Last year we wrote about The View From Above, the stunning debut EP from Portadown-born, Liverpool-based producer SertOne. He’s kicking off 2012 with a delightful release, the short but sweet “Quesadillas” EP. Inspired by and in tribute to the late J Dilla, this four-track EP is Since the young producer first came to my attention by way of “Versions”, a 13-track album of remixes and reworks (I even called his DOOM remix Dilla-esque), it’s entirely appropriate that he turn his hand to deftly introduce us to some rare Dilla beats through his own retouches.

“Introduction” drifts gently into being with its alluring samples and when the beats kick in you’re as likely to stroke your chin as nod your head. It’s brimming with an undeniable groove, but at the same it’s so ~emosh~ that it’s far from gully. In many ways it’s the most rounded and beautiful track he’s produced to date, and given how high his standards are already that’s a bold statement. “Envious (James Make Em NV)” flips Dilla’s original sample and lulls you into a state of quiet yearning with its plucked guitar and xylophone melody, before smashing you over the head with snarling stabs, MOP shouts and airhorns. Again, SertOne’s signature bleeps are present and correct so his stamp is clearly audible over Dilla’s theme, twisting this track in a manner that’s both respectful and forward thinking.

“Look” is built around a 70s prog rock sample from Gentle Giant, used by Dilla for a short vignette at the end of a track on Champion Sound, or as a production for Slum Village artist Elzhi depending on your POV – SertOne certainly hasn’t gone for the obvious samples. A short track itself, “Look” is overloaded with squelching basslines and even more airhorns, not to mention a short spoken sample from the intro to Dilla’s “Ruff Draft”, but ultimately it pays homage to the short sample that shows how Dilla knew how to dig deep. Closing out the EP is “Love In Fall”, which you probably will recognise, using as it does that recognisable snatch of beats and guitar from Slum Village’s “Fall In Love”. That said, it’s “Fall In Love” SertOne style – the emotion is still there but it’s surrounded by those cascading bleeps that signify a SertOne track. It swiftly winds down, and that’s the end of it. It’s such a short EP that it’s very easy to just go right back to the start and play it over again. And again.

The EP is free, but all proceeds from this release go to the J Dilla Foundation, which helps fund inner-city music programmes. It’s a worthy cause, so you’ve no reason not to donate, right?