East-London’s Riva Starr joins Louie Vega, Todd Terry, Harry Romero, Frankie Knuckles, Armand Van Helden and more as a Defected House Master - aiming to establish himself as one of the world’s top DJs and producers. Growing up surrounded by the rich musical culture of Southern Italy, his influences come from all over; the sounds of Africa, Greece, Spain and the Balkans are ever-present within his releases.
Genre-wise his approach is similarly expansive, first falling for breakbeat after years of experimentation in Naples, before arriving onto the UK fidget and deep house scene in the noughties. Years later, the Snatch! owner’s catalogue has released lots of club music this side of the millennium that’s been unrestricted by genre convention with eclectic samples and unpredictable references.
Riva Starr: “I have always regarded the House Masters series as the MBE of house music, so it's an incredible honour to have my music celebrated in this way. Each track tells a story, from the classics that inspired me to start making music, to the new and exciting sounds that are pushing the genre forward. I hope it will bring some good vibes to listeners around the world.”
Todd Terry, Mike Dunn, Groove Armada, Jocelyn Brown, Dennis Ferrer, Green Velvet, Harry Romero; the list of artists that feature in his eclectic discography is extensive, and throughout it all he maintains a sound that is Riva Starr.
‘Defected Presents House Masters - Riva Starr’ is out 28 April.
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