The latest offering from RKP finds label boss Ruben Karapetyan returning for a new single. Since returning to the world of electronic music in 2020, Armenia born, Los Angeles based artist Ruben Karapetyan has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in the progressive house arena. With a sound that carefully balances a retro-modern style, Ruben has racked up a superlative string of releases for a host of revered imprints in Clubsonica, Mango Alley and The Soundgarden, in turn earning praise from the genre’s tastemakers. Seemingly in perpetual motion across 2024 while performing alongside Guy Mantzur, Hernan Cattaneo and Nick Warren, it was ‘Cosmic Dot’, recorded alongside Albanian phenom Maze 28 and released via Mango Alley which proved to be the year’s highlight. The near eight minute peak time offering enjoyed a three month stay in Beatport’s progressive house sales chart, while also being recognized by the outlet as one of the genre’s best tracks in their curated playlist “Best Progressive House 2024”, an accolade which reaffirms Ruben’s place amongst the genre’s leading artists. Now as 2024 approaches its second quarter, Ruben returns to his RKP imprint for his first single of the year ‘Moai’, alongside remixes from Hernan Cattaneo & Mercurio, Maze 28 and MakhmuriaN.
Shrouded in mystery as a highlight of Ruben’s sets across the second half of 2024, ‘Moai’ lands with equal amounts of anticipation and exhilaration. Complete with dark textures and cutting edge design qualities, the Los Angeles resident expertly blends warm kick drums and full shapely grooves, with buzzing synth mutations, fragmented melodies and rolling rhythmic structures for an exhilarating journey into the break. Further revealing his creative attitude across the interlude, it’s a field of deconstructed vocals and emotive melodies which marry beautifully for a healthy dose of melodic tension, before a vortex of modulation reveals an uplifting finale.
Providing the fist interpretation of ‘Moai’ are Hernan Cattaneo and Mercurio. Needing little introduction and simply known as the maestro, Hernan Cattaneo is one of the world’s most beloved DJs and his Sudbeat Music imprint is widely regarded as one of the best in its field. With a career that spans over three decades, Hernan Cattaneo has triumphantly championed the progressive house sound across eleven albums, thirty singles and fifty remixes, all while touring the world delighting passionate music lovers with his impeccable taste and exquisite programming skills. Meanwhile, hailing from Italy but now calling Spain home, Mercurio first emerged two decades ago with a pair of releases for Flow Vinyl and Vapour Recordings, before going on to make his Sudbeat debut a decade later as part of the label’s popular ‘Sudbeats’ compilation series. A creative partnership with Sudbeat boss Hernan Cattaneo would soon follow as the duo recorded joint singles and remixes for Cercle, Meiosis, Sudbeat and DAR, the latter of which would highlight 2024’s summer season. Now, continuing their creative partnership into 2025, Hernan and Mercurio combine their extensive forces for RKP, putting their own unique spin on ‘Moai’. Opting for a sleek yet peak hour approach, the duo carefully balances the mood and vibe from the Original with their own timeless style. Evoking energy and emotion throughout, its soaring overlays, key changing grooves and hypnagogic motifs unveil a semi-conscious dreamland of effervescent sonics and reprocessed vocals, before a finale of mesmerizing melodic progression.
Returning to the label for the second interpretation of ‘Moai’ is Maze 28. Hailing from Albania, Mario Zefi aka Maze 28 has become one of the most hotly tipped progressive house artists that the underground has to offer. In just three short years the Durres resident has earned support from genre tastemakers Hernan Cattaneo and Nick Warren, while his melodic creations have found a home on Clubsonica, Juicebox Music and Mango Alley, the latter of which operates as his primary home. RKP has also been a landing spot for the talented Albanian, with October of 2023 marking his label debut with ‘This Is Just a Dream’. Remixed by Hernan Cattaneo and Marcelo Vasami, the track quickly rose to the number one position in both the label and artist’s Beatport sellers, where it still sits today. 2024 would see Maze 28 deliver his first original production for RKP, August’s timeless chart breaker ‘Red Lights From Afar’. Now, returning for his second remix, the Albanian talent puts his distinctive stamp on ‘Moai’. Bringing a contemporary state of mind, Maze 28 reassembles the themes from the original for his own uniquely tailored approach. Granular hits, haunting vocal motifs and a finale of balmy melodies co-ax perfectly atop muscular kick drums and key changing grooves, for what results in a tasteful rendition that’s perfect for the dancefloor.
The release concludes with MakhmuriaN returning to the label for third and final remix of ‘Moai’ Hailing from Armenia, Arshavir Makhmuryan aka MakhmuriaN began his journey into electronic music as a DJ first, quickly becoming a fixture of Yerevan's vibrant nightlight and in turn sharing the stage with Alex Niggemann, D-Formation, Robert Babicz and Space Motion, amongst others. Arshavir's next step was to hone his production skills, eventually forming the Doperfect duo in 2017, before eventually moving forward under his distinctive MakhmuriaN moniker. With a sound that sits in the creative space between progressive and melodic house & techno, MakhmuriaN has showcased his music via Cafe De Anatolia, Movement Limited, Somatique and his own Dialogue of Sounds imprint which acts as his primary home. Also no stranger to RKP, MakhmuriaN would record a single and a remix for the label across 2024’s final quarter. Continuing to build on this creative partnership into 2025, the Armenian talent returns to the imprint, lending his creative vision to ‘Moai’. Adding further depth to the release, MakhmuriaN opts for an approach that is both percussive and uplifting, focusing on a dynamic blend of exotic drums, bucolic pads and warm chugging grooves, while tastefully incorporating the original's distinctive sonic traits, sealing what is a poignant journey to round out the release in style.
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Release Date: 27-03-2025
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