RAFA SANTOS Vinilo y CD

Review: So far Spanish label Mate has showcased the sounds of Gari Romalis, Rafa Santos, Javonntte and Jesus Gonsev, and now the third installment brings another smartly picked split from Reggie Dokes and Manuel Costela working alongside Santos. Dokes is sounding fly on the A side, not least in the tumbling glass keys of "Walk In The Light" and oh-so-sweet strings of "Cause A Stir". Costela and Santos settle into the groove on the flip with the soul-charged "Driving To The East" and the uplifting snap of "Rise On Chords". This is tasteful deep house in the vein of labels like Downbeat and Sistrum - all machine soul seekers take note.

Review: Spanish label Mate kicked off in style with Javonntte and Jesus Gonsev, and now it's back once again with another smart pairing of high class house heads. The ever prolific Gari Romalis is all over the A side with the upfront pep of "No Way Around A Groove" and the late night shuffle of "Start The Game (Detroit On The Move)". Rafa Santos lands on the flip with the romantic lilt of "Love Song" and sweet, subtly kinked synths coursing through the centre of "Mystic Voyage". It's another fine combination of artists offering up highly workable contemporary deep house jams for discerning spinners.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight dent on the run in grove of the record, box damaged, product in perfect working order***


Selections mark the milestone of making it to a 10th release with Mate Records founder and Madrid mainstay Rafa Santos serving up his unique deep house sounds. Santos has been around a while now, with EPs dating back over a decade on the likes of Greta Plan but mostly on his own label since 2019. He brings elements of funk and soul to his house and it is well-versed in the traditional sounds of New York and Chicago. Never overproduced and with just the right amount of raw, all four of these pair competing drum programming with emotive synth work that both soothes you and moves you on the dance floor.

Review: Selections mark the milestone of making it to a 10th release with Mate Records founder and Madrid mainstay Rafa Santos serving up his unique deep house sounds. Santos has been around a while now, with EPs dating back over a decade on the likes of Greta Plan but mostly on his own label since 2019. He brings elements of funk and soul to his house and it is well-versed in the traditional sounds of New York and Chicago. Never overproduced and with just the right amount of raw, all four of these pair competing drum programming with emotive synth work that both soothes you and moves you on the dance floor.

Review: Rafa Santos is here to blow away the winter blues with a seriously sunny dose of deep house finery on his own label Mate. 'High Voltage' deals in melancholic pads and strings with a classic TR727-esque beat, all Latin drum machine percussion pattering out the groove underneath the heavy-hearted soul. 'My Life Is A Bassline' is a slightly chirpier jam, but the mood is still resolutely deep and reflective like you would expect from Santos. 'Back To The Dancefloor' shakes things up with a more decidedly uptempo workout that looks optimistically ahead to a better time for dance music, and then 'Just One Way' completes the set with another supremely classy deep house workout.

Review: Spanish label Mate welcomes a couple of heavyweights in Rafa Santos and Franck Roger for a new deep house EP that shows the kids how it's done. It is Santos who serves up the originals starting with 'Where Is The Clubbing?' which has depth but also drive - rich pads swirl about over the supple kicks and clipped vocals bring the soulful little hooks. French maestro Franck Roger remixes with a little more swing and a stripped-back, late-night feel that is sprinkled with cosmic dust. On the flip, 'Smooth Jazz' is just that over cuddly beats as star-gazing piano tinkles and sombre sax notes bring real class. 'Don't Fool Me' shuts down with plenty of Chez Damier-style weight in the kicks and steaminess in the female vocals.