[Culprit]

On first contact, I thought SECT was a box-fresh new kid on the block armed with some seriously heavy skills, making one hell of a debut on the ’til-now digital only label Culprit. Further examination (helped along by the download of “Thieve $crilla”) procured some more vital statistics in the area of identity, namely that SECT is in fact somewhat of a producer supergroup, comprised of Soul Clap, Tanner Ross (from spooky techno duo Voodeux), and Sergio Santos (who has worked with the three other producers on various projects). Armed with this information it is less surprising that their Man Of Wisdom EP is as good as it is. It’s a three tracker of mid tempo house cuts on the deeper end of the spectrum, but still packing some serious heat for the feet.

The title track is the business for fans of the Ethio-Jazz sound, updating Mulatu Astatke’s legacy in a modern but tasteful manner. Over the first half of the track, those sultry African horns slowly weave their way to the fore of the mix, muted and filtered at first, becoming brighter, then eventually unfurling to their full melodic grandeur. The ethnic brass is complimented by a well rounded bottom end which rolls on and on through the track like an endless stretch of sand dunes cresting all the way to the hazy, shimmering horizon. “Hi-Fi All Round” squeezes out curled, boogie bass lines like soft serve ice cream, injecting every so often a brief sample that breaks down the beat to a half speed Baltimore break. The attention of all three tracks seems to lie in the swelling bass lines, using them as rudders to steer the direction and feeling of each track. Coupled with the repetitive, tripped out sounds employed, the EP as a whole carries a substantial trance-inducing feeling. The layers of swirling hypnotism reach their zenith on “SECTsy,” with the spaced out keys orbiting around echo-chamber percussion, firing out deep, vaulted bass grooves and trippy vocal snatches (I believe something about Victoria’s Secret models makes it in there somewhere). Let’s hope this SECT project is an ongoing concern so that we may sample more fruits of their labor.

The Culprit imprint, founded by Droog in 2009, has focused on releases that explore their own vision of the West Coast sound, referencing both the freaky funk of labels like Dirtybird from San Fransico and the wooziness of the Brainfeeder camp stemming from the City of Angels. Their sixth release features SECT, a Culprit supergroup of sorts consisting of Sergio Santos, Eli Goldstien and Charles Levine of Soul Clap, and Tanner Ross of Voodeux. This self-described boy band delivers the smoldering funk by scrapping together a motorik beat out of gasps and filtered snaps that house a grizzly bass/synth duo. A surprisingly coherent blend of “Fly Like An Eagle” synth oscillations and a few reverberating dub chords round out the mix; together it evokes the irreverent but danceable styles of Pepe Bradock and Claude VonStroke at once. The bass line is the real star here, mutating from a marching snarl to a oil slick that is sure to drive dancers mad. Huge thanks to Culprit and SECT for sharing this devious tune.

[This track is no longer available for download.]

01. DJ Bone, “Sect 1″ [Sect Records] (buy)
This enigmatic three tracker defies placement in space and time, with a sound well versed in classic methods but as fresh as anything else out there. Here’s hoping whoever sent “Sect 1″ to me is prepared to share its wealth with a much larger audience.

02. dOP, “Cum With Me” [Milnor Modern] (buy)
When dOP goes on to greater success (it’s coming; I can see it already), critics will look back to their “God Bless the Child EP” as a watershed moment for the trio. Bursting through genre boundaries like French Kool-Aid guys, dOP experiment with Malian kora music and lithe, funky house songs (“Cum With Me”) without skipping a beat. Watch this space for more from dOP later this week.

03. Osunlade, “My Reflection” (Deetron remix)
[D:vision Records] (buy)
What I love about Deetron’s “My Reflection” remix is how he mixes spikey analog stepping stones and fluid synth whirls to chart a decadent path for Divine Essence’s quixotic lyrics. That Sam Geiser can maintain a deep atmosphere with a techno toolkit is impressive, letting Osunlade’s soulful expressions shine through while wholly owning the track. Deetron strikes again!

04. The Mole, “Baby, You’re the One” [Wagon Repair] (buy)
As on his forthcoming album, As High As the Sky, Colin de la Plante (aka The Mole) whips up a cyclone of frantically looped samples on the lengthy house mover, “Baby, You’re the One.” But this is no natural disaster; The Mole’s clever programming keeps listeners of all stripes stuck in “Baby”‘s groove as it mutates across 13 minutes.

05. Luke Solomon, “People, Places, Thoughts And Faces” (Ajello Remix) [REKIDS]
I have to admit, I’m late to the party on Luke Solomon, but his forthcoming “Robots” EP for REKIDS certainly alerted me to what I’ve been missing. While the package also contains an incredible Prins Thomas diskomiks, it’s heretofore unknowns Ajello whose piano-led, Black Devil-esque remix is stuck on repeat here at LWE HQ.

06. Intrusion, “Intrusion” (Model 90 Reshape) [echospace [detroit]] (buy)

07. Tadeo, “IO” (Cassy Moving On Mix) [Apnea] (buy)

08. Henrik Schwarz & Kuniyuki, “The Session” [Mule Musiq] (buy)

09. Pitto, “Sex Vibe” [Arearemote] (buy)

10. Kawabata, “Persuasion” (Serafin’s Back to New York Re-Interpretation) [Drumpoet Community] (buy)

[Sect Records]

A few weeks ago an inconspicuous package appeared on my desk at work with a return address from über-retailers Juno and “Sect” emblazoned below my name. I shook out a plain white CD sleeve containing a disc marked “Sect 1″ and nothing else. Usually whoever sent the promo is overeager to wax poetic about its contents; not this time. Curious, I popped it into my computer and iTunes told me it contained three tracks by The Yale Cellos from their album, Villa-Lobos. When I pressed play I was stunned to find I wasn’t hearing a cheeky string tribute to the man, but three of the most compelling house tracks I’ve heard in some time. Something was certainly afoot, and I pressed my contact at Juno for more information. Three weeks later I’m still in the dark and marveling at the mystery disc’s music.

One of the most striking things about “Sect 1″ is that it sounds as if it were performed and mixed live. Elements appear and disappear suddenly and occasionally forcefully, sounding as if manually closed off by a quickly flung knob. But their performer never impedes upon the fastidiously crafted tracks which often twist in several directions at once as a result of contrasting internal syncopations. But these are natural, human shaped rhythms; the tunes pack a straightforward punch, are immediately accessible and prone to lodging themselves in listeners’ brains for days. (streams after the jump, play them LOUD)

The disc starts with a swift and slightly Latin-flavored track whose rippling toms, soft-footed kick, swaying chime pattern and chipper (and indecipherable) female vocals pump feverishly from the first few beats, requiring listeners to get acquainted quickly or be run over. It grows denser, picks up flaring hi-hats, a second synth gilding the chimes’ outlines and majestic pads looming large over the thrusting tune without sounding the least bit overcrowded. There’s a brief breather at about five and a half minutes, scaling back to just synths and chimes, but its many elements are hard to restrain, flitting in and out of the mix before the dam breaks and everything pumps to a fading close. To call the tune exhilarating would be understating how powerfully intoxicating its many layers and frantic pace can be.

Not to be outdone, the second track rearranges jacking house structures to fit its unique needs and while retaining a slimmer profile. It begins with a man rattling off a list of commands — “work, dream, play, do, love, try, be, create, live, bang, jack, jack” — as a synthesizer pulses between a small handful of pitches and a shuffling drum loop clatters around a solid kick drum. While this second track is considerably more linear in nature, small details like ethereal synth burbles trickling below and heavily accented claps on four and then one of the next bar give this seemingly naked tune a detailed, human lining.

“Sect 1″ concludes with the shortest and slowest track (still near 129 bpm, for reference), but its arrangements are as instantly danceable as those which came before it. Its main synth riff makes up for its standard tone with wild progressions coursing in intricate and colorful directions to the beat of a snare. Ascending swells and vivacious little leads pull the listener through the fray, where they encounter a strident call to take it “higher!” and, eventually, remarkable kick drum triplets — truly the icing on a decadently topped platter.

After reading Little White Earbuds for a while I imagine most of you know I’m a sucker for an entertaining back story; but with Sect and his/her/their debut, “Sect 1,” I’m glad to let the music be all the narrative I need. The disc’s three songs could have been made any time over the last 15 years, with any assortment of basic equipment and by any number of people and the result would be the same — some of the best dance music I’ve heard to date. I don’t know when we’ll be fortunate enough to hear more from Sect or if it will see a wider release, but for all those passionate about house and techno I sincerely hope there’s more to be had and soon. Mystery producer revealed here. (post by Steve Mizek)