Ray Mono - Sugar Ray Robinson (Fragoso Shortcut)

Fragoso’s recent run shows no signs of slowing down. On Fuse’s 50th release, he turns his attention to Ray Mono’s Sugar Ray Robinson, unveiling two remixes that have quietly matured on dancefloors over the past year, tested across countless hours and peak-time moments before finding their way to release. Both the Longcut and Shortcut share the same rhythmic and harmonic framework, travelling side by side until a pivotal transition. It is here that Fragoso takes a risk, deploying a flanger in a way rarely heard in contemporary club music. The result is one of the defining moments of the record, a reminder that effects like the flanger, now almost treated as a sonic taboo, only become problematic when overused or poorly applied. From that point onwards, the two versions diverge. The Longcut unfolds into a mellow, sweet journey that echoes the distinctive deep house sensibility of early-2000s Portuguese dancefloors, allowing its elements to breathe and evolve naturally. The Shortcut remains firmly locked to groove and momentum, driving forward until a final lift carried by an almost spiritual pad suspended between tension and release. Both versions are driven by a sharp rhythmic backbone. While their aesthetic leans towards electro and contemporary club functionality, their pulse draws heavily from the golden years of tribal house, echoing the spirit of some of the defining figures of Portugal’s electronic underground while maintaining a distinctly global outlook. More than a reinterpretation of Ray Mono’s original, these remixes reaffirm Fragoso’s commitment to a personal vision of underground house music. Unconcerned with trends or formulas, he continues to carve his own path.