When it comes to house music, just how slow can you go? That's a question that Tokyo-based deep house producer Hirofumi Goto is toying with on the title track of his latest 12-inch, which crawls along at a sedate 86 BPM. You might think that this is a little slow to be a dance floor cut, but "Beginning of the Ring"'s sturdy kick and probing bass tone that appears every couple of bars give it a certain punch that makes up for its lack of pace. Looped strings and a sulty, submerged female vocal only add to its hypnotic head-nodding vibe, making it suitable for both a relaxed warm-up and the more strung-out early morning sets. While it might be difficult to slot into more of a peak time situation, DJs who are looking to slow things down and beatmix hip-hop with house should find it a handy tool.
After such an unorthodox and well executed A-side, it's a shame to find Goto offering up two fairly run-of-the-mill tracks on the flipside, which are much closer to funky house than the rich, grooving cuts that he's issued on the Still Music and Aesthetic Audio imprints. The simple percussive backbone to both "In One's Mind" and "Like a Child" just feels stiff, and neither possess any of the subtle nuances and sample choices that he's certainly capable of. If you're looking to go slo-mo, I'd wholeheartedly recommend picking this 12-inch up, but otherwise you're best exploring his—up until now—consistently impressive back catalogue.
Tracklist: Rondenion - Beginning of the Ring
A Beginning of the Ring
B1 In One's Mind
B2 Like a Child
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