[Metamorphic Recordings]

Hakim Murphy may be a relatively new artist, but his latest release, “Black Robots Having Sex,” recalls the jack, swing and shuffle of classic Metamorphic Recordings and some of Dan Curtin’s own mid-90′s productions. Of course, it’s not that simple: the title track unfolds to familiar lo-fi, hissing percussion, but soon veers into dark, enveloping chords and chilling strings that draw references from Sean Deason or Carl Craig in brooding Landcruising mode.

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These moody elements are counterbalanced by a surging analogue bass, but there are no such checks and balances on “Jupiter Poop,” where Murphy opts for a less direct, more off-kilter groove, its lopsidedness conjoined with foggy, textured sounds. “Nikki Muscles” sees Murphy toughen up again, with a stripped back drum track augmented by crashing snares and noisy, droning bleeps — again reminiscent of vintage releases on the label or the more DJ-friendly end of Curtin’s Time Undefined project. Finally, Morgan Geist contributes a remix that, despite its functionality and undoubted charms, is surprisingly the weakest link in this new take on an older, and quite clearly timeless sound.