Roosevelt and Nile Rodgers release new single Passion, a spangly ode to Studio 54

Roosevelt Nile Rodgers Passion
(Image credit: Eleanor Petry)

You could argue that much of Roosevelt’s work falls under the influence of disco, but now he’s going all-in on the sparkly ‘70s theme with Passion, a collaboration with legendary Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers.

Inspired by the decadence of places such as New York’s Studio 54, the new track was a co-write between Roosevelt (AKA Marius Lauber) and Rodgers, who provides trademark licks throughout. It also features Bim Amoako-Gyampah on backing vocals.

“Nile has been one of my biggest influences over the years, so working on a track together with him was an absolute dream come true,” says Lauber. “The track had many different shapes and forms over almost two years, so I'm happy to finally have a version that I'm happy with.

Explaining the production process, Lauber says: “Nile and I worked on the track remotely via phone calls and emails, before I finally met him in LA to celebrate the completion of it. The man is a living legend to me, and just talking to him about the early disco days was such a big inspiration. Passion is an ode to Studio 54, a homage to the energy and ecstasy of late-70s disco.”

Passion follows the release of Polydans, Roosevelt’s 2021 album, and he’s about to embark on a European tour.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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