Santiago Forteza – Three Butterflies [Dopamine White]

Nikko.Z's Dopamine White opens the month of April by welcoming Santiago Forteza to the label for his debut EP. Based in Buenos Aires, the Argentinean artist first emerged in 2018 with a contribution to Soundteller Records' popular 'Vibrant Vibeland' series. The next two years saw Santiago make great strides as he went on to appear on D-Formation's Beatfreak Recordings and Michael A's Genesis Music, while earning support from some of the underground's key tastemakers. With 2021 being a quiet year for Santiago, he now begins 2022 in impressive fashion with his Dopamine White debut entitled 'Three Butterflies'.

Spread across four tracks, it's the rolling sounds of the title selection which get the EP underway. Dark and mysterious from the outset, its punchy low end and rippling rhythms provide momentous drive, while airy hooks and haunting atmospheres fill in the framework. Tranquil arps rise as the first act evolves, before an expansive break adds further shine to the lead, as a tension-filled drum roll cues a powerful drop and huge finale. The second selection 'Moon Light' surveys a similar design profile but with a further lean into hypnotic territory. Beginning with a warm mountainous groove, the piece evolves with buoyant rhythms, feathered percussion and a playful lead-line carrying into the main break. Meandering melodies and swirling textures melt down to a shimmering array of arps, as the interlude reaches a quiet calm, elevating emotion onwards to a classy drop and purring final movement.

The EP's halfway point is marked by 'Regulus' which finds Santiago continuing to flex the groovy side of his repertoire. Bulbous beats and cascading bass stabs provide the foundation, while clattering percussion marries steam-like sweeps and rising tonal tension. Robotized vocals open the narrative further leading into the break, where kaleidoscopic arps eventually give way to a flurry of drums and a mesmerizing finale. The release concludes with 'Lucia' where Santiago explores a deeper more poignant narrative, without drifting too far from the mood set by its predecessors. Its full, rolling groove is perfectly carved with wavy contours and voluptuous swing, while spacious percussion and waves of cosmic artifacts further saturate your senses. Its melodic prowess proves irresistible as the break approaches, with spiralling arps taking centrestage and ultimately leading to the EP's most emotive moment, as glowing pads and heartfelt chord stabs unite for a calming apex. It rounds out an inspired collection of music from Santiago Forteza, making for an excellent debut on Nikko.Z's Dopamine White.

Buy: https://bit.ly/3jJBySE

Release Date: 08-04-2021

Release Promo: http://releasepromo.com

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