Washerman / Raw Poet
CD / Digital
Drumpoet Community / Released September 2013
If there’s one way to describe this collection it’s simply complex. As the cover and overarching sound may suggest, it’s very much a case of harnessing that raw (to borrow from the name) house sound that could namecheck many great DJs in the genre- from Sneak to Phil Weeks- and seeing exactly what can be done if it’s stripped back even more.
Using nothing other than a Roland 909, a Juno 60 and a few other bits of kit that were (probably, in our Romantic minds) just lying around at the time, Washerman, AKA Gianni Siravo, has crafted (evidently with much love) an LP that not only works in this era where notably rough and ready house production is riding high, but a record that manages to avoid sounding like a cliche eager to get involved with all that business.
Instead, we’re given a collection of work that has timbre, textures and depth in abundance, albeit still very much with a less is more approach to serving up wholesome four fours. Whether it’s the smattering of understated-yet-effective organs on Imagination, or the deep techiness of Distant Planet, every track represents its micro-canon perfectly, making for a genuinely enriching experience whether you’re a seasoned veteran or newcomer. Nodding to Swayzak, early-Daft Punk, piano house, Detroit soul and more, it would be remarkably good even if you didn’t know how limited the production process had been. Staggeringly impressive stuff then.
