Riva Starr and Close Counters link up for ‘Push Your Luck’ EP

Riva Starr and Australian jazz-electronic duo Close Counters have joined forces for a new collaborative EP, Push Your Luck, out now via Heist Recordings.

Landing today, September 11, the four-track project brings Riva Starr’s house background together with Close Counters’ live, jazz-driven approach, moving through swinging house, soul and funk across the release.

London vocalist Andre Espeut features prominently on the EP, first appearing on its title track. ‘Push Your Luck’ is built around clipped drums, an elastic bassline and warm jazz harmonies, leaving Espeut’s vocals at the centre of the track.

‘Gearbox’ pushes further into Close Counters’ jazz influences, combining expressive keys and live percussion with a rolling house groove.

Espeut returns on ‘Dizzy’, this time surrounded by shimmering synths, skipping percussion and crisp house drums. The EP closes with a Scat Dub of ‘Push Your Luck’, stripping back the original vocal and using Espeut’s scat phrases as another rhythmic element within the production.

The collaboration connects artists coming from different corners of house and electronic music.

Italian DJ and producer Riva Starr has spent more than two decades moving across house music, releasing through labels including Rekids, Cajual and Crosstown Rebels while running his own Snatch! Records imprint. His catalogue also includes the Fatboy Slim collaboration ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ and an edition of Defected’s House Masters series.

Pre-order: HERE

Close Counters arrive following their album LOVERS DANCE ACADEMY, which reached the ARIA charts. The Australian duo have increasingly blurred the boundaries between jazz performance and club music, with appearances at Glastonbury, Love Supreme and Ronnie Scott’s alongside support from Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova and Jazz FM.

Push Your Luck marks another release in Heist Recordings’ catalogue, bringing the three acts together around a sound that sits somewhere between the jazz room and the house floor.

Tracklist:

A1. Push Your Luck feat. Andre Espeut
A2. Gearbox
B1. Dizzy feat. Andre Espeut
B2. Push Your Luck feat. Andre Espeut (Scat Dub)