Listen: Roosevelt – “Small Hours” (John Martyn Cover)

Roosevelt, moniker of Cologne-based electronic producer Marius Lauber, created quite a buzz last year when he released his debut EP, Elliot.

The four-track release was a petri dish festering with stomping electronic beats, glimmering synths and a teary-eyed 80s nostalgia. Injected with wide-eyed playfulness, not dissimilar from the likes of Washed Out, this German-bred EP doubtlessly was and still is an incredibly charming effort.

In the midst of a busy SXSW schedule, Lauber has released “Small Hours” through Greco-Roman. The song is a cover of John Martyn’s 1977 slow-paced ambient masterpiece, a work that itself hasn’t aged at all. While Martyn’s track is a study of sparseness, Lauber instead instills elements of the original into a fully fleshed-out jam.

Echoes of Martyn’s guitar are layered over a bumbling electronic rhythm section, with Lauber’s voice softly reverberating throughout the track. Each synth element doesn’t sound irrelevant or overpopulating, but instead fits into a beautifully arranged canvas of sound. Lauber’ voice, unperturbed by any foreign accent, gently serenades with a familiar, endearing cadence.

“Small Hours” certainly takes the turn into nostalgic ballad territory, and will have you dreaming of romantic slow dancing and mint satined prom dresses for the rest of the week.