For electronic musician Rodriguez Jr. (real name Olivier Mateu), success has certainly not come overnight. His globally recognised persona is a product of multiple decades of late nights in the studio and on the road, and now releasing his third career studio album, he has brought one of his best sounding productions to date. The 8-track record titled Blisss, is not just his third in total, but his third album release with renowned Berlin-based imprint Mobilee Records, who having released works
from Squire, Lazarusman, Ursula Rucker and Rey&Kjavik in 2020 alone, are undoubtably a mainstay for German club music. The tracklist gathers a number of different influences, from the heart warming strings on the record’s title track to the dusty break textures that dominate Haussmann, there should be something for most people. One notable feature is the vocals of Liset Alea, who delivers top line duties on two different tracks. She brings a pop-tinged approach to the writing that doesn’t step over the line of being distasteful, but adds just enough to the marketability of the record as a whole. When discussing the project, Mateu added “Blisss, is before anything, a decision to enjoy myself in the studio and use the palette of different ingredients and creative methods of working that I’ve collected in the past 25 years of producing music.”
Where to start:
‘Blisss’ – Smooth acid rhythms paired with uplifting string arrangements
‘Santa Cruz’ – Light drum samples and filter-controlled basslines
‘Haussmann’ – Gritty breaks, roaring bass and arpeggiating melodies
Previous from Rodriguez Jr:
Baobab LP (2017, Mobilee Records)
Bittersweet LP (2011, Mobilee Records)
If you like this then check out:
Einmusik – Serenade LP (2017, Einmusika)
Oliver Schories – Paradigm LP (2020, Pracht)
Rodriguez Jr. – Blisss LP is out now on Mobilee Records.