James Rod presents ‘Chaman of the 80’s’

James “Rod” Rodriguez steps out of his comfort zone here, briefly departing his Golden Soul label for a confident, ear-catching outing on Paper Recordings. Opener “Belong City” delivers a near-perfect balance between druggy Italo-disco chug and woozy, synth-laden nu-disco psychedelia, while the accompanying Draco remix brilliantly re-imagines the track as a trippy slab of revivalist ’80s synth-wave wonkiness with a touch of contemporary nu-disco sheen. Meanwhile, “Chamanes Ochenteros” is a fine slab of arpeggio-powered Italo/nu-disco fusion that’s subsequently given a low-slung, Afro-Cosmic makeover by Leca. The latter version is particularly mind-altering, though its focus remains on the dancefloor throughout. Find on JUNO

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