[Drumpoet Community]

What is one deep house record too many? Is there a point at which we reach some kind of critical mass of deepness? These are the unfortunate thoughts I find myself having each time I set Cavalier’s A Million Horses on the platter. Why unfortunate? Because rarely do I come across a record whose quality is belied by its sheer lack of necessity in most record bags; rarely does something so well produced — so well intentioned — do itself such few favors. Cavalier is the Drumpoet Community-centric alias of Agnès, the seasoned minimal house producer and the force behind Swiss label Sthlmaudio. Cavalier represents Agnès at his housiest, which is to say Agnès has one of hell of a house impulse: over 80 minutes, he inhabits a warm, vintage, and unabashedly soulful pocket with a fervor few can match. When paired with his considerable production experience, this fervor becomes a kind of crusade. Whether putting bottoms into motion swiftly (opener-in-earnest “Kabardin”) or at a slinkier pace (mid-album stretch highlight “Yonaguni feat. Torpedoman”), Agnès handles these sounds confidently and with great care: his vintage drum machines sound dusted off, his keyboards purr and swell, and all his sounds sit together like soulmates.

This would all be fantastic if the very roll Agnès is on weren’t the same roll a lot of other producers have been on for a few years. But while these Cavalier tracks can go toe to toe with so much of the Moodymann-derived material on the market today, they don’t go so far as to exceed them. Even when the tracks are really fantastic — the Nino Rota-vibin’ “Uzunyayla (Hallucinatory Narcosis),” the Isolee-esque “Napoletano” — they curiously don’t draw much attention to themselves; pretty much all they’re doing to differentiate themselves from everything else in your record bag is that they’re well-produced. When the tracks aren’t so great, like the “E2-E4″-reverent “Yonaguni,” you’re likely to yawn more than grimace. And in the context of an album, this lack of sonic individuality coaxes you into a kind of time warp: short tracks (and many of the CD version’s 19 cuts are under the five minute mark) feel remarkably long, and just when the album starts to get into a groove, Agnès drops another slamming hi-hat for what feels like a reset. Even when I divorce myself from all the deep house I’ve been inundated with, I feel fatigued by the halfway mark; when I listen to this album as part of the continuum of deep house obsessiveness, that fatigue sets in almost immediately.

It feels sort of unfair to knock an album because of forces acting outside the album itself, but albums don’t exist in a vacuum. Between Sascha Dive, Brothers’ Vibe and the bulk of the Drumpoet Community roster, this material has been done to death at this point. And producers who release on labels like Laid, Workshop, or even Rush Hour show us that house music doesn’t have to tread water just yet. Cavalier has an ethic, but the project hasn’t yet found that thing that makes this house different from every other house on the block. Until Agnès finds it, I’d wade in cautiously.

Swiss producer Agnès might not be a bold-faced name for many dance music audiences, but he’s been a favorite of underground house DJs since getting his start in the early aughts. It’s not that his classically-influenced yet forward thinking tracks run contrary to contemporary trends; if anything, his music is tailor made for the nostalgic period we’re in. Still, his discography, which includes releases for labels including Plak Records, Resopal Red, Perspectiv, his own Sthlmaudio Recordings and a wealth of remixes, is like a cache of secret weapons for DJs in the know. With any luck his latest record will bring him wider acclaim: A Million Horses on Drumpoet Community is the debut full-length for his Cavalier moniker, and it trades in the sort of dusty, groove-heavy house that ought to drive DJs and dancers wild. This week’s download is a sneak peak from the album. “Uzunyayla (Hallucinatory Narcosis)” stomps with the best of them, but does so under a delicately twinkling melodies — rubbernecking bass notes and organ chords intertwined with chiming vamps and balmy strings. Even the bawdy spoken vocals arriving in the second half can’t take away from such a distinguished composition. Our thanks to Agnès and Drumpoet Community for making this one available.

Cavalier, “Uzunyayla (Hallucinatory Narcosis)”

LWE Podcast 47, mixed by Agnès, is an all time favorite among the LWE staff for its perfect blend of house sounds. Make sure to add it to your collection before it retires this Friday, May 13th.

01. Audision, “Aurora” (John Roberts Remix)
[&nd] (buy)
Audision’s debut album, Surface to Surface, might not have excited our reviewer, but at least it has yielded two EPs of solid remixes that inject much needed personality into the tracks. Still new to the remix game, John Roberts manages to best inveterate producers like Robag Wruhme, Roman Flügel and Arne Weinberg with his chilling remix of “Aurora.” He does so by making the most of his distinctive sonic bouquet with impeccable sound design: The misty organ chords evoke the blurry distance of staring up through Leandro Elrich’s “Swimming Pool” installation; ride cymbal hits fizz up front as Roberts’ restless drum programming huddles just below the surface; and a leaky faucet of piano notes dribbles down the side like so much sweat on dancers’ brows. Roberts’ remix alone makes Surface to Surface: The Remixes 2 worth the sticker price for vinyl lovers and is a must-own digitally.

02. Oriol, “Coconut Coast”
[Planet Mu] (buy)
With the weather finally cooperating with the calendar, it’s time to bust out tunes best heard while in a car with the windows down or perhaps on a rooftop. One of my favorite recent examples of this is “Coconut Coast,” the debut single from the Barcelona-born, U.K.-based producer Oriol who was recently snapped up by Planet Mu. Unapologetically joyful, the tune splits the difference between the florid synth-funk stylings of Floating Points or Kyle Hall and the bombastic arrangements of Kanye West: splashy drum kit percussion (with glockenspiel) gets heads nodding while incandescent chords and a shucking synth bass line massage listeners’ ears. Oriol also makes great use of brass tones, stacking droning trumpet harmonies as a stage for wriggling keyboard vamps. And it’s all over in just over three minutes — the perfect length for a summery jam of this sort. If Oriol’s forthcoming debut album makes good on the promise of this EP we’ve got a summer of very compatible music ahead of us.

03. Tama Sumo & Prosumer, “Rarified”
(The Oliverwho Factory Remix) [Ostgut Ton] (buy)
It may have taken a while, but house heads on both sides of the Atlantic are finally getting hip to the hidden genius of The Oliverwho Factory. Having recently appeared on Tama Sumo’s Panorama Bar 02 mix, the Detroit duo were an obvious and appropriate choice to remix the latest from Tama and frequent production partner Prosumer. Where their “Rarified” was effective if a bit sleepy, the OWF offer a more full-blooded and memorable take that combines all of what makes them so great: ravishing vocals, beefed up percussion, and catchy if unexpected blends of melodic themes. A flaring synth line carries Shone’s soulful praise over buxom drum programming, cut wide open by a toothy progression that gives the tune a sharper edge. The pair does make room for the original ostinato chords and analog bubbles as the girding for their own thicker arrangements. It’s rare that my stylus skips over anything from Tama or Prosumer, but The Oliverwho Factory, now in plain sight, crafted a remix that is simply magnetic.

04. Art Bleek, “The Real Thing” (Agnès Remix)
[Sharivari Records] (buy)
Sometimes I feel sorry for artists whose tracks get remixed by Agnès because his talent for rearranging other producers’ sounds is so immense it often puts the originals to shame. But in reality no one comes out a loser with an Agnès remix, and the second release from Sharivari Records is certainly a winner for it. Agnès sees through the clutter of Art Bleek’s “The Real Thing,” playing up the gauzy dub chords while combing out the tangled melodic elements and generally adding more swing — pushing the once hesitant track into the dance floor’s middle. Even its disembodied voices make more sense swimming between auxiliary percussion flourishes and avoiding the charged bass notes perched at the end of most measures. Streamlined, swinging and far more useful for DJs, Agnès’ astute revision is further evidence of the Swiss producer’s standing among the game’s best remixers.

05. And.ID, “Erotica”
[Mobilee] (buy)
In spite of not enjoying much of his previous work I gave the latest EP from Greek producer And.ID a spin and founding an intriguing tidbit. As the month went on I kept returning to “Erotica,” the track at B2, humming along with its gloriously forthright synth lead well after the record had ended. Its clambering percussion was remarkably engaging (especially compared to his previous drum patterning), pumping underneath airy triplets that prime audiences for the infectious progression (and its even better harmonic twin) that subsequently leap from the speakers. By putting aside so many of the hackneyed and on-trend tactics he often relies on, And.ID’s production mettle shines through and leaves me wanting more. Here’s hoping “Erotica” presages more such stunners from this potentially promising talent.

06. Roska, “I Need Love” [Rinse Recordings] (buy)
07. Wax, “No. 30003 A” [Wax] (buy)
08. Ross 154, “Until My Heart Stops”
[M>O>S Recordings] (buy)
09. Space Dimension Controller, “J2TCOTUS” (Kyle Hall’s I’m Only Breathing Remix) [Royal Oak] (buy)
10. Dissident, “Society of Silver Skeletons” (Headhunter Remix) [Hotshore] (buy)

Staff Charts:

Peder Clark
01. Juergen Junker, “Neighbourhood (Live Mix)” [Naïf]
02. The Nathaniel X Project, The Resurrxion EP [My Love Is Underground]
03. Boo Williams, “Day and Night” [Rush Hour]
04. Carsten Jost, “Days Gone By” [Dial]
05. Actress, “Bubble Butts and Equations” [Honest Jon's]
06. Efdemin, “There Will Be Singing” [Dial]
07. Chicago Skyway, “CP-1″ [Uzuri]
08.Kyle Hall, “Ghosten” [Third Ear]
09. Anthony “Shake” Shakir, “Frenchie” [Frictional]
10. Various, A Tribute To Ken Collier [Slow To Speak]

Anton Kipfel
01. Fred P., “On This Vibe” (Original Raw Mix) [Esperanza]
02. Kyle Hall, “Create Your Own Existence” [Moods & Grooves]
03. Wax, “No. 30003 A” [Wax]
04. Mount Kimbie, “William” (Tama Sumo & Prosumer Remix)
[Hotflush Recordings]
05. Radio Slave, “I Don’t Need A Cure For This” [REKIDS]
06. James T. Cotton, “On Time” [Spectral Sound]
07. SECT, “Thieve $crilla” [Culprit]
08. Oriol, “Coconut Coast” (FaltyDL Remix) [Planet Mu]
09. ElPierro, “Cast Away” [Gymnastique Records]
10. Filterwolf, “Nocturne” (Bodycode Remix) [Process Recordings]

Kuri Kondrak
01. Jitterbug, “Spencer” [Uzuri]
02. Morphosis, “Musafir” [MOS]
03. Toby Tobias, “Macasu” (Motor City Drum Ensemble Loft Party Remix)
[Late Night Audio]
04. Hugh Maskela, “Don’t Go Lose It Baby” [Slow To Speak]
05. Louis Haiman, “Lo Ride Sci Fi” [Abstract Forms]
06. W & P HGG, “Edit Gospel No 3″ [Deep Explorer]
07. Frederic Mercier, “Spirit” [Mellophonia]
08. Kyle Hall, “Create Your Own Existence” [Moods & Grooves]
09. Gerd, “Friendly Fire” [Royal Oak]
10. The Oliverwho Factory, “Lady Dreamer” [Planet E]

Chris Miller
01. Mount Kimbie, “Before I Move Off” [Hotflush]
02. Efdemin, “Oh My God” [Dial]
03. T++, “Voices No Bodies” [Honest Jon's]
04. A Made Up Sound, “Alarm” [A Made Up Sound]
05. Robert Hood, “The Workers of Iniquity” [M-Plant]
06. Wax, “No. 30003 A” [Wax]
07. Instra:mental, “Let’s Talk” [[Naked Lunch]]
08. Redshape, “Mucky Bones” [Present]
09. Conforce, “Grace” [Delsin]
10. Sepalcure, “Love Pressure” [Hotflush]

When I think about the Swiss house scene, my mind skips past visions of clubbing alongside the Alps and lands on Agnès (alternately known as Cavalier, Ray Valioso, Modeste or Benelli). Not only has he nurtured the Swiss scene with his Sthlmaudio Recordings imprint, home to releases by Baaz, Cabanne, Chaton, Peter Grummich, and Azuni, this many monikered producer is a shining example of an artist who is steeped in house music’s past but aims his own tunes squarely at the future. Agnès’ music began on the minimal side of the house spectrum and has since come into full bloom across his records for Perspectiv, Resopal Red, Lomidhigh, Plak Records and his own label, exploring the many possibilities of dub sonorities and embracing his deeper side in equal measures. Lately his focus has been on a string of incredibly strong remixes for everyone from Sebo K and October to dOP and Niggemann & Poppcke, but 2010 holds in store more original material. For LWE’s 47th exclusive podcast, Agnès brandishes his considerable DJing talents across an hour of achingly well mixed house music, including a clutch of hot unreleased tracks and remixes.

LWE Podcast 47: Agnès (57:21)

Tracklist:

01. Djaimin, “Open The Door” (DJ Shorty’s Zanzibar Stomper Mix) [Slip 'n' Slide]
02. Ly, “Back 2 Zanzibar” (King Street Mix) [Nite Grooves]
03. Agnès, “Got To Be Strong” [Ornate Music*]
04. Blakkat, “Faux” (Agnès – South London Boro Mixx) [Variance Recordings]
05. Inner Soul ft. E Scott, “I’m In Need 4 U” [Power Music Records]
06. Le Loup, “Sistaaa” (Brother Agnès slightly kickedclappedhat’d up edit)
[Wolf + Lamb*]
07. Makam, “La Fem” [Sushitech Purple]
08. Lisa Shaw, “Let It Ride” (Herberts Strength Inside Dub) [Naked Music]
09. ZoëXenia, “Cravin’” [Bass Culture Records]
10. R.I.P. Productions, “Bugsy’s Theme” [4th Floor Records]
11. Agnès, “Hudd Traxx Demo v0999.999″ [Hudd Traxx*]
12. Cavalier, “Drumpoet Demo v0987.654″ [Drumpoet Community*]
13. Agnès, “Got That Music In My Mind” [Hudd Traxx*]
* denotes tracks which, as of the time of publishing, are unreleased

Tell us a little bit about your mix — when, where, and why you made it like you did?

Agnes: Ahhh yeah it’s funny you’ll never believe what I’ve done in order to get there. As always with me, I have to get deep into the things I’m doing. So I thought about getting the “click” in the pitch bend of my old really old MK2′s out from there for some time. Then we came up with the idea of doing an LWE podcast and guess what: you’ve found me dismounting my MK2′s, unsoldering my original MK2 pitches, removing the small iron ball clicking at zero pitch, cleaning them, and you know what it’s so much smoother now =) Seriously, all this to be perfectly honest, I’m playing most of my sets with regular vinyls and Traktor Scratch through time code control vinyls. Traktor doesn’t like the central pitch bend zone on the older MK2′s, you’ve got maybe 0.5 centimeters where it just goes off really weirdly sometimes dropping down or up by a full BPM. On the mix itself, I just really wanted to show what kind of beatz I’m into, what are the tracks I’m digging, snatching in there some of my personal stuff and hopefully providing something personal.

Here are some links for the hard headed out there willing to finally get rid of their “click” pitches:

SL1200/1210 MK2 Service Manual (in German I think, but gooood):

Some interesting links for your pitch faders & MK2 in general:

http://info.bergenteknomafia.com/tech/1200pitch/

http://music.hyperreal.org/dj/pitch_slider/

http://music.hyperreal.org/dj/sl1200.html

When we were discussing the mix earlier, you described the first artist, Djaimin, as a “real house hero here in Switzerland.” Who are some of your other favorite Swiss house producers, new and old?

Yes, sure Djaimin and Mister Mike where running a radio show on Couleur3 called Pump It Up Live, and at the time the radio station hadn’t yet discovered computers. So basically we where immersed in their view of house music every weeks. It was a really good time for me, we were anticipating the next shows very much. Recently we where sitting at Ripperton’s place and he played some of their sets from back in the day and we literally wanted to know what track has been played every six minutes — they played incredible records, really. I think there are only just a few things that are being brought back to our attention but there is so much to still discover in the old — it fascinates me.

Tell me about your experiences in the Swiss house scene — how you got involved, where you went, early residencies, etc.

It really all started up in 2003 when I launched my label, Sthlmaudio Recordings, and strangely, success came from beyond the Switzerland’s borders first. So I’ve never really been involved into a local scene except in my home town of Fribourg, when I was spinning more hip-hop and abstract hip-hop stuff.

What were some of your first pieces of gear? What are your current gear favorites?

Hum well, first of all I think when I started with electronic music as a producer I probably was more on a minimal vibe somehow, always dubbed out but that was the sound of those years and I’m not denying it now. I think I’ve always been ready to explore many different paths in music, being house or ambient or more techno productions. But my roots, if I’m honest with myself, comes from the Mo Wax area, the first Portishead [album], DJ Vadim, DJ Cam, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow and all that scene. This is where it all began for me, the DJing and the attraction to electronic music in general. Concerning house, what I dig in it is the groove — things have to groove for me or I don’t care about them. Onto gear, I’ve just recently bought an Akai MPC1000 and JJOS2XL; it’s fat, there is no emulation, there are things that are close but nothing like the real thing. I’m playing my live sets with it now on top of the laptop and all my recent beatz are out of that box.

You seem to enjoy playing with the concept of artistic identity, using a handful of pseudonyms for your releases. I wondered how you distinguished what was going to be released as whom (beside Modeste, which is quite distinct from the other guises) and why you opted for the many names in the first place?

Indeed I love names; I think names are totally cool. I wouldn’t like very much to be doing what I do under my real name, let’s say; Jean-Pierre Vaucher. To some folks this might sound weird but to me it’s an extension of my art, providing me another way of pushing something I firmly believe in. Each time I’m taking on a new name I can build a totally new world or extend something I’ve already explored. This is powerful and harmless. I was reading a review from a journalist having fun about this with me and I just thought he didn’t get it. In two years I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dj playing the track you hear would be the only one to know who did it, if he does; this is to me where it all started with electronic music:, anonymous records done by god knows who and damn they slam right good. I’m totally into getting back to this.

In the last couple years your number of original releases has grown smaller while your remixes have blossomed. Will you tell us about your thinking behind this?

I’m glad you asked about this, it means you’ve been really and carefully checking what was going on with me and you’re right — I’ve been doing more remixes lately. I don’t know how to explain why it happened this way and so on but here is what I can tell you: I love to remix. I love to have someone else’s materials I would have probably never chosen to use in the first place and do my own sauce with it. It is challenging to work on sounds you didn’t choose. On top of that, I’ve worked onto my own music a lot but I didn’t thought about releasing anything yet. If the things I’ve done in, let’s say 2008, are still releasable in 2010 then it might be wise to do so, if not they better stay on my hard drives. I’ve had this discussion with Quarion and he told me something a known record store owner in Berlin told him: producers should have a maximum of three releases a year; we would have less but far better music. I fully agree with that.

There was also a good deal of consistency between your Agnès remixes — slightly dubbed out, old school arrangements, very thoughtful hi-hat patterns — yet your own releases are rather varied. Have you thought of making more original tracks in this vein, and what explains the consistency between those remixes?

Honestly I don’t over think my music. I do what I do being who I am using what I’m using at the time I’m making it. As I’ve said earlier, I really like all kinds of music and sometimes maybe my own things express this a little more then my remixes; although I’m always striking at making something real for me, something I can be proud of — in a very humble way.

A number of your remixes have locations in the title. What do those denote?

It’s like my use of names; I like to sign things, being in my music or with the naming and wording I use. Within the music industry, what you’ve got to express yourself is a cover and a back print (if you signed on a rich label), label stickers, a name and track title and your music. Very often in the scene, remixes aren’t even recognized as being work on its own from the remixer. People would go, ‘Oh yeah, I love that B1 track on this guy’s record’ without even noticing it is someone else’s work. Still though, I like to remix haha.

Who have you not yet had the opportunity to remix that you would jump at the chance to edit?

This is a hard question. To me there are no goals; it’s more about the contents of the original materials. If I think I could do something with it then I’ll try. Furthermore, I really think the originals I didn’t liked that much turned out to be decent remixes of mine so I’ll probably first accept something I don’t like that much instead of remixing one of my heroes, which I’d probably turn down. Also, lately I’ve just done a remix for a Swiss hip-hop artist from Zürich called Big Zis and this was very interesting for me, something else, different sounds, tempo, vocals. It’ll come out soon on Nation Music.

With old school house motifs coming back in style, what do you think are the most overlooked elements of older house records that could stand a revival? (drum patterning, certain synth sounds, etc.)

To me what is killing house at the moment are those producers taking a full bar loop of a groovy beat they never programmed a single hit, EQ’d it out on the low end, add a kick, add a clap and there you go, groovy wacky house for losers. I’ve spotted some of those kinds of tracks in my own collection and you know what? Shift delete, ciao ciao, bye bye. I’m programming my drums, every single hit you hear in my music is from me; I program everything and this is my only chance to stand out.

Is there another Agnès album in you?

Funny you should ask about this, the wicked team from Drumpoet Community asked me for a sophomore Cavalier EP maybe, and as I mentioned earlier, I’ve got many sleeping things on my drives. Well, as I’ve sent them loads of materials to select from in order to make a four track EP they came back at me asking if we could maybe release a long player, so this will be my next album and I’m currently polishing it up.

What’s on tap for you in 2010? What about Shtmlaudio in 2010?

I think 2010 is an introspective year for me, releasing less but hopefully good things. The Modeste long player for example: it wasn’t a huge press success, I didn’t saw much press attention around it but I’m glad I could release that music and I will be continuing in the future with a CD series on Sthlmaudio aimed at electronic music with a broader view. Also, Baaz is working now on an abstract hip-hop long player which we will release later on this year. Next is my home boy Quenum coming with a stunning house tune remixed by my all time friend Ripperton. We’ve got also some more records in the pipe but there is absolutely no rush at all.

Regarding myself, I’ve got en EP coming out on Ornate Music called Got To Be Strong and another EP I’m finishing right now for Hudd Traxx, and of course the Cavalier LP later this year on Drumpoet Community.

LWE Podcast 47: Agnès (57:21)

[Perspectiv]

Ripperton and Sam K have run a pretty tight ship the past couple of years with the Perspectiv label. They’ve given exposure to the audible charms of their Swiss compatriots and helped push a deep, emotive flavor of techno at the same time. Family Tree II is the second full length artist sampler for the label and with any luck it will become an annual event.

With no double ups from any of the artists here we get fourteen fresh tracks from the likes of Dana Ruh, Minz, Agnès, Estroe and the two label bosses themselves. Agnès opens the album with “Que Pena,” a bumping tech-houser set off against icy delays and an incoherent vocal worming it’s way into the track about half way through. It’s possessed of good momentum and is finely balanced between the housey bass line and more techno oriented synths. Dachshund’s “Persona” holds layers of atonal frequencies around the bottom end that give the track a distorted sense of space, which tied together with an even more unintelligible snatch of vocals makes it positively druggy. There are meticulous sound details and fills all over the place; and though the track doesn’t seem to have much direction it’s excellently executed. The minimal side of the Perspectiv ethos is catered to by Dana Ruh’s “Funkey,” simply combining a warm, muted bass sound with a couple of brief synth keys and some snappy percussion. Douglas Greed opts for a more foreboding techno angle with the brooding string and pad-fueled “Nordlicht,” while Estroe furthers this mood on “Winter Depressie” by patching a yearning, hopeful melody through a bleak tundra of low tuned chords and pitched down percussion.

While the first half of Family Tree carries an upbeat feel to it the latter portion focuses on the late night side of things. Minz, who became fairly well known in techno circles for his Perspectiv-released “Chinese Drip,” whips up a dark, laid back house number that makes good use of some deep, rounded out lower frequencies and higher percussion notes. Relative newcomers Polymorphin almost invoke a lighters-up anthem feeling with the rotund, blunted grooves of “Balloon Farm,” and Sam K provides perhaps the compilation’s standout cut with “Anderung,” an impossibly thoughtful, low slung cut that would bring any sunrise set to life. It’s damned hard in fact to find a duff track amongst the fourteen presented here; each one will appeal to slightly different tastes. Perspectiv affirms beyond any doubt their Family Tree has incredibly strong roots.

[Plak Records]

Chaton, founder of Plak Records, has produced serviceable if spartan grooves for Sthmlaudio Recordings and his own label since they both debuted in 2001. I find his tracks are most ear-catching when they’re remixed, as they have been by Agnès (“Catch the Beat”) and now Ripperton. He constructs the canvas for others to splash their ideas across, a notion bolstered by the way the artists were credited on their newest release. Chaton’s Swiss countrymen Ripperton and Agnès take the “+91 Ahead” framework to new and disparate heights for “Session 2.”

Ripperton’s version hues closest to the original’s austere percussion, but his approach twinkles with a jazzy, live performance vibe thanks to acoustic-sounding drums. Lit by chipper droplets of piano chords, lifted with soothing swells and informed by incomprehensible vocals, Ripperton’s Los Barrios Mix mounts a charm offensive on its boogying audience that won’t soon be forgotten. Not to be outdone, Agnès burrows from Geneva to Kingston, Jamaica for a rework swelling with spaced out echo. His taut percussion laced with slivered guitar licks is soon shrouded in gauzy dub ripples, ringing out against cavernous walls. As Chaton’s canvas has given rise to one of the best (if belatedly received) remixes packages of 2008, his frames will likely stay in demand.

[Slowhouse Recordings]

If house is a feeling, then Slowhouse’s “Three” is a little too pristine and controlled to fit in completely. This is not a criticism; the project has taken the vogue pared-down house of Cassy, et al., and stripped it to the warm essentials. Bridging house vibe and techno precision, the series has hit a sweet spot where contradictions are even welcomed. One instance: you could argue that Slowhouse hasn’t reached far outside its aesthetic muse, but that’s also helped the series sound simultaneously humble and slick. But let’s not forget that the Slowhouse project is (mostly) a faceless affair. Releases are named sequentially, tracks are untitled, and although the releases are attributed to the relatively small city of Zurich (and specifically the Drumpoet Community), the producers get to stay as anonymous as Internet rumors allow. The latest one is the wildly conceivable tag-team of Quarion and Agnès.

Truthfully, I could care less about the pseudonym sweepstakes. What matters is that “Three” is the latest success for Slowhouse. From the just-right vocal trill on the first untitled track to the sponge synthpad that soaks up the fourth, the single is consistent, gentle, unassuming. “Three” is also noticeably laid-back — the unwavering strings of the second track make a nice bed for a fuzzy 303 to get thrown around like a cat’s toy. All in all, I might still be most enamored with the first track; each refrain sounds necessary without ever being urgent. There’s a crack and fizz throughout the track that lets it gently expand while a submerged clipped chime never lets anything get too far away. It’s perfectly measured, but when fine-tuning sounds this good why settle for anything else?