Ladonna Rama explores the nuance of that classic deep house sound with “Get Up On It”. They adhere to the four to the floor rule with such diligence that it becomes an undeniably joyous world. Within these two mixes the way that the sound is stretched, distorted, and disoriented gives it a lush sheen. Almost a Jekyll and Hyde situation, one opts for the light while the other embraces a late-night club experience. By layering things and allowing the sounds plenty of room to roam the whole of the atmosphere gains a sultry, smokey vibe to it.
References to the sound abound throughout the whole of the collection. The poppy take on house definitely draws a bit from Disclosure’s undeniable love of a late 80s/early 90s crate-digging glee. For the flip side, the club influences go far deeper. Hypnotic rhythms bring to mind the subtle and sophisticated work of the Field in terms of the evolution of the sound. Ladonna Rama ensures that every detail matter in this stripped-down, raw, and intimate setting. Going for the truly immersive experience a bit of DJ Sprinkle’s unique output informs both of the pieces as well, for there is an inviting quality to the sophistication.
For the “Get Up On It (Around The Back Mix)” there is a decadence to the way the flourishes pop. The bass has a nice heavy quality to it for the synthesizer pulses on throughout, giving it a new beat quality to it. Such intense desire ties the entirety of the piece together, right down to those yearning vocals that contain so much want. Lyrics do their work in further emphasizing a need for togetherness which nicely summarizes the experience of so many in this very moment.
If “Get Up On It (Around The Back Mix)” is the yearning, then “Get Up On It (He Said She Said Mix)” is the satisfaction of that yearning. The way the sound cycles on through gives it a meditative house spirit to it. Various elements are tweaked just so to get the full surreal experiences. Within the vast waves of sound there are moments that truly stun. Perhaps my own quibble would be how it is just shy of that magical seven-minute duration for a lot of early house tracks, but besides that it is a delight. Even the vocoders add to the delirium of the track.
“Get Up On It” shows off the deft skill of Ladonna Rama in bringing the old school and new school dancefloor grooves into a soul-satisfyingly good time.
