Roland Leesker Reimagines Soft House Company’s ‘What You Need’ On Definitive Recordings

Definitive Recordings presents Roland Leesker’s rework of Soft House Company’s 1990 House classic ‘What You Need’, alongside the unveiling of his new artist moniker, Mysterious Eastern Force.

First released on vinyl in June, the single now arrives digitally, bringing both versions to a wider audience. The original mix sees Roland stay close to the classic arrangement while injecting a new driving feel, keeping the focus firmly on the groove and character of the original production.

Roland Leesker Comments:

“I heard ‘What You Need’ again two years ago during Movement in Detroit, when The Three Chairs played it in their set, and it hit me straight in the heart all over again. I immediately wanted to work with the original. So I decided to rebuild the track myself from the ground up, creating my own cover version as the basis for a new interpretation.”

Alongside the Original Mix, the Mysterious Eastern Force Edit introduces a new artist identity for Roland. The eleven-minute version retains the essence of the original while adding a more energetic bassline and subtle acid elements, developing the track into an extended, hypnotic groove that connects early House influences with a contemporary club approach.

Soft House Company’s ‘What You Need’ emerged in 1990 during the formative era of House music and has remained a recognised record among DJs and collectors. Roland’s version approaches the track from a contemporary production perspective while retaining the structure and identity of the original.

Roland Leesker Shares:

“The original was written by Claudio Rispoli, better known as DJ Mozart, who sadly passed away last year. Claudio was one of the true pioneers of Italian club culture and a resident at the legendary Baia degli Angeli and later an important producer behind records and projects that helped take Italian dance music around the world. For me, this version is really a tribute: to Claudio, to the original record and to that particular emotional quality that the best House music can carry across generations. Hearing it again in Detroit almost 35 years after it was made and feeling that same reaction immediately was ultimately the reason I had to make this.”

Roland Leesker has been active in House music since the late 1980s, with roots in Frankfurt’s club scene and a journey that has since taken him through New York, Berlin, and the international electronic music circuit. His production history reaches back to the mid-1990s, including ‘L’Essentiel’, created in 1995 with Ricardo Villalobos under the R+R project, while his later solo catalogue on Get Physical has developed across House, Acid, Electro and Detroit-influenced sounds. His work includes collaborations and remixes involving artists such as DJ Pierre, Roland Clark, Robert Hood and Terrence Parker, alongside his debut album ‘Searching For Peace’ and recent releases including his remix of Inner City’s ‘Pennies From Heaven’. Together, these releases and collaborations continue to build a dedicated global fanbase within the House music community.

This release brings together Roland Leesker’s Original Mix and the extended Mysterious Eastern Force Edit, connecting a 1990 House record with a contemporary interpretation and introducing a new artist identity in the process. Following its vinyl-only release in June, the record is now available digitally via Definitive Recordings.

Roland Leesker - What You Need