Made at Cielo: D. Ramirez

Cielo: Fri 1

The British producer Dean Marriott isn’t nearly as well known in the U.S. as his history would suggest—and that’s probably fine by him. The man has been plugging away at his craft since the mid-’90s, when he and studio partner Neil Hinde joined forces as the Lisa Marie Experience. The pair scored a major U.K. chart hit with “Keep on Jumpin’,” a remake of the disco smash from Musique that scored big with lovers of glossy, none-too-deep beats. In the process, Marriott and Hinde more or less invented the concept of “funky house”: Top of the Pops appearances and high-profile remixes ensued, and a jet-setting career spinning at the world’s shiny superclubs seemed all but inevitable.

But then, as the funky-house sound became a bête noir among lovers of “serious” club music, something happened: Around the turn of the millennium, Marriott’s dark side (or at least a darker side) took over. Creating his current D. Ramirez persona, he headed straight for the underground, creating nicely sleazy tech-house that was more suited to a sweaty after-hours basement party than a tropical nightclub terrace. The recent D. Ramirez single “Time Fades Away” (coproduced with James Mowbray) is a good starting point for Ramirez neophytes; the digitally processed vocal, “Blue Monday”–referencing stuttered kick drum and scuzzy-yet-catchy synth riff may not win many points for originality, but the tune will definitely get bodies out on the dance floor. It’s late-night music for sure, but with a poppy, fizzy aftertaste.

—Bruce Tantum