remix that lay down dubby house drums and lush chord work. This one keeps the summer vibes going well into winter.

Review: Individuality, Harmony, Wit.
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