Lee Foss - Masta Blasta

Lee Foss
Masta Blasta EP
MEXA RECORDS

Burgeoning label, MEXA Records, hails from the border city of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, where founders Louie Fresco and Jay Blakk (Climbers) call home. Despite its lack of notoriety, Mexicali has, over recent years, developed into a spawning ground for up-and-coming producers and ambitious young labels. MEXA is the product of a deep and genuine desire to put Mexico and its artists on the international dance community’s radar. So far, Louie Fresco and Climbers have already made impressive impacts on the scene, signing tracks with labels like No. 19 Music and Culprit respectively. However, the time has come for their label to soak up the spotlight as they release their first EP, Masta Blasta, featuring one of their strongest influences, Lee Foss.

For the title track, “Masta Blasta,” Lee Foss utilizes panning vocal play along with an interesting sample from a YouTube video (after which the release was named) to fill space around the main focus of the track, the bassline. Hints of golden-era RnB vocal snippets start things off and are scattered throughout, adorning the track with the true Lee Foss signature sound.

Hot Creations’ cohort Richy Ahmed is on remix duty and deepens the groove by injecting an alternative bassline and arrangement. By employing a slight reduction in tempo and a more sparse use of Foss’ original sample work, Ahmed delivers a perfect compliment to the original. The result would nearly feel like an entirely new track were Ahmed to have not hung on to Foss’ central sample stem.

For the B-side “Brooklyn in the House,” Foss introduces a more disco-tinged flavor to the mix, generating something that rivals the title track as the standout of the release. From the string sample to the hypnotizing bassline, this track gives the EP a strong, impressionable finish, ensuring that MEXA’s debut release will not go unnoticed.

The Masta Blasta EP will be available April 23 on Beatport.

Listen to Lee Foss on Pulse Radio.