[Cadenza Records]

Italian producer Alessandro Picone is a newcomer to the Cadenza camp, but from the sounds of his debut EP (and his appearance on label boss Luciano’s recent Fabric mix CD) he should fit in just fine. “Floppy” kicks off with Cadenza’s trademark layered percussion and a croaking bass line (see the cover art for a hint), then proceeds to float around on the back of a zippy series of short, low-key riffs and a seemingly endless series of breakdowns (I lost track at three). As usual, though, it’s the little touches that keep Cadenza material from sounding stale or samey. And while “Floppy” doesn’t rank up there with the label’s classics, it is certainly quality work that demands a spot in any crate for the next few months; check out that little shaker that comes in around 4:45, for instance.

“Furby” on the b-side is actually the stronger track, kicking in with a stripped-down rhythm track before launching a series of ping-ponging riffs and an almost absorbent bass groove, reminiscent of A Guy Called Gerald’s classic “Voodoo Ray” at the outset. By the three-minute mark, however, the thing is fit to be tied, as the clipped riffs and little percussion runs build on each other’s backs to become a much larger whole. And to think that at that point, there’s still the massive, string-driven break to come. Both sides really are pretty much Cadenza by the numbers, with perhaps a slightly stronger drive and harder kick than usual. Still, repeated listens hold up well, revealing a real skill in the layering and pacing. The devil is in the details, as they say, and Luciano’s crew has them in spades.