Retrospective (1998 - 2010) [LP]

MFN Recordings presents the label's debut release in the form of a special double-vinyl retrospective from one of the more singular and under-appreciated characters to emerge from the late 90's West Coast house scene: Rithma.Born Etienne Stehelin and raised in Topanga, Los Angeles, Rithma came to electronic music via jazz and rock guitar, citing Miles Davis as a major influence. His earliest experiments were initially pressed independently, before a string of releases on esteemed labels such as Tweekin, Beau Monde, Fiji, and Outergaze established him as a distinctive voice in the US underground. Rithma's music never sat comfortably in one box. House, techno, funk, breaks, psychedelia, and jazz-informed musicianship all found their way into his productions, often with a mischievous, wonky, and slightly surreal edge.This retrospective goes way back, bringing together ten sought-after tracks from the formative years between 1998 and 2010, all lovingly remastered by Martin Iveson (aka Atjazz). Initially appearing on small, influential, and now defunct labels, the tracks here have since become increasingly difficult to find on their original vinyl pressings. Together they reveal the breadth of Rithma's early work: deep and hypnotic one moment, playful and funky the next, with a strong sense of groove running through everything.