[Minibar]

Way back in the days when mnml was all the rage, Andreas Werner was a reliable choice for well articulated techno that showed respect for dance fashions and rebelled against them at the same time. The Cologne linchpin has had two years out from production, only to bounce back with two new releases this year, one each for Minibar and Hartchef Discos. “A.S.A.P” features the same astute percussion that made Audio Werner’s name, as well as a depth and grace that will be familiar to fans of records like 2004′s “Deep Sheep.”

“Dito” glides along, extracting all the juice and just a little pulp from a few notes of plundering bass line, a poised riff, and a sliced up vocal sample. Familiar territory, but the joy here comes from the deftness of Werner’s touch. “Dito” is nothing but well chosen elements repeated with small and elegant permutations, and immediately calls to mind ephemeral club moments lost from memory. “Ulip” rehashes the same territory. Its sonic world is a touch messier, and despite a slow buildup adding weight towards the end, never congeals enough to gain the same emotional power as the A side. Audio Werner has never been an easy one to pin down. His music displays a uniform individual character, but is never branded with the more gauche signifiers of personality. “Ulip” is a bit of a throwaway, but “Dito” is an unpretentious exploration of those shy, hidden bits of meaning only electronic music can touch on. That it does this in the form of a sophisticated club track free from distracting window dressing only makes things all the sweeter.

[Minibar]

In minimal and deep house, one of the biggest challenges the artist face is knowing how much embellishment is appropriate. It is the music’s lean, uncluttered sound that lures many listeners away from prog, trance and nu-rave, but it’s near impossible to make an interesting track without at least a hint of color. French producer Seuil struggles with this. Drums are his strong suit (most of his tracks are worthwhile for their tight and heavy rhythms alone), but when it comes to hooks, he’s all thumbs. While some releases are just a little too dry (like the curiously titled Deep Hooks EP), others suffer from awkward attempts at charisma, like the cheesy montage of civil rights era speeches in “Trapped House,” an otherwise exceptional track. Double Jack Ice EP finds Seuil still trying to find his balance between restraint and indulgence. But despite one wobbly moment, it seems he’s got it pretty much worked out.

To my ears, the best cuts of Double Jack Ice EP are on the B-side. “Ain’t Sleep” is Seuil at his best: the beat is brisk, heavy and intricate, complimented by sounds of distant birds and insects. “So Blonde” follows in the same vein, mixing elliptical deep house chords with the kind of organic trim Hello? Repeat artists are so fond of. Both have the same sunny vibe that makes his recent Ibiza Voice podcast such a treat. But back on the A-side, “Dipsie” suffers from the same flaw as “Trapped House.” Most of the track is top notch — the beat has a great sense of urgency and is surrounded by an incredibly vivid array of sounds that could be some of Seuil’s best studio work to date. The trouble comes at end of the break down, seconds before the bass kicks in, when a voice (that I’m almost certain is Denzel Washington’s) says: “Brace yourselves; I think we’re about to witness a murder.” It’s a relatively minor detail but it sounds very out of context, and makes the ensuing romp feel a bit silly. Other listeners might not mind it at all, but for whatever reason this brief moment really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Nonetheless, the rest of the track is perfectly bad ass, as is the rest of the EP, and such a small blemish shouldn’t stop anyone from checking it out.