[Cécille Records]

Cécille Records, a new label from Nick Curly and Marc Scholl, has managed to put itself on the map after only three releases, each more enjoyable than the one before it. First recruiting Markus Fix, then the semi-mysterious Sis (who recorded for Curly’s other label, 8bit), Cécille now courts Andreas Wiegand, better known as Andomat 3000. “Cognitive Dissonance,” Wiegand’s latest, finds the experienced producer working minimal house grooves into warm-blooded movers and shakers that cannot be ignored.

Listen to “Vertical Smile”:

Opener “Vertical Smile” weaves in and out of patches of reverb, almost as if being dunked under water as the track tries to cut through the refracting depths. Wiegand spares no nuance, opting for percussion that compresses/expands like tiny pistons and pacing pitches awash in viscous timbres, suggesting the track could take place as easily in a lap pool as in a club. He moves to more traditional house ideas with “Cicl?”, a piano-driven cut that’s ripe for the mixing in today’s ivory-happy environment. His rambling piano chords are cut to slivers by jacking claps, all operating under the muted glow of warm pads. Definitely a cut above a lot of piano-heavy tracks these days. Closing out the package is the rattling “Hominid,” a bare bones number whose only melody is the subtle squeak of its joints. Those favoring Andomat’s material with Jan will latch on to this skinny one.

It might be a little early to call Cécille a buy on sight label, but with “Cognitive Dissonance” as the knock out punch on a 1-2-3 combo, it seems safe to say Curly and Scholl know quality when they hear/release it. And if any of these tracks are an indication, 2008 could be a hot year for Andomat 3000 as well.