[Confused House]

If the idea of hardware-oriented jam sessions doesn’t strike you as particularly novel in 2013, you’re not alone. With more Roland-led tracks and “organic” compositions than you can shake a stick at, the current house landscape would seem in danger of eating itself, sooner or later, after every possible 707 pattern had been plugged in by nerdy gear fetishists. However, much like Jeff Mills’ “wonderful hindrance” of a 4/4 pulse, this ineludible genre of analog jam-session house still has plenty of life left in it past the jackin’ Chicago retreads and bangin’ warehouse acid seeping in from all corners. In putting together tracks that brim with personality and a flare for the aberrant, roommates Steve Summers and Bookworms unleash a triptych of heady, masterful house tracks.

Confused House, Summers’ new label for collaborative tunes, could just as well be a nickname for the apartment he shares with Bookworms — one imagines them recording jams endlessly into the early mornings, leaving their hardware running while out doing errands, and sifting through the best ideas to arrive at the three cuts presented here. Their house is less “confused” and more “delirious,” twisting through unsteady sounds at a leisurely pace. “Possible Worlds” is the most uptempo thing here despite stumbling through hazy melodies and hypnagogic rhythms, but it’s an exquisite take on atmospheric house. With a mellow, stop/start pulse and bright, airy textures, “Unknown Number” drifts further off into a dream-like state, where “Let It Run” slows things down even further with bubbling, whirlpool synth-scapes and a bass line lost somewhere in the bong haze. It’s potent stuff, sounding like neither artists’ solo work but totally in line with their sensibilities. Grab it while you can, as you’ll probably have to ring up your delivery guy to get a hold of the next one.