Renato Cohen

Renato Cohen delivers a masterclass in what happens when a drummer's soul meets the precision of a techno sequencer. His music is characterized by a relentless, rolling energy that feels organic despite its synthetic origins. It avoids the sterile traps of modern club music by injecting a distinctively Brazilian sense of swing and syncopation into every bar. It is music that breathes, even when it is moving at 135 beats per minute.

What sets Cohen apart is his ability to blend the hard-edged aesthetics of early 2000s techno with the warmth of disco and funk. While his peers might lean into distortion or darkness, Cohen leans into the groove. You will hear filtered loops that feel like they were pulled from a dusty vinyl crate, layered over kick drums that hit with the physical weight of a live kit. It is a sound that manages to be both muscular and incredibly agile.

For the uninitiated, his anthem 'Pontape' is the essential starting point. It captures his signature style perfectly: a loop that refuses to quit, building tension through subtle modulation and rhythmic shifts. From there, explore his later work like 'Suddenly Funk' to see how he has evolved his sound into a more colorful, house-inflected territory without losing his signature rhythmic drive.