If "De Rigueur" is all about the etiquette of being strict, socially acceptable and currently fashionable, nobody told Mike Reger, the man who is De Rigueur (and a half-dozen other aliases). There's nothing strict or rigorous about it. However, I'll give him two things in keeping with "De Rigueur", his sound is outright proper (in the MC Hammer sense of the word) and just listening to it is likely to make you more fashionable.

1. Time I Got My Own Thing
2. Control Is Smooth
3. Chillin On The Rhodes (Kidgusto remix)
4. Chillin On The Rhodes (original)

Many of you are familiar with his work in Avatars of Dub, whose track "Sexelevatormuzik" made it onto Thievery Corporation's remix album Abductions & Reconstructions.

This 12" single features four must-have tracks for any self-respecting, retro-breaks playing, downtempo beats loving DJ or music lover. The overwhelming inspiration seems to come from 60s style breaks and soul jazz, and with explanation by way of comparison, De Rigueur's sound crosses the funky, breakbeat style of Thunderball or Fort Knox Five with afrobeat percussion, deep house aesthetics and sweet downtempo moods.

"Time I Got My Own Thing" leads with a little cowbell, some funky breaks and gritty, soul vocals repeating the refrain "I got my own thing". It's followed by a melancholy downtempo drifter called "Control Is Smooth", that rides blissfully on soft percussion and floating vibes.

If you're not already familiar with Kid Gusto's work, you should be. Here he mixes up "Chillin On The Rhodes" into an amazing afrobeat cut. Just when you think this one's already done you happy, a brief female vocal solo drops in and gives the track a cosmopolitan quality that I've only heard Thievery Corporation achieve to-date. I just want to reach out and hug that moment.

"Chillin On The Rhodes" opens with a simple vibe lead that's joined by a mellow-but-funky bass line. As the percussion unfolds it turns into more of a down tempo, deep house, soul jazz jam.

If Citrona continues putting out releases with this kind of quality (as has been their trend), they won't remain a little label holding it down on a little island off the Florida coast for long. Don't even nap on this one. Seriously.

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