Ricardo Villalobos

From 2000 through 2002, Villalobos delivered a slew of 12" releases primarily for Playhouse and Perlon, and in turn helped make those labels two the most revered German outlets for underground house music. Villalobos' profile outside the German and South American club scenes increased with a Wire magazine feature in which journalist Philip Sherburne neologized microhouse, placing Villalobos in a context with fellow sonic reducers Thomas Brinkmann, Vladislav Delay, and Jan Jelinek. Having worked strictly within the confines of 12" singles, Villalobos then set his sight on albums with dual dancefloor and home-listening appeal, releasing Alcachofa and Thé Au Harem d'Archimède, both critically adored statements across three pieces of vinyl (or the full capacity of a compact disc), respectively in 2003 and 2004. These were followed by Achso, a four-track double pack for Cadenza, operated by DJ and production collaborator Luciano, and Salvador, bundling the Frisbee Tracks output. More polarizing was the 2006 Playhouse offering Fizheuer Zieheuer, two leaner tracks, lasting a total of over 70 minutes, that took the producer's use of repetition to its highest level yet; Villalobos often used it as a foundation of his extended DJ sets, weaving other tracks through its vast spaces. Shortly thereafter, Villalobos set up a label of his own, Sei Es Drum, launched in 2007 with a like-titled triple album. The majority of his output to the end of the decade nonetheless continued to appear through other labels, most frequently Perlon, home to 2008's Vasco. Throughout the 2000s, Villalobos was also behind four additional mix albums: Love Family Trax, Taka Taka, Green & Blue (a two-CD release with Loco Dice on mix duties for disc one), and Fabric 36, its setlist filled out by Villalobos' own productions and remixes.

From 🇩🇪 Germany