Mike Simonetti’s 2011 EP “Capricorn Rising”
The edit “Dancing is Sacred” is the latest to pop up on Mike Simonetti’s SoundCloud. Simonetti is the man behind the scenes of label Italians Do It Better (and Johnny Jewel is its resident producer). When one considers the label’s relentless darkness–its releases include 2007’s already classic compilation After Dark, and the Chromatics’ Night Drive–Simonetti’s own sunny dance tracks may come as a surprise. “Dancing is Sacred” bounces along with balearic sun and a gently percolating beat. The track, while soothing, isn’t mesmerizing in the way that other Simonetti efforts can be. He set the bar high with 2011’s truly transcendent “Third of the Storms,” and I’m still waiting for him to ascend to those heights again. Not that “Dancing is Sacred” isn’t worth a listen. It fully achieves its attempt at weightless calm.