Artist: Casa Flava
Title: De Moma De
Label: Plastic Fantastic
By: Simon Jones | 8 May 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Inua Mix
• B: Dust To Dust Mix

Casa Flava "De Moma De"

Casa Flava is the collective duo of Olivier Berger and Stan Kolev, and between them have recorded under guises including Casa Bulga, as well as several others. Both of them have earned a reputation as djs over in the US with Olivier being resident at BED in Miami, as well as occasionally appearing at Arc in New York. Meanwhine Stan regularly plays at the Opium Gardens and Mint in Miami, showcasing his unique sound to a crowd that is always up for it wherever he goes, such are the people of Miami. Casa Flava is their latest project, from which 'De Moma De' comes, and with several mixes to choose from, here's what the original 12" offers...

First up comes the 'Inua Mix', starting off with a deep echoing drum loop, slowly building the mood as the the ethnic-influence vocal trickles to the surface for the first time, growing in dominance. Whilst this is going on, a twisted percussive groove is slithering it's way through the undergrowth as drum arrangements and downtempo sounds pepper the interlude, building to a rocking break where the vocal drowns out everything, with a rough kick drum outro topping things off.

The 'Dust To Dust Mix' takes a different approach, rolling drum snares locking together to create a rattling percussive groove as eerie synths add depth, creating an echoing void within which the dramatic vocal shimmers. Building up and dropping through a series of breaks, this twists and turns like a cobra homing in for the kill, but just lacks that bite.

A powerful release for sure, but comparisons to such tracks as 'Baguio Track' and 'Aphrodite' are inevitable, and as such, you will probably think we've been here before. If dark and ethnic tracks are still your bag you'll like this, but otherwise there's not much more to it worth picking it up for.