Always Moving by Black Loops

Black Loops distils a lifetime of making music into Always Moving, a debut album full of personality and ambition on Freerange Records

The Italian goes way beyond dance floor tools with guest musicians and vocalists including Harvey Sutherland, Byron the Aquarius and Marlena Dae Black Loops is an endlessly creative producer who has brought constant invention to house music since his first release over a decade ago. His widescreen sounds take their cues from funk, soul and disco and are underpinned by a love of 90s grooves. They appeal to DJs and dancers alike which explains his constant demand for DJ sets around the world as well as his music being played and supported by the biggest names in the scene. After many years of vital 12"s and remixes, he now draws on everything he has learned and raises his levels with a fully realised debut full length.

"This album represents a step forward, an opportunity to craft something more musical and intricate, both in terms of arrangement and melody," says the artist, who draws on his roots as a drummer and lays down most of the kit and percussion parts himself. The majority of the album tracks were played live to give them an organic, improvised and personalised touch, with resulting jams reworked and reshaped where necessary over the last year. Because of that fluidity, Always Moving works in many settings. The mix of hooky vocals and compelling drums ground the record with a human feel, as do the collaborations with the guest musiciansBlack Loops has long admired.

The blissed-out broken beats of CDMX kick things off in soulful style, there's a deeper funk to Mamao (a tribute to the hugely influential Azymuth drummer Ivan Conti) and Detroit Love Letter featuring Byron The Aquarius is a warm and gooey deep house cut with majestic chords gelling the mix together. Marlena Dae isan emerging and hugely talented singer based in Berlin and features on tracks including the Metro Area-style disco bounce of Electrical and LSD as well as the weighty deep house of Experience. She also adds her stylish and seductive tones to Pleasure Ride on which Harvey Sutherland features with some cosmic synth work.

The rest of this most intimate and heartfelt record features the boogie tinged retro-future synth glow of Synesthesia, dusty drums and twinkling late-night keys of Time Space Matter and leggy downbeat lushness of Intercourse. The lo-fi and left-field Dilla-esque drums of Slow Jamz and
oved-up strings and warm, bass guitar groove of Good Bye Berlin close down the record in a tender fashion.

Always Moving is an artistic triumph that blends a personal and musical approach to production with lived-in grooves that warm the body and soul.

Riccardo Paffetti aka Black Loops has, over the past decade, steadily earned a reputation as a dedicated and innovative force in house music.

With his debut album ready and set for release on Freerange in the first half of 2025, Black Loops is entering an exciting new chapter in his career.