Even if they started off producing music during the first half of the 90s, Da Lata are still nifty enough to keep on ruling the dance floor. Their latest EP, Deixa (Drumagick Remixes), is a tiny, grooving tile nestled in the mosaic of their 20-year career. A music experience which powered up in 1994, in London, but has always caressed tropical and fusion grooves, mixing West African with, first of all, Brazilian sounds.

Deixa carries on along the smooth and velvety path which has become the distinctive trait of the duo’s style. With the remarkable addition of Jandira Silva and Mayra Andrade’s vocal cords, Da Lata pay their nth unmistakable and stylish tribute to the South American country.

Being a collection of remixes, the EP revives three of the band’s finest songs: “Deixa”, “Unknown” and “Ronco Da Cuica” all included on Da Lata’s last album Fabiola. Tempos are quickened up, arrangements enriched with bass lines and the atmosphere is generally energised to transform the tunes into floor fillers.

But, if “Deixa” and “Unknown” are moulded according to Drumagick and Eddy & Dus’s tastes and embody a truly dance-inspired flavour, it is on “Ronco Da Cuica” that Da Lata’s artistry is fully expressed.

With the addition of Diabel Cissokho, who plays the kora, and the sax of Finn Peters next to the vocal help of Jandira Silva and Floetic Lara, Da Lata give life to their All-Star version: an exciting and contaminated variation on the already heterogeneous Da Lata’s theme.

Finally, an honourable mention goes to the artwork: an expressive James Campbell Taylor’s work, which revives the splendour of the football past. The unmistakable style of the American illustrator portrays a classic picture of Zico and Junior exulting after a goal. A topical moment, which also becomes the perfect introduction to the Brazilian–infused beats of Deixa.

Deixa (Drumagick Remixes) is available from iTunes and dalatamusic.com

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