Following his hugely well received 2019 album Meditation, Ritz is back in album mode for 2020 with the superb 12 track collection titled 44. The output from Ricardo over the last several years has been nothing short of astonishing. The attention to detail and the sheer quality are simply breath-taking. Each track he produces carries a unique identity and he is able to shift between multiple genres, while retaining the essence of house music. It’s no mistake that this album is titled 44, Ricardo is a Generation X baby, born in 1976, which is also the title of the album’s opener, and this year will mark his 44th birthday. It’s a pleasure once again to be releasing another album from this hugely talented artist, so make sure you get this one added to your collection.

The album kicks off with the intro, 1976, a jazz fuelled groove with a rich and hypnotic vibe, the perfect start to the journey. Takeoff follows with its unconventional signature, swirling, mesmerizing pads and warm lush basses. NYC Conversation is up next, delivering a punchy deep house groove complete with intriguing spoken vocal, a very much character driven track. This is proceeded with Afterglow, a pure deep house groover with an analogue charm that will definitely get the floors rocking. Demure dishes out an upfront, fresh sound with striking synths and a deep bass offering while Birds & Fireflies takes us on a superb, deep ride filled with surreal atmospherics and a solid plucky bass. Moving past the midway point of the album, we find the cosmic, mind bending Ecstatic with its lean towards classic acid lines and warm pads. No Way Of Coming Back goes straight for that late-night vibe. Super tight beats, driving groove and infectiously melodic pads. Can We Do That Again follows, taking a much deeper path filled with chunky beats and wonderfully lush, warm basses. Cool whispered vocals add intrigue along with sublime melodies. Glory Dayz heads straight for the discofied groove thanks to hi strings and cascading arps alongside a plucked bassline and rhythmic drums. The penultimate track, Cheerfulness gives a nod to the classic deep house style with a smooth analogue vibe. Punchy kicks and an evolving into 303 territory bassline, drive the groove as warm pads fill the spectrum. The outro, Landing, finishes up the album with a beautifully warm and laidback sequence filled with sweeping pads, lush bass and soft melodies, the perfect way to end.