The Rare Groove Project EP by Erik Rico
Eric Rico's reinterpretations of classic 1980s tracks offer a nostalgic look back to a time when music was pure and artists were innovators.
Following up on his collab with C.Boogie, "How it feels (to be loved)," Erik Rico returns to Cosmocities with a very special trio of funk-drippin', smooth hustlin' covers of groove rarities from Matt Soulie's vinyl collection, plus remixes courtesy of a very special array of talents including Gerd, DJ Nature, and Aroop Roy.
Boogie to the bone, this new EP oozes pure low-slung sensuality and honeyed coastal vibrations. Kicking things off with a pumped-up revisit of Star Lighters' "Disco Funk," Rico amps up the slap bass's levels of infectiousness and percussive punch to straight-out-of-incendiary levels. Franklyn's 1987 burner "Future Love" gets a massive facelift as Rico turns the original's soulful croon into a sheer explosive slice of FX-drenched electroid boogie and P-funk'y hedonism, both ebulliently funky and romantically fun. Another gem from about the same era (it was released in 1986), P.J. City's "Straight Forward" becomes a brass-heavy churner, stacked to the rafters with exuberant trumpets, suave vox hoodoo and a proper electrifying groove.
On the remix side, house and jazz funk expert Aroop Roy teleports "Disco Funk" into jacking house territory, injecting the original with a heavy-duty, bass-heavy pulse and dreamy, nostalgic pads, which shall make it a perfect DJ companion for the summer season ahead. In the hands of NYC vibist DJ Nature, "Future Love" proves a deadly slow-burner, lushly adorned with heavy-lidded synth melodies and playful bass conduction. Primed for sluggish after-moments and laid-back meet-ups on the dance floor.
Last but far from least, Gerd tops that gleeful boogie orgy with a pair of hi-NRG remixes bound for optimal peak-time traction. Boasting a killer groove and instant-classic chorus, his eargasmic two-part house mix summons the finest of early Chicago rhythms and welds it onto a further muscular chassis, whereas the classic remix serves up a funkier menu of easy-going riffs and feel-good harmonics, flush with brassy melodic shine and late 70s disco va-va-voom.
Erik Rico - The Rare Groove Project EP
Release Date June 2025
Label Cosmocities Records
Tracklist
A1. Erik Rico vs. P.J. City - Straight Forward
A2. Erik Rico vs. P.J. City - Straight Forward (Gerd House Mix parts 1 & 2)
A3. Erik Rico vs. Franklyn - Future Love
B1. Erik Rico vs. Franklyn - Future Love (DJ Nature Remix)
B2. Erik Rico vs. Star Lighters - Disco Funk
B3. Erik Rico vs. Star Lighters - Disco Funk (Aroop Roy Burning Vision)
+ digital only: Erik Rico vs. P.J. City - Straight Forward (Gerd remix)