Over the last five years, the Montreal-based producer formerly known as Richie G has been on one. Now known to the general public as Richey, the 20-year-old got his start as a 15-year-old studying under electronic music legend John Digweed, telling THUMP that he got his start doing mixes for Digweed's radio show and releases a few EPs on his label. That start moved onto a number of heights for the house and techno producer, from winning a Guy Gerber remix contest in 2012 to getting remixes in for Hot Since 82, Booka Shade and The Freestylers.
Like all good artists do, though, a change was in order, and on Richey's new, free EP, Call Cali, any proverbial shackles are off from his sound. In an effort to show appreciation for his new fans, he throws out five high-quality bangers that are perfect for whatever sexy escapades you have lined up for this summer. Standouts like "Oh Hey Uh" take a number of sultry vocals and throw them in a round over some enticing bass kicks. "Rastafara" brings a Carribean vibe to the mix, letting the dancehall-flavored vocals and bright percussion work their magic. The title track is a harder, weighty groove, with an "oh baby" that will be stuck in your head for the rest of your summer.
If you look at Richey's career so far, it's like the first five years have been a fire apprenticeship of sorts; he got in with some of the greats of the scene, got his weight up, and most importantly, understood that he can strike out on his own. Richey's making waves and doing it with no restrictions; you have to respect that. Someone call Cali; we've got some jamming to do.
