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Introducing Strategise
Strategise is the brainchild of South London producer Richard Acosta. He makes delicate singer songwriter type ballads to the sounds of hard rave and downtempo electronic music. Something which shouldn’t necessarily work, yet fantastically make for a great new sound in pop.
Now residing in London after travelling and spending several years in South America as well as being born in the Canary Islands to Spanish and English parents go some way to explain the great genre fusion which abounds through Acosta’s music, which debuts with double A single ‘Stay Out/ Turn’ through his own Exit Strategy label on June 11.
After a typical apprenticeship fronting indie bands in his teenage years Richard eventually sang in an unknown band which experimented with samples and drum loops which began his fascination and hybrid style of indie vocals on top of electronic music. Learning his way around Pro Tools and Logic Richard explains that, “It's all done by me, in my home studio but I have a live set up too which includes a great team of people including a VDJ, keyboardist and a fantastic drummer, so I can’t wait to start booking in some shows soon.”
On to the debut release and what you first notice about Strategise and lead track ‘Stay Out’ is a feeling of nostalgia (if you’re old enough to remember the rave years of 88-92) and if not a sense of something very exciting charging through your speakers. The hazy intro of 'Stay Out' soon descends into a hard kick of synth warfare, crashing along like a club classic until its final lift into rave territory.
Altogether more chilled, 'Turn' taps into a new energy as it weaves in and out of dreamy passages held together with a distinctive beat. With influences ranging from DJ Shadow to the Doors, dark sounds are the order of the day here and offer a thrilling indication of a very exciting emerging artist. This is the first of two releases planned for 2012. So watch this space as Strategise begin to plot their new world order of music.